BREAKING: Aprilia To Build 300-400cc Bikes For Indian Market; No GPR250-sourcing From China

We expect Aprilia to first build a sportbike and then a naked on the same platform

• Aprilia teased us with the possibility of 150cc versions of the RS125 and Tuono 125 for India a couple of auto expos earlier.
• The plans shifted to introducing 250cc models and maybe bringing in the China-specific GPR250.
• The new 300-400cc bikes will be made in India.

Piaggio has shared its intentions of launching sub-400cc Aprilia motorcycles specially designed for the Indian market. The bikes will bear the racing ethos of the Aprilia brand and hope to take the fight to the likes of the KTM 390 Duke, RC 390, the BMW G 310 R, and the TVS Apache RR 310 in the country. Piaggio India chief Diego Graffi confirmed these plans during the recent launch of the special edition Vespa Racing Sixties scooters. The bikes are likely to arrive sometime around 2022-23 as these will be all-new products built from the ground-up for India.

At Auto Expo 2018, Aprilia had brought down the small RS 125 and Tuono 125 with the plan of introducing 150cc versions of the bike in a year. The bikes were aimed at making the brand accessible to the Indian masses, quite like how the SR 150 did in its initial days. However, the brand identified that it was no longer fortuitous to build high-spec low-cubic capacity bikes as the market was gravitating towards larger 250-300cc motorcycles.

The arrival of the GPR250 in China was another hint that Aprilia could be bringing in something larger to our shores. The GPR250 doesn’t have mind-boggling performance specs but the kit on offer is nothing short of exemplary. The bike has an aluminium perimeter frame, aluminium swingarm, USD fork, and front radial brake caliper. 

Graffi has ruled out the possibility of the GPR250 coming to India as the folks at Noale are working on a sub-400cc motorcycle. This bike would be built in the country and is expected to be exported to other markets like South East Asia and Europe. 

We expect Aprilia to bring forth the sportbike first, a RS 400 if you like. It would be followed up with the Tuono model. Aprilia could stick to a high-strung single-cylinder engine configuration to keep costs in check. However, we wouldn’t be too surprised if the Italian bikemaker builds a scaled-down version of the RS660’s motor for the upcoming bike. 

Expect nothing other than a premium price tag for these Aprilias. The RS motorcycle could cost around Rs 3.50 lakh with the Tuono naked retailing for around Rs 30,000-Rs 50,000 less.