The sports motorcycle segment should soon have a new entry: Aprilia recently published an image on its social networks, mentioning September 7 for the probable presentation. Little can be guessed from the considerably covered-up photo, but it’s almost certain that the 2024 Noale novelty shown in the teaser is a road-going sports bike, probably destined to expand the RS range, which today includes the two-cylinder RS660 and the four-cylinder RSV1100 to keep the small RS125 company.
So what could the bike that will be presented on September 7 be? Assuming – without confirmation from Aprilia – that it will be a sports bike, some disguised prototypes have been seen on Indian roads in the past and there has been speculation about an RS with a displacement of around 450 cc.
The hypothesis cannot be ruled out: the segment of small-displacement sports bikes with a power output of around 50 hp (possibly 48 to accommodate A2 license holders) is expanding with proposals such as the CFMOTO 450SR, Honda CBR500R, Yamaha R3, KTM RC390 and so on, bikes that then have a derivative platform in corresponding naked or streetfighter versions (KTM has already presented the new Duke 390, for example), as could also be the case with Aprilia’s possible novelty.
But requests are also coming in from some quarters for bikes that can bridge the power gap between the RS 660’s 100 hp and the RSV4’s 200-plus. In this case, an RS with a displacement of around 800 cc would be a good middle ground, with a conceivable power of around 130 hp and a frame equipment capable of adequately supporting sporty riding.
Which of these two? Or perhaps neither and we’re completely wrong? Assuming nothing else has been released by Aprilia so far, we’ll have to wait less than a week to find out more.
