After years of waiting, Piaggio India is finally entering the low-performance motorcycle segment in India and has confirmed its intentions as the brand celebrates its 25th anniversary in the market. India. Upcoming offering is expected as rumored Aprilia RS440 was recently spotted testing and will rival the KTM RC390 in the segment.
Piaggio has announced that it will “enter the high-performance motorcycle segment in India with the group’s racing motorcycle brand, Aprilia. So far, Aprilia retails high-performance scooters and motorcycles in the country. The company shared prototypes of 150 cc performance bikes in 2018 but this strategy was later changed to bring in newer products in the 300-400 cc segment.
Also read: Kawasaki Ninja 400 vs KTM RC 390: Compare prices, specifications, features
Details about the Aprilia RS440 are scarce, this could be the potential name of this model. This is in line with Aprilia’s nomenclature considering the RS660 and RS1100 in the company’s lineup. The new offer is most likely designed for emerging markets, and India is likely to be the global production hub for the upcoming model.
The upcoming Aprilia RS440 can borrow the design style from the RS660
The Aprilia RS440 can borrow styling cues from the RS660 including twin headlights, sharp lines and fully covered bodywork. The spy shots show strong but forgiving ergonomics, hinting at a touring sports car rather than a dedicated tracking machine from the company. To be fair, even the new KTM RC 390 has a slightly more comfortable ergonomic design to make this model more comfortable for the driver.
No word on the powertrain yet but the RS440 is expected to feature a newly developed liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine. Hopefully, Aprilia will do its best in delivering some stellar power specs, while also offering driver aids including dual-channel ABS, traction control, Ride-by-Wire, and ride-by-wire. , two-way quickshifter, cornering ABS, etc. The spy shots also hint at USD forks up front and a monoshock at the rear, along with light disc brakes with alloy wheels.
Expect the price to be in the range of $2.9-3.5 lakh (old showroom), this is also where the BMW G 310 RR, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and KTM RC 390 operate. The upcoming Aprilia RS440 is expected to arrive in India around the festive season and we can get our first look at the motorcycle at the first round of Indian MotoGP – Bharat GP – scheduled to take place. in September of this year. Not only Piaggio but other manufacturers present in India and MotoGP also expect some important announcements at the top racing event.
First published date: February 9, 2023, 14:04 PM IST
