At some point, we’ve all watched Marc Marquez throw around a MotoGP bike around the track and thought to ourselves, “I’ve got to do that”. Only to hit the racetrack on a liter-class sports bike (the closest thing to a MotoGP bike we can get our hands on) and realize this is a lot harder than it looks. Now that you’ve had your humble pie, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this difficult.
All you have to do is take track riding slow, just like your favorite world champions did. You need to start small and get something that teaches you the basics of riding a big bike fast, without intimidating you like a liter bike would. Luckily, there’s one bike that promises to do exactly that. Here’s the slow sports bike that can teach you to ride like a pro.
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The Aprilia RS 457 Is The “Slow” Sports Bike That Teaches You To Ride Like A Pro
Obviously, we had to look at the entry-level segment to justify the ‘slow’ in the title. At the same time, we had to take into account the overall riding dynamics and experience since this would be your stepping stone to being a pro. Taking these into account, we think the Aprilia RS 457 is the perfect pick here. The driving force here is its class-leading aluminum perimeter chassis.
This is something full-sized liter bikes possess (even most modern-day mid-weight bikes use steel frames), which helps you get accustomed to the overall feel and feedback a big bike would provide you. So you’ll understand how the bike feels under trail braking, how the rear moves around if you’re not easy on the gas, and the bike’s reaction to various inputs/weight changes. Likewise, the suspension adjustability adds to this experience.
Other than that, you also get an understanding of the electronics you’d get on a big bike. For instance, you can work with ABS at first. If the ABS kicks in, you’re probably going too harsh on the front lever, and the initial application needs work. And when you’re smoother on the brakes, the 457 lets you decrease the intrusion and switch off the ABS at the rear. The traction control will help with the same for the rear wheel (how smoothly you should feed the gas).
Other than the 457, the Kawasaki Ninja 500 deserves a shout, too. Unlike the 457, this is all about getting the bare basics right. That’s because the Ninja has a much simpler package (telescopic forks, trellis chassis, and an even-firing parallel-twin engine). So it will happily serve as your partner in learning basics of riding like a pro. But we believe you will hit a plateau here sooner than the 457.
The RS 457 Has Razor-Sharp Riding Dynamics
Coming to the bike itself, the RS 457 has a lot going for it. But having ridden it on track extensively, the handling is one of the ultimate selling points. The feedback is brilliant, and you know exactly what the wheels are doing under you. At the same time, the 41 mm USD forks and monoshock come with adjustability in case you want to better the riding dynamics. The only slight hiccup is the brakes, which can fade if the ambient temperature is hot and you’re braking hard lap after lap. Aprilia’s official race pads (sold as an accessory) solve that issue.
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The Aluminum Frame Helps Keep The Weight Low
From afar, the RS 457 looks like a big motorcycle and feels that way from the cockpit, too. But the aluminum frame ensures the weight remains low at just 385 pounds wet. That is almost 40 pounds less than the Honda CBR500R and just a few more than the Kawasaki Ninja 500 SE ABS. What remains unclear are the exact dimensions of the wheelbase and ground clearance.
There’s No Lack Of Punch On The Aprilia RS 457
While this is an entry-level bike, the RS 457 has enough punch to keep all of us entertained. The 457cc, parallel-twin engine boasts a 270-degree crank to ensure the 47 horsepower and 32 pound-feet are spread all over the revs. That means a lot of tractability for the street. But it also enables you to carry a gear higher in tight corners without losing out on drive.
In comparison, a Ninja 500–with its normal firing order–would need to be revved hard for the same drive. The spec sheet paints the same picture: the 457’s torque peaks almost 1,000 RPM earlier than the Ninja 500. There’s no lack of top-end oomph, though, as the RS can take you to 124 miles per hour.
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Class-Leading Electronics Keep You Safe
All that torque can launch you to the moon if there’s a lack of grip. So Aprilia has thrown in some nice electronic aids here. There are ride modes, engine maps, an anti-rollover system, traction control, and dual-channel ABS modes with two intervention modes. You can access these via a backlit switchgear and crisp 5-inch TFT instrument cluster. You should know that no other bike in the segment has such electronic aids!
The Aprilia RS 457 Sells For $6,799
Finally, there’s the price. The RS 457 starts from $6,799, while the MotoGP-inspired Racing Stripes livery costs $100 more. At that price, it sits $400 more than the 2026 Honda CBR500R and Kawasaki Ninja 500 SE ABS. We think the money is well justified by the aluminum chassis itself, but the extra features further improve the value proposition here.
The overall performance is right on par with its rivals, so you don’t exactly lose out on anything, either. That said, it’s worth noting that the 457’s price might rise in the near future since the new-for-2026 colorways are on the way to the US.