Aprilia RS440 Spotted in Test Drive – A Game-Changer in Lightweight Sport Bikes?

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An Aprilia RS440 sport bike has been spotted while out testing in what looks like its nearly-finished form

APRILIA is putting the finishing touches to a new lightweight sport bike, as a new Aprilia RS440 is spotted while out testing alongside the new Stelvio adventure bike.

Eagle-eyed snappers had captured the new bike while its legs were stretched before the official announcement. The bike, something we first reported on some time back, was snapped while out testing alongside another Piaggio Group new model, the incoming V100-based Moto Guzzi Stelvio.

Visually, the RS440 looks very much like its larger RS660 sibling, although there are some key details that set the two bikes apart. The first and most noticeable difference is the missing front brake disc, with the RS440 swearing a single front rotor, not the twin-disc setup as found on the RS660. The design of the front brake is also different from that found on the smaller and lighter RS125, and it seems like the RS440 utilises a fully floating front disc.

Elsewhere, the crankcase on the right-hand side of the bike is vastly different from the item found on both the RS660 and RS125, although from there, the rest of the RS440’s details look fairly familiar. The frame, for example, is very similar to the structure found on the RS125, and while subtle differences are sure to be found, it seems that the new bike will use a conventional twin-spar design which is mated to a trademark ‘banana’ swingarm.

While the bodywork looks to be lifted from the RS660, it’s unlikely this is exactly how the new bike will end up looking. As it did with the other bikes in the small and mid-capacity RS range, Aprilia is likely to differentiate this from the other model’s range with some subtle differences in styling.

It remains to be seen if the RS440 will make its way to the UK, with a fairly tepid A2 market over here there are much easier wins to be had in the Asian and Indian markets. As we’ve seen with bikes like the Yamaha MT03, the naked versions of small-capacity sport bikes are generally more attractive for UK riders, and we’d expect a Tuono 440 to be hot on the heels of this new model.

Continue exploring the article at this link:
https://www.visordown.com/news/new-bikes/aprilia-rs-440-spyshots

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