DriveSpark Coffee Break: KTM RC 390 vs. Aprilia RS457 | Vedant Jouhari and Zack Berlin
Trying to decide between the scalpel-sharp KTM RC390 and the ferocious Aprilia RS457? We've got you covered! This episode dives deep into a head-to-head comparison of these two corner-carving machines.
Trying to decide between the scalpel-sharp KTM RC390 and the ferocious Aprilia RS457? We've got you covered! This episode dives deep into a head-to-head comparison of these two corner-carving machines.
#ktmrc390 #apriliars457 #rc390 #rs457 #comparison #DriveSpark
~PR.308~ED.70~##~
Trying to decide between the scalpel-sharp KTM RC390 and the ferocious Aprilia RS457? We've got you covered! This episode dives deep into a head-to-head comparison of these two corner-carving machines.
#ktmrc390 #apriliars457 #rc390 #rs457 #comparison #DriveSpark
~PR.308~ED.70~##~
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00:00Welcome to DriveSpa Coffee Breaks, I'm Vedant Johari, I'm Zach Berlin and this is a podcast
00:11where we'll be speaking about everything in the automobile industry right from new vehicles,
00:15comparisons and even the funkiest news that you guys see.
00:19So for the first episode we'll be speaking about the RC 390 versus the Aprilia RS 457,
00:25two of the most track capable 300-400cc motorcycles.
00:29So let's jump right into this video.
00:32So let's start off by talking about like, I would say let's start off with the 390.
00:37390 has got to be the, I would say the first main competitor in this space.
00:45The first true 400cc bike that got people attracted to it and at least in the Indian
00:51market.
00:52Yes.
00:53And it has been around now for over a decade since their first launch, which I do believe
00:59you have their first one.
01:00Of course.
01:01Of course.
01:02Beautiful, beautiful bike.
01:03But at the end of the day, they've stuck with the same kind of pedigree, which is that single
01:09cylinder engine.
01:10Yes.
01:11And we've just seen Aprilia come in with a two-cylinder, which is the first two-cylinder
01:15400cc bike that we've got at this price range in India.
01:20Now, there is always the R3, the Yamaha R3, but then again, we wouldn't really consider
01:27that in the 400cc segment with the RC because the RC and the Aprilia are still higher cc
01:34300, 400cc motorcycles.
01:37So I wouldn't say the Aprilia is the only twin cylinder motorcycle in this segment.
01:46But then again, the most capable one, probably, because getting a chance to ride the motorcycle
01:52around Khari, you really got to feel what it had to offer, such as playing with just
01:57the electronics.
01:58Now, the RC, that's where it lacks.
02:00There's no electronics.
02:02It has your basic traction control, your basic ABS, but you can't play with anything.
02:07Now, however, the Aprilia, on the other hand, has your different levels of traction control
02:12you can choose.
02:13It has switchable ABS and the whole fact of it being that twin cylinder, I feel that's
02:20what gives it the edge over the RC.
02:23But in terms of that pure raw power, the raw feel of an engine, I feel that's where
02:28the RC really, really shines in this.
02:31You get to feel it a little more, you get those more vibrations.
02:34Exactly.
02:35Exactly.
02:36Yeah.
02:37But Aprilia is slightly more refined, slightly more composed, slightly more, just that little
02:44peak of, let's say, a higher cc, 600cc.
02:50It's got a lot more from directly derived from them.
02:53Yeah, I mean, the RS 457 is completely taken the looks from the RS 660, right?
03:00And it looks beautiful.
03:05You see it in person and especially if it's got a tail tidy and if it's got all the extra
03:09fairings taken off.
03:10I mean, the demo pieces that Aprilia showed us is really gorgeous.
03:14It's definitely a head turner on the road.
03:16I've seen a few in Bangalore.
03:18Oh man, it's beautiful.
03:21I'm still waiting to see them on the streets though.
03:22Yeah.
03:23I haven't seen them in real life.
03:24You aren't going to miss it though.
03:25Trust me on that.
03:26If you see it on the streets, your eyes will 100% move towards that motorcycle.
