by Matt Harris
It’s a wild time in the small displacement motorcycle category.
For decades, manufacturers have been feeding us bigger and bigger bikes. More power, more features, more capability. And that’s on us. Every purchase you make in life is a vote, and for a long time we voted for “more.” The problem is that 600 class bikes now make the kind of power 1000 class bikes used to make, and 1000 class bikes now make more power than can be reliably put down on the road without intervention from superhuman rider aids. Suddenly there’s a void on the smaller end of the market.
Cost of living is on most people’s minds in 2026, and the truth is a growing number of people don’t want to (or can’t) pay for more than they need. And so cometh the 400cc renaissance. A 400(ish) cc bike built with modern technology can genuinely give you everything you need from your two wheeled machine, and the category has never been stronger.
Enter The Tuono 457
This bike is probably 80–90% capable of everything that 80–90% of riders need from their bike. …That’s the simple takeaway.
And the fact that this bike exists at a $6,599 price point feels like the deal of the century to me. I’ve spent most of my motorcycling career never really considering buying a brand new bike. I’ll usually buy used and save myself a chunk of money. The Tuono 457 is the first bike I’ve ridden that has made me genuinely think: I could buy one of these brand new.
I Don’t Want To Use The “B” Word
The Tuono 457 is an extremely inviting little bike with nothing intimidating about it, and yet it’s extremely capable. Yes, a beginner can safely ride this, but that label shouldn’t define it. Because once something gets called a “beginner bike,” it’s tainted as being *only* for beginners. And that simply isn’t the case here.
Commute to work? No problem. Freeway stints? No wind protection, but still fully capable. Fun weekend rides? Absolutely. Track day? You’d better believe it. Passenger? Probably not for long rides, but yes, let’s do it.
Anyone who implies 457cc isn’t enough to have fun, is flat out wrong. And I’m a firm believer that it’s more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
First Impressions: The Gripes
The first time I swung my leg over the baby Tuono, a couple of things jumped out, and not all of them were flattering.
The seat is my main gripe. It’s a touch firmer than I would like, and when I saw that Aprilia’s accessory list includes both a “comfort seat” and a “low seat,” I think they quietly agree that the stock seat is probably on the firm side. If it was my money, I’d put up the extra $229.95 for the comfort option.
It also pitches me forward into the tank a bit more than I’d like. Not inherently a bad thing… but let’s just say there were a couple of moments where my gender made me mildly uncomfortable with the situation.
The gear shifter was positioned slightly too high for my liking, I couldn’t just flick up from the ankle to upshift. It’s an adjustable linkage though, so just worth knowing you may need a small tweak to suit your preference.
And while we’re on shifting: I was quietly hoping this bike came with a quick-shifter. It’s an optional accessory from the factory on the 457 platform, and one I’d probably spring for at $219.
Quick Fire Positives
The slipper clutch is great; a huge plus at this price point. Clutch feel is extremely light without losing the sensitivity you need for low speed control.
The engine is a 270 degree parallel twin, which is what everyone’s doing right now, and for good reason. They’re characterful in a way that 180 degree twins aren’t. The stock exhaust note is a little lackluster, but that’s standard for OEM pipes meeting modern noise and emissions requirements. I’m sure freeing up the exhaust flow would massively improve the sound this little twin makes.
The handling is great. Sharp, responsive, light and eager when you ask it to get sporty. The suspension and brakes are a simple setup, non-adjustable aside from preload, single front caliper, but it all works well. The brakes are more than good enough, the lever feel is solid, and the front ABS isn’t too invasive. (The rear ABS I’ve had switched off almost the entire time.)
I’m 6’0″, and the bike puts a decent bend in my knees. After a couple of hours I start to feel it. If the seat was a little higher and the pegs a touch lower, I’d be more comfortable on longer rides.
Modern Features: What I Like, What I Don’t Like, and What I Don’t Need
The TFT screen is fine. I just prefer gauges. Personal preference, but the TFT is a good one.
