APRILIA TUONO 457

The middleweight Italian sport naked also delights as an everyday machine

- ABHAY VERMA

As I found out during the press ride, Aprilia’s Tuono 457 is a good recipe for having fun on the streets. My first rendezvous with the sport naked was in Bengaluru, when we rode it around the corners leading up to the famous Nandi Hills, but the seat time was very limited, and the bike's eager power delivery and excellent dynamics had left me wanting for more. I’ve finally managed to spend over a week riding the motorcycle in and around Pune though, and living with the Tuono has helped me assess and understand the motorcycle far better than what the two-odd hours allowed me in Bengaluru.

I wasn't exactly a fan of the headlamp design, despite it being a nod to the mighty RSV4’s triple headlamp design, but the design seems to have grown on me. The positioning and design of the front number plate (the Tuono was obviously never designed to have a front number plate!) is a bit of an eyesore.

A saving grace though are the 41mm upside down forks and 110-section front tyre which help in offering the muscular feel associated with sport nakeds. Build quality and fit-finish levels are excellent, in keeping with the bike’ positioning as a premium motorcycle from a bike maker of Aprilia's repute.