03:31One thing I feel where the Aprilia could have done a little better is the pricing.
03:36Now majority of their vehicles, I mean, even the scooters in the market are still higher
03:41priced than what you see in the others.
03:43Like if you look at the SR 150 compared to your Activa or Jupiter, the SR 150 does come
03:49at that higher price point.
03:51Now Aprilia does have all of that going for it, a premium motorcycle brand, proper Italian
03:56sports pedigree, that stuff, right?
03:59But launching in the Indian market, they have to also look at the general requirements of
04:04customers.
04:05Now, the Indian market, the Indian market is growing.
04:11It is evolving towards, especially towards the mid-segment motorcycles and even the 600
04:17CCs, if you look at that, right?
04:19It is growing.
04:20It's not where it is abroad right now.
04:22But it's definitely picking up in the last couple of years.
04:24It's on the way there.
04:25It's on the way there.
04:26Now with the Aprilia launching the RS 457, yeah, they've launched something that looks
04:30like a 600.
04:31They've launched something which has the same features as a 600 and they've launched a very
04:36capable engine.
04:38Now that, if they are just priced a little more aggressively, now what, the starting
04:43price of that is 4.15 lakhs, ex-showroom.
04:47If we just caught that at, let's say, even the 4 lakh mark or the high 3 lakh mark, 390
04:54ish.
04:55It would have made it a little more justifiable.
04:56Exactly.
04:57It would have made it a little more justifiable and would have hit the wider audience as well,
05:02right?
05:03So, but then again, you're still getting everything from a proper, proper Italian reputed motorcycle
05:12brand, right?
05:13So, how much can you, how much can you really ask them to shave off in terms of pricing?
05:19It's not just one motorcycle they've priced like this.
05:21They've priced everything in their product range a little more on the higher side.
05:25How's the RC price at around 3 change?
05:29Yeah, about 3.16 but at the end of the day, I still think that these two motorcycles are
05:34the epitome of the 400cc category right now.
05:38If you want a sports bike, you have these two options and that's about it.
05:43Obviously, you have the ZX-4R and you have the, who's going to pay 8 lakhs or 9 lakhs
05:48for a motorcycle?
05:49Sorry, I don't consider that in the same price category.
05:53But when you're coming to these two motorcycles, you have the best single cylinder or you have
05:58the best twin cylinder and at the end of the day, it's personal preference to certain extent
06:05and yeah, you do get slightly better performance out of the Aprilia.
06:09You do have higher top speed being a twin cylinder.
06:12You do get less vibrations.
06:14You do get...
06:15Oh, the engine is way more refined.
06:16Yeah, you get lower and you get a much better lower end torque and at the end of the day,
06:21they both try to build the best bikes in their space and they've both done amazingly well.
06:27KTM has stuck with this same engine for quite a while.
06:31We're still waiting to see if they put in the LC4C into the new generation.
06:37When that comes out, that's going to be incredible.
06:39But until then, I think that if you are looking for the better motorcycle right now, if you
06:46can afford it, if you can put down that money, then the Aprilia is the way to go.
06:50But at the end of the day, you're not losing out on anything picking up on the RC390 either.
06:56I mean, see now, this is where personal preference might come in because I own the RC390.
07:03That bike, I feel, it comes in tighter than the Aprilia.
07:10One majorly because it has a whole cylinder less and even the riding posture of the RC,
07:20you do feel it to be a little more compact and strained, but with the higher seat height,
07:25it definitely benefits the taller riders.
07:28Definitely.
07:29And I think that's where the Aprilia benefits the shorter riders actually.
07:31It has a slightly more compact seating position, which makes you as a shorter rider might be
07:37more comfortable.
07:38Exactly.
07:39So, for example, when I wrote the new gen RC390 around Kari, because of already riding
07:46the previous gen, I understood the ergo really quick.
07:50Now, for example, while jumping onto the RS457, I've never ridden any twin cylinder sports
07:56bike.
07:57Now this is the first one I got a chance to ride.
