done all the work here , leave it to the experts . All-in-all , I believe the designers have done something pretty miraculous with the 457 . I pushed it as far as I was comfortable and there was plenty left , I didn ’ t get to the top speed , an understated 190km / h but I certainly approached speeds of license threatening levels and never felt that I needed a great deal more . I was able to move freely in the seat , pushing to the back on straights and pulling more forward when riding tight . Everything is narrow , but for everyday use surprisingly comfortable - my back hates a fixed seat and this allowed some freedom of movement and even reaching down for those low clip-on bars grew on me with every ride . With a super light slipper clutch , I was spoilt for choice and found myself using it almost unconsciously on downshifts , and the ride belied the bikes smaller cc rating . It is a pocket superbike .
THE SKINNY As the latest entry into the lightweight sportbike market , I think this will suit the target audience
very well indeed , riders stepping up from a 125 or the like , but also those lithe enough who ’ d like to step down and lose all the weight and costs of a bigger bike . Most manufacturers in this segment focus on comfort and ease of use . Aprilia , however has a huge racing pedigree from road racing to Dakar and , in my opinion , has delivered a class-leading bike in the segment . I started by saying I had to get rid of prejudices , good or bad , and I don ’ t generally like smaller bikes for road duty , however I believe that the Aprilia RS457 , is one of the most remarkable offerings today . A great daily ride and a fantastic weekend racer , in a highly polished technical package that will probably reduce an owners desire to immediately change up with a full license . This is a lot of bang for buck , superbly presented , that delivers everything you want in a light sports bike . I never really liked the branding - Be A Racer - but this little weapon makes it abundantly clear that this is accurate and exactly what Aprilia meant . Not advertising as such , but a simple fact .
KIWI RIDER 65