Aprilia RS 440 spotted testing in India, launch likely this year
Upon launch, the upcoming Aprilia RS 440 could take on the likes of entry-level middleweight sports bikes such as KTM 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 400.
The market is abuzz with rumours that Aprilia is bringing sub-500cc motorcycles to India. The Italian brand is acclaimed for its premium sports bikes that possess a certain racing pedigree. No wonder, Aprilia is a successful team in the MotoGP championships.
In India, the company’s presence is dominated by sporty-looking scooters that do not inherit the brand’s racing heritage when it comes to performance, which is why Aprilia is in the process of bringing some of its popular motorcycles to the Indian market.
Aprilia sports bike spotted–visual details
Adding fuel to the rumours is a recent spy shot of a camouflaged test unit which appears to be the brand’s first sub-500cc motorcycle in the country. This camouflage prototype has been clicked outside Baramati, Maharashtra where the company’s manufacturing plant is located. In all probability, this will be the brand’s upcoming entry-level sports bike in the 300-400cc range.
Aprilia 300-400cc sports bike spotted, could be new RS 440 (image courtesy: iamabikerdotcom/ instagram)
Visually, the camouflaged test mule looks familiar and apparently, the styling takes inspiration from other sport bikes of the Italian brand including RS 660 and RS V4. It gets a signature tri-LED headlight and an angular tail section that are almost identical to its bigger siblings. Other visual highlights include a muscular fuel tank, beefy front fairing, split seats and an underbelly exhaust.
Riding ergonomics appear to be aggressive with rear-set footpegs and low-set clip-on handlebars. Despite being a fully-faired sport bike, Aprilia wouldn’t want to compromise on comfort since the bike could be used as a sports touring machine as well.
Expected mechanical specs
From the looks of it, the engine casing looks similar to that of the bigger motor on the Aprilia RS 660 and Tuono 660. However, in our opinion, it is more likely to be a smaller RS 440 that is propelled by a smaller 440cc parallel-twin engine. Details of this new motor are still under wraps but it could deliver a peak power output of around 45-50 bhp.
Aprilia RS 440 expected to be visually similar to RSV4
As for performance, the bike is likely to clock a top speed of around 170 kmph. The upcoming sports bike differs from other its larger siblings on a few accounts. The chassis structure looks slightly different and comprises a thinner aluminium swingarm as compared to the RS 660. Further, the test prototype gets a single disc brake up front instead of the twin-disc setup seen in RS 660.
That said, it gets a similar suspension setup comprising inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Other features expected to be offered include a fully digital TFT console, electronic riding aids, traction control, Bluetooth connectivity, multiple riding modes and dual-channel ABS.
We expect the upcoming RS 440 to command a price tag of around Rs 3.50 lakh (ex-showroom)
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti