Made in India Aprilia RS 440 teased ahead of debut on September 7; will rival KTM RC 390

Aprilia India has dropped the first teaser of its upcoming entry performance motorcycle likely to be badged as the RS 440. The Aprilia RS 440 has been a long-awaited offering and will be made in India for domestic and global markets. The first teaser shows the silhouette of the upcoming full-faired motorcycle that seems to take inspiration from the larger Aprilia RS 660 supersport.

Details on the upcoming Aprilia RS 440 are scarce but the model is expected to arrive with a newly-developed 440 cc parallel-twin motor. The company is tight-lipped about the motorcycle but the new engine is expected to produce anything between 45-50 bhp, which will make it apt for not just the Indian market but also A2 licence holders in Europe.

Unlike the Aprilia RS 660, the upcoming Aprilia RS 440 will be built at the company’s facility in Baramati, Maharashtra, which should give it a significant cost advantage over its rivals, primarily the Kawasaki Ninja 400, KTM RC 390 and the upcoming Yamaha R3. Furthermore, the RS 440 is expected to get a simpler architecture for the chassis and engine, which should make it more affordable to manufacture than the RS 660 in the company’s stable.

Previous spy shots have also revealed a more relaxed riding posture on the Aprilia RS 440 as against the RS 660, which promises more versatility from the motorcycle. It will still get an aggressive riding posture with rear-set footpegs but the handlebar is positioned closer to the rider for a less dedicated stance. The RS 440 is also expected to get USD front forks and a monoshock at the rear, while braking performance will come with disc brakes at either end with dual-channel ABS.

It will be interesting to see if Aprilia will bring more tech to the RS 440 including riding modes, traction control, cornering ABS ride-by-wire, slipper and assist clutch, quickshifter, and more. Visually, expect to see a tri-headlamp setup similar to the bigger Aprilia motorcycles with split seats and a full fairing. A large digital instrument cluster is likely and could possibly arrive with Bluetooth connectivity, keeping up with the times.

The Aprilia RS 440 is expected to arrive this festive season and prices could be in the vicinity of ₹4-4.5 lakh (ex-showroom, India). While the RS 440 will be the first offering, we reckon a naked streetfighter, on the same lines as the Tuono 660, will make its way to the market at a later stage sharing the same underpinnings. Aprilia could also surprise us with an adventure tourer possibly badged as the Tuareg 440 at a later date. More details will be available in a week’s time.