Aprilia Tuono 457 Special Edition has just arrived in the Indian market, priced at Rs 3.99 lakh (ex-showroom) — only Rs 2,000 above the regular bike. Don't expect more power or a quicker engine, though. What you're paying for is comfort: a taller handlebar, softer suspension, a redone seat as well as a couple of heritage-inspired colours. If you've been eyeing the Aprilia Tuono 457 but found the riding position a bit much on longer trips, this version is built with exactly that complaint in mind.
So What Did Aprilia Actually Change?
Nothing under the hood, for starters. The updates are all about how the bike feels to sit on and ride day after day. The handlebar sits higher now, which puts less strain on your wrists and lower back. The suspension's been recalibrated too — softer
on the initial stroke, so the first hit of a pothole doesn't jolt through as harshly.
The seat gets a high-resilience foam core which Aprilia says cuts down on vibrations reaching the rider and there's a new adjustable front brake lever so you can set the reach to your hand size. A smoked flyscreen has also been added up front. This has been done mainly to take some of the wind blast off you on highway runs. None of this turns the Tuono 457 into a different motorcycle but it does smooth out the rough edges that show up after a few hundred kilometres in the saddle.
Seat Height Hasn't Budged, and Neither Has the Engine
If you were hoping the Tuono 457 Special Edition would be easier to reach the ground on, it isn't — seat height is still 800mm, same as the standard Tuono 457 and its faired sibling, the RS 457, since they share the same subframe. The engine is also exactly what it was: a 457cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin putting out roughly 47.6 hp and 43.5 Nm through a 6-speed gearbox.
The 5-inch TFT screen, traction control and ride-by-wire throttle are all carried over as is. The quickshifter, for what it's worth, is still something you'll have to pay extra for — it isn't standard. So if you already had the regular Tuono on your shortlist, the only real question is whether the comfort tweaks are worth chasing because nothing else has changed.
New Colours, a Longer Warranty, and When You Can Book One
Two new shades are on offer — Mamba Black and Puma Grey — both inspired by the 2006 Tuono 1000R rather than any new paint tech. Aprilia's also throwing in a 4-year/48,000km warranty which is longer than most rivals offer at this price. Bookings are already open at select dealerships across India. Given the price gap is barely noticeable, it's likely most new buyers will simply go for the Special Edition by default — there isn't much reason left to pick the older version over it.
