Photography: Arvind Salhan
The climb up Nandi Hills is a strip of shiny, dark tarmac snaking up the mountain, although it has its fair share of surprises around some tight turns. I gunned the 457 cc parallel-twin engine, clicking through the six-speed gearbox of the new Aprilia Tuono 457 in urgency. The engine’s raspy growl echoed through the winding road hugging the hillside, before it was time to hit the brakes and rapidly go down three cogs on the gearbox, although the torquey engine could have easily managed with just two downshifts.
Also Read: Aprilia Tuono 457 Launched At Rs. 3.95 Lakh
And then it was time to do the dance all over again, with the throaty soundtrack of the twin for company, left hand repeatedly triggering the clutch lever, and matching left foot rapidly pulling up on the gear lever. Over the next rise on the road, and around the next set of corners, the Tuono 457’s responsive engine and linear throttle response left little to complain about. If it’s entertainment one’s looking for, this baby has it all, and then some more, I thought to myself! Could this be the perfect naked this side of the Rs. 5 lakh price tag? After a few fast runs up and down a stretch of the mountain road, I was smitten! Well, almost, but more on that later.
Also Read: Aprilia Tuono 457 Vs Yamaha MT-03, KTM 390 Duke Specficiations Comparison
Tuono in Italian means “thunder” and the smallest Tuono in Aprilia’s line-up is the new Tuono 457 – made in India, for the world! Based on the acclaimed Aprilia RS 457 sportbike, the naked version is positioned to introduce qualities of the supersport into its street-oriented version – to offer riders a performance naked which is a premium step-up, both in feel, handling and performance, from something like a quarter-litre roadster. The question I had in mind before swinging a leg over the Tuono 457 earlier that day was – will it be able to carve a niche and make folks sit up and notice, and sign up for the Aprilia experience?
Even at first glance, there’s no discounting the fact that the Tuono 457 looks premium. Standing still, it strikes a handsome pose, whether it’s the stance, the proportions, the build quality and overall finish levels. Compared to its fared sibling, the Tuono 457 has several unique bits which make it carve its own identity. Instead of the fairing is a sharp tank cowl, and the aluminium frame is exposed right from the engine mounting points up to the headstock. The steel swingarm is also finished in faux brushed aluminium, to match the aluminium main frame’s design and construction.
Up front, the headlight has sharp creases and cuts, with a winglet adorning the underside of the headlight assembly. And going with the streetfighter design language, the handlebar is a single-piece tubular steel one, flat and wide, instead of the clip-ons of the RS 457. The face, with the somewhat polarising design of the headlight, makes the Tuono 457 look nothing like its bigger Tuono siblings. The quarter-faired trademark design of the Tuono has also been given a miss. But it’s not a bad thing, to carve out its own identity for what is essentially the entry-level Aprilia Tuono now!
Seat height is still the same as the RS 457 at 800 mm, and even though fuel tank capacity is marginally lower at 12.7 litres (13 litres on the RS 457), the overall weight hasn’t changed – with the same 175 kg kerb weight as the RS 457. Despite losing the fairing, the new headlight assembly and wider handlebar of the Tuono 457 have added mass. The wheelbase, chassis and suspension components as well as brakes are all shared with the full-faired RS 457.
On the feature list, the 5-inch TFT screen is carried forward, and the Tuono 457 also gets ride-by-wire, with three riding modes (Sport, Rain & Eco), as well as a three-level traction control system and dual-channel ABS. A quickshifter is an optional extra, and both front and rear suspension are preload adjustable. A standard quickshifter, as well as gold-anodised forks perhaps would have made the Tuono 457 feel even more premium. Still, there’s no skimping on necessary features and electronics for a “performance-oriented” naked street bike which will be a step-up for many of its clientele.
The 457 cc, eight-valve, parallel-twin engine is the star of the show! The inline twin cranks up with a raspy bark and as the revs build up, the growl from the engine puts out quite a nice soundtrack – perfect for carving through a twisty mountain road. With shorter gearing than the RS 457 (one more tooth to the rear sprocket), the Tuono 457 certainly feels urgent from standstill.
Throttle response is linear and crisp, without any hint of snatchy-ness or jerks. Under hard acceleration, even with traction control dialled down to the least intrusive Level 1 setting, the front wheel seems to want to point skywards. The ton is achieved in no time, and the parallel-twin has enough and more performance to get to illegal and dangerous speeds, before you would probably have time to check how fast you’re going. It’s a proper hooligan – offers a lot of fun, but could get you into trouble as well, if you’re not careful.
The six-speed gearbox is slick and precise; a delight to shift through quickly, as I did on the repeated runs up the winding road up Nandi Hills. Out on the straight, in the valley below, the Tuono 457’s easy ergonomics made it a comfortable companion. Knees bent into the rear set footpegs still offer a hint of sportiness, but the flat and wide handlebar makes it comfortable for street use. And talking about the handlebar, its width offers very good leverage, just perfect to countersteer for some quick turns on the twisty road. Like its faired sibling, performance from the parallel-twin engine is the Tuono 457’s forte, and it will leave you grinning from ear to ear, long after you park the bike!
The Tuono’s suspension is firm, to complement its excellent road manners. It’s borderline stiff, but not uncomfortable or will have your back screaming for mercy. Over the few undulations and broken patches that we encountered during our test ride, there was no reason for any complaint. And across the sweeping corners in the valley and the turns up on the mountain, the Tuono 457’s dynamics are impressive – more than enough to make you dream of spending some more quality time with it on a racetrack!
But running up and down a mountain at unmentionable speeds also means you need to brake hard, to shed speed quickly, particularly before blind turns. And this is where the chink in the Tuono 457’s armour began to show up. Earlier in the afternoon, the bite and progression from the brakes were fine, but after some hard use, the front brake lever started feeling spongy. Brake bite and performance started becoming inconsistent, which somewhat robs you of the confidence to enjoy the Tuono 457’s entertaining company to the full.
Priced at Rs. 3,95,000 (Ex-showroom), the Aprilia Tuono 457 offers a very good price to performance proposition, costing roughly Rs. 25,000 less than its full-faired sibling, the Aprilia RS 457. As a mid-size performance naked, it may be a little pricey, particularly with the reduced prices of its closest rival, the Yamaha MT-03 (Rs. 3,26,000). But there’s no denying the fact that the Aprilia Tuono 457 offers a sense of being a more premium and modern package – one that’s difficult to ignore.
Long after I handed over the keys of the Tuono 457, and headed back home, I couldn’t help thinking about it, about the frolicking time I had with this new street naked, even though it was brief. More seat time would have certainly helped understand its qualities more intimately.
On the flight back home, I kept thinking about the Tuono 457, a motorcycle that would make you want to have some more saddle time with, and under different riding conditions – on the street, on the highway and on a circuit.
If that’s not reason enough to take a test ride, you should go take a look at it at your nearest Aprilia dealership, it may entice you to take it for a spin. And once you do, you may end up overlooking its niggles and appreciate it for what it is – pure, unadulterated fun!
| Engine Displacement | 457 cc |
| Engine Type | Parallel-twin, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled |
| Max Power | 47 bhp @ 9400 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 43.5 Nm @ 6700 rpm |
| Clutch | Multi-plate with slipper system |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Frame | Twin spar aluminium |
| Front Suspension | 41 mm USD, adjustable preload, 120 mm travel |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock with preload adjustability, 130 mm travel |
| Front Brake | 320 mm floating disc, ByBre 4-piston radial caliper |
| Rear Brake | 220 mm disc, ByBre caliper |
| Seat Height | 800 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 12.7 litres |
| Wet Weight | 175 kg |
