In 10 Pics: Aprilia RS 457 vs KTM RC 390 - Compared

How does the first India-made Aprilia fare against the KTM RC 390?

The KTM RC 390 has been the most popular supersport in the sub-500cc segment for close to a decade, fending off competition from the likes of the TVS Apache RR 310 and Kawasaki Ninja 400. But now a new competitor has emerged after the unveiling of the all-new Aprilia RS 457. So, how do they fare against each other visually? Let’s have a look:

Design: 

The Aprilia RS 457 gets a twin-spar frame with an aluminium sub-frame and an underbelly exhaust. Aesthetically, it has an aggressive front with the split-LED headlight setup and a sleek rear, like a scaled-down version of the RS 660.

The KTM RC 390 has that typical sharp, menacing design language of a KTM and gets a split-trellis frame with a bolt-on subframe. The redesigned LED headlight setup brings freshness and the upswept exhaust looks cohesive with the overall design.  

Engine:

The Aprilia RS 457 is powered by a 457cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder DOHC engine producing 48PS. Torque figures for the RS 457 are not available as of yet. The KTM RC 390, meanwhile, is powered by a 373.27cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder DOHC engine producing 43.5PS and 37Nm, and comes paired with a 6-speed gearbox sporting a slip-and-assist clutch.

Now, though the gearbox and clutch details for the Rs 457 are not available yet, we believe it’ll sport similar hardware. Besides, a quickshifter is available as standard on the RC 390, while it is optional on the Aprilia.

Underpinnings

The all-new RS 457 comes equipped with a 41mm upside-down (USD) fork with 120mm suspension travel and a monoshock with 130mm wheel travel, and preload adjustability at both ends. Braking duties are taken care of by a 320mm front disc with a ByBre radially mounted 4-piston caliper and a 220mm rear disc with a ByBre caliper, and switchable dual-channel ABS as standard. It gets 110/70 (front) and 150/60 (rear) TVS Eurogrip Protorq Extreme tyres, with 17-inch alloys.

The KTM RC 390 gets a non-adjustable 43mm WP Apex upside-down (USD) fork and a WP Apex monoshock with 10-step preload and rebound adjustability. It gets a 320mm disc with a radially mounted calliper at the front and a 230mm rear disc with a floating caliper. The RC 390, too, gets a 110/70 (front) and 150/60 (rear) tyre setup, though it gets Metzeler Sportec M5 H-rated units on its 17-inch alloys.

Features:

The Aprilia RS 457 gets a 5-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity and full-LED lighting. It gets a ride-by-wire system with three riding modes, a three-level switchable traction control system, and a 175kg kerb weight. The bike is expected to get a more extensive list of features, which will be fully revealed after its launch.

The KTM RC 390 gets a 5-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity. Other features include traction control, cornering ABS, and Supermoto ABS. It has a seat height of 835mm, ground clearance of 153mm, kerb weight of 172kg, and a fuel tank capacity of 13.7 litres.

Price: 

The KTM RC 390 is priced at Rs 3,18,173 (ex-showroom Delhi) while the price of the Aprilia RS 457 hasn’t been announced yet but we expect it to be around the Rs 4.25 lakh (ex-showroom) mark. 

The KTM RC 390 has been the go-to sub-500cc supersport bike in the Indian market, with its combination of exhilarating performance, premium hardware and exciting features. So it remains to be seen whether the Aprilia RS 457 can steal some of the limelight from the RC 390 with the appeal of its twin-cylinder motor and premium build quality, post its launch which will happen in just a few months.