08:00And how you said it benefits the shorter rider, everything is in hand's reach.
08:05Now, for me, what I'm over six foot and I was more or less upright on the motorcycle.
08:11Now, obviously, I didn't have the straight back.
08:13I was a little committed because regardless of how tall you are, you will be in a little
08:16committed position on that.
08:17You better be committed if you're going on a journey.
08:20For sure.
08:22And but now the RC, when you keep riding it, you will understand the ergo.
08:30However, the Aprilia's ergo is so well set, right?
08:35You jump onto the bike and you're used to it.
08:37But that's why I feel it's less of a challenging motorcycle.
08:41Now, the twin cylinder setup also, right?
08:46If you're, again, see, I can only tell you how the Aprilia performs while riding on track
08:52because I've only ridden that motorcycle on track and never in the city.
08:56So while taking it around a few corners, if I realized I'm on a gear too high on the bike
09:02and I'm really low on the revs, I just need to give it throttle and it has the power because
09:07of the cylinders because of that few four or five extra horsepower it's putting out.
09:11However, when I rode the RC, you cannot make an error.
09:16You cannot make an error.
09:17Yeah, okay.
09:18In terms of ergo, if you're leaning posture or something is wrong, fine, the bike will
09:23take it.
09:24But in terms of your rev build up of how to manage your revs, the RC requires much more
09:30precision than the Aprilia.
09:31The throttle input's got to be a lot more controlled.
09:34Exactly.
09:35You've got to be in your power band a lot longer.
09:36Exactly.
09:37And that power band's a lot shorter.
09:39There's no room for error.
09:40Like, because if you're coming into a slow corner and if you miss, if you're even that
09:451000 range below your rev limit, or your power band, you don't have anything pulling you
09:53out of the corner.
09:54At that point, you got to rely on yourself straightening out the bike so that the bike
09:57can go.
09:58However, on the Aprilia, you can come in and fifth gear at like 40 kilometers per hour
10:02and just punch it and it's gonna have the power.
10:05Okay, fine.
10:06It's not gonna give you the peak power, but it's still gonna have something to take you
10:09out of it.
10:10So, in terms of riding, in terms of how forgiving the motorcycle is, Aprilia has done a beautiful
10:19job on the RS457.
10:20Okay, it comes at a little more expensive price, but then you're still getting everything
10:25for that.
10:26It's not like they've just launched the RS457 at this price and given us what we get on
10:33the RC.
10:34It's still built on that, given us the some, not all the features, but some of the features
10:38we've seen on the RS660, we've got the design of the RS660 and the RSV4.
10:45So for that, kudos to Aprilia, honestly.
10:49Well, personally speaking, like, I've spent a lot of time on the 390, I spent time on
10:54mainly the first generation.
10:56But at the end of the day, I've had more fun on that bike than I've had on any motorcycle.
11:03The kind of confidence that that bike has built into me, like coming down, I mean, do
11:07you know the kind of confidence that front end gives you, you can lock up on that front
11:12brake and the bike will take it, come into a tag slapper, let go, the bike will straighten
11:18itself out.
11:19That bike is built better than most and that stands and that will continue to stand.
11:24I do want to see what KTM has in store with the next generation and with the LC4C and
11:29see how that holds up against the Aprilia.
11:31Yeah, I mean, and rumours are saying early 2025, we're going to see the new RC, so fingers
11:35crossed.
11:36I hope so.
11:37And I hope that we'd get it here in India as soon as it launches abroad.
11:40But at the end of the day, I do think that KTM still holds its ground and we do want
11:46to see what happens when the next generation is released, but until then, I'm still happy
11:51with the 390 and I'm still happy with the Aprilia.
11:53Give me either one and I'll take them on the track, I'll enjoy myself.
11:57Exactly.
11:58So all in all, I hope you guys enjoyed, that was our first time ever here at DriveSpa Coffee
12:03Break and this was our first episode and do let us know what you would be interested in
12:09watching next.
12:10I'm Zach Berlin.
12:11I'm Vedant Johari.
12:12Signing out.