Aprilia Tuono 457 (2025) – Technical Review
By Ben Purvis
Has written for dozens of magazines and websites, including most of the world’s biggest bike titles, as well as dabbling in car and technology journalism.
22.11.2024
TBC
47bhp
175kg
TBC
Aprilia has been churning out Tuono streetfighters for more than 20 years in a range of sizes from 50cc to 1100cc but every one of them has shared the same traditional streetfighter recipe: take a sports bike, slap some high, wide bars on, cut the fairing down to suit, then call it a day and head to the pub.
The results leave little to complain about in terms of performance or handling but you’d be hard pushed to find a Tuono-branded machine in Aprilia’s back-catalogue that could be described as pretty or well-proportioned. That all changes with the Tuono 457, a bike that might follow the Tuono tradition in being derived from a sports model but takes a much more comprehensive, holistic approach, gaining entirely bespoke bodywork that means it actually looks like it was designed to be a naked bike from day one.
Pros & Cons
Styling avoids the retro trap of many rivals but manages to be more conventionally, and attractively, proportioned than other Tuonos
Aluminium chassis and twin-cylinder engine where many competitors use steel frames and singles
Power-to-weight ratio hits the absolute maximum allowed under A2 licence rules
Likely to be pricier than some big-selling rivals
A retro-styled version, likely to carry the Moto Guzzi name, is believed to be waiting in the wings and could be even more appealing
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Price
Aprilia has yet to announce the official price of the Tuono 457 but it’s mechanically all but identical to the existing RS457 sports bike. That suggests it won’t be able to carry a price tag that’s much lower than the RS457’s £6630 RRP.
That’s a substantial chunk more than best-selling rivals in the sub-500cc roadster class like Triumph’s £5195 Speed 400, but that’s a lower-powered single. Compared to rival twins – most notably Honda’s 471cc CB500 Hornet at £6199 – the gap narrows substantially and the Tuono offers more performance and less weight.
Two colours are offered: Piranha Red, with black graphics similar to Aprilia’s racing colours, or Puma Grey with white, black and red highlights.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Engine & Performance
The Tuono 457’s name comes directly from the slightly unusual 457cc capacity of its parallel-twin engine – a motor that’s borrowed straight from the RS457 sports bike.
The design is conventional, with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, and of course it’s liquid-cooled. Designed specifically to fit into the A2 licence class, where power is restricted to 35kW (47hp), it peaks at precisely that number – hitting it at 9400rpm and pairing it to a max torque of 32lbft (43.5Nm), arriving at 6700rpm.
The engine’s construction and layout based on the same ideas used in the larger 1100cc V4 used in the RSV4 and Tuono V4 models, as well as the 659cc twin from the RS660 and Tuono 660, and includes a horizontally split crankcase that helps keep its size and weight to a minimum, plus a cooling system that internally routed to avoid ugly external pipework.
Details include offset cylinders, where the centre of the bore is 6.5mm away from the centreline of the crankshaft to maximise the effectiveness of each power stroke and reduce sideways forces on the pistons that would add more friction and wear. Low friction DLC coatings, plus roller bearings for the water pump and countershaft as well as inside the transmission, further improve efficiency and there’s a patented gearbox lubrication system.
That transmission has six speeds and an assist/slipper clutch, just like the RS457, but the Tuono gets a shorter final drive to trade top speed for improved acceleration.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)
Like the engine, the Tuono 457’s chassis is borrowed from the RS457 – and that means it’s a much more advanced design than you’ll find on most bikes in its class.
Where rivals tend to use steel tube frames, either perimeter or trellis designs, the Aprilia has a pair of aluminium beams that bolt together around the steering head and to the top of the engine to create a half-frame setup that uses the engine itself as the lower part of the chassis. It’s the same idea that’s used in the RS660 and Tuono 660, and one that works well when it comes to minimising weight. Dry, the bike measures an impressive 159kg and measured wet including a 90% full tank of fuel that rises to 175kg – a figure that, when combined with the bike’s 35kW peak power, precisely matches the power-to-weight limit for A2 bikes of 0.2kW per kg.
The suspension is made up of 41mm USD forks and a rear monoshock, each adjustable for preload but with fixed damping settings. The swingarm is steel.