Same goes for switchable riding modes and traction control. It’s fine to have, but it reinforces the idea that you “need” these things. Particularly for newer riders who might think they need TC to be safe… No you don’t. Not with 47hp and modern tires. I rode the baby Tuono in the rain for several days: Sport mode, TC completely off, riding as aggressively as I pleased, almost daring the bike to show me the limit of its grip. I didn’t feel the rear slide once. Not that you can’t get it to slide in the right circumstances mind you.
You get Sport, Eco, and Rain modes. Although I wish they’d called “Eco” something like “Street”. The name sounds like a downgrade, but in reality it still gives you the full 47 horsepower with smoother throttle response, which is genuinely nicer on the road than Sport mode. Only Rain mode actually reduces power delivery.
Modern ride by wire technology makes rider modes and traction control nothing more than a simple software add on. That’s great spec sheet material for shoppers, and it’s good for helping people feel safe, so I’ll never call that a bad thing. But if you could buy the exact same bike without traction control for, say, $500 less… personally, I’d save myself $500. (Either that, or I’d trade you the TC for a comfier seat.)
ABS is great to have, and I love that you can turn off the rear by holding one button while stationary. It remembers the setting when you cycle the ignition, only reverting if you change rider mode.
One more annoyance: the tach flashing shift prompt. It’s set too low by default, which a settings tweak helps with. But what I can’t get past is that it also flashes at you when you’re already in 6th gear. On the freeway at 70mph, the tach flashes relentlessly. This feels like a simple software fix and I truly hope Aprilia addresses it. You can raise the RPM threshold, but then you’re just picking your poison: do you want it flashing at 70 or flashing at 80? It’s a dumb compromise for something that shouldn’t happen at all when you’re already in top gear.
The Styling (The Divisive Bit)
I don’t love the styling. I don’t hate it, but I’m not in love with it, and that’s a shame. The baby Tuono leans into the same overly aggressive, hyper modern Michael Bay Transformers vibe that a lot of manufacturers have been chasing for some time now. But this is a shame in my opinion, especially at a time when retro (or timeless) styling has proven its continued popularity in motorcycling.
My real disappointment is the gap between where the Tuono landed and where the baby RS landed. The RS457, as a baby version of the RS660 and RSV, is perfect. I think they nailed it. Unmistakably Aprilia, looks great in its own right, and fits the family. The Tuono falls just a little short of that same mark. I’d have liked a bit more similarity in the front end, maybe a bikini fairing, a touch more wind protection. When I first saw the RS457 and was told there’d be a Tuono version, I was excited… and the reality was a little less than what I’d imagined.
Tuono vs RS: The Annoying Question I Can’t Stop Asking
If I really had to choose, would I buy the Tuono 457 or the RS457? The extra sportiness of the RS would make it a step up in fun carving canyons or on the occasional track day, and from memory the riding position isn’t so aggressive that it kills daily usability.
The real question I want to ask Aprilia: could the Tuono’s top triple clamp and handlebars fit on the RS457 and still clear the bodywork? Because that’s the Tuono 457 I really want.
Fortunately, when I mentioned my desire to compare the baby Tuono and RS, Aprilia was quick to offer me a swap for the RS model, so I’ll have an update soon on which of the two I would spend my money on.
Pricing: The Reality
Back to that price point: $6,599. The RS version is only $200 more at $6,799. For a brand new, good looking, super fun bike… genuinely attractive.
But sticker price is one thing and out the door is another. When I looked online, my local dealer had it creeping over $8,811 — a jump of $2,212 over sticker, which on a bike at this price works out to a 33% increase. Psychologically, that stings.
The Things That Actually Matter
If you told me this was the bike I had to use to commute to work and for weekend rides for the next year, I wouldn’t be even the slightest bit upset about it. It’s a truly well rounded little machine. It’s usable every day, extremely approachable, and still capable enough to do more than most people need. If this is what “entry level” looks like now, it’s a genuinely exciting time to be a biker… or to become one!
If this bike existed when I first started riding, I would’ve been seriously tempted. And even now, with well over a decade and a half of riding across the world under my belt, I truly enjoy riding it. Anyone who rocks up on one of these will get a nod of approval from me.
So I’ll end by restating what I said at the begining… this bike is probably 80–90% capable of everything that 80–90% of riders need from their bike. That’s the simple takeaway.