Brakes are supplied by Brembo’s ByBre budget brand, with a single 320mm front disc and four-pot radial caliper, plus a single-piston rear on a 220mm disc, with Bosch ABS that’s switchable, giving the option to disengage the antilock on the rear wheel. 17-inch rims, borrowed from the RS457, wear 110/70 and 150/60 rubber.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Comfort & Economy
Where all other Tuono models have been stripped-back versions of Aprilia’s equivalent sports bikes, sharing the same fuel tanks, rear bodywork and seat units as their full-faired equivalents and using a fixed headlight on a small nose fairing, the Tuono 457 has bespoke bodywork from nose to tail and a true naked design that includes a headlamp that turns with the bars.
Visually, it makes for a much more cohesive look. Where other Tuonos have unusual proportions with a headlight that seems low and far-forward thanks to being chassis rather than bar-mounted, and their high, wide bars often have the look of a homebuilt streetfighter rather than a factory-made machine, the Tuono 457’s lamp is tucked neatly up against the forks, making for a sleeker, better-balanced side profile. It might lack the screen and wind protection of other Tuonos, but it also has a fuel tank and seat unit that are purpose-designed for the upright riding position rather than being borrowed from an RS sports bike, promising fewer compromises when it comes to comfort.
The seat itself has the same 800mm height as the RS457 – the two bikes share the same subframe – but it’s tapered to make it easier to reach the ground. The pegs are also identical to the sports bike, but the much higher, wider bars should put less strain on your back and wrists and give more leverage than the RS’s clip-ons.
Options include a comfort seat, a lower seat, passenger grabrails and luggage including side and tank bags.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Equipment
Like most modern bikes the Tuono 457 has a ride-by-wire throttle, making it easy to incorporate tech like traction control and riding modes, so that’s precisely what Aprilia has done.
The modes are Eco, with progressive throttle response and intermediate traction control settings, Sport, with sharper throttle and less traction control, and Rain, with softer response and more TC. However, the traction control can be adjusted independently of those modes, and the ABS – set to maximum in all modes by default – can be disengaged on the rear wheel.
There’s a 5-inch colour TFT screen and backlit bar controls, plus the now-expected Bluetooth phone connectivity for infotainment and navigation via the Aprilia MIA app.
Options include an up/down quickshifter, a USB port, and tyre pressure monitors.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Rivals
Triumph Speed 400 | Price: £5195
39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft
170kg
Honda CB500 Hornet | Price: £6199
47bhp / 31.7lb-ft
188kg
Kawasaki Z500SE | Price: £6049
44.8bhp / 31.4lb-ft
168kg
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Verdict
We’ll be able to ride the new Aprilia in 2025 and will make sure our review contains every nuance of detail you’ll be looking for. This sector is on a steep popularity curve and given how well Aprilia’s RS457 and RS660 plus Tuono 660 have performed on journalist and owner tests then we’re expecting a 5* showing from the Tuono 457. When our tester, Chad, rode the RS457 he said the “engine is smooth and torquey for this class and possesses enough kick at the top end to make the ride exciting.” He also commented positively on the bike’s riding position and styling though noted the choice of OE tyre wasn’t ideal.
If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.
Do you own the RS457? You’re welcome to tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about the Tuono version at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.
2025 Aprilia Tuono 457 - Technical Specification
| New price | TBA |
| Capacity | 457cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 69 x 61.1 mm |
| Engine layout | Parallel twin |
| Engine details | DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled |
| Power | 47bhp (35KW) @ 9400rpm |
| Torque | 32lb-ft (43.5Nm) @ 6700rpm |
| Transmission | 6 speed, chain final drive, assist and slipper clutch |
| Average fuel consumption | TBA |
| Tank size | 12.7 litres |
| Max range to empty | TBA |
| Rider aids | Traction control, ride by wire, three riding modes, switchable ABS |
| Frame | Twin spar aluminium half frame |
| Front suspension | 41mm USD forks |
| Front suspension adjustment | Preload only |
| Rear suspension | Monoshock, steel swingarm |
| Rear suspension adjustment | Preload only |
| Front brake | 320mm disc, four-piston ByBre radial caliper |
| Rear brake | 220mm disc, single-piston ByBre caliper |
| Front wheel / tyre | 110/70-17 |
| Rear wheel / tyre | 150/60-17 |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | TBC |
| Wheelbase | 1350mm |
| Seat height | 800mm |
| Weight | 175kg (kerb) |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Servicing | TBC |
| MCIA Secured Rating | Not yet rated |
| Website | www.aprilia.com |
What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
An ignition immobiliser system
A vehicle marking system
An alarm system
A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
