Aprilia Finally Gets Its KTM RC 390 Rival For 2023

Woohoo! On the occasion of Piaggio’s 25th anniversary in India, Aprilia India has announced that the supersport it has been working on for over four years will finally arrive in 2023. Yes, the RS 440 will be here this year, hopefully around the festive period. 

The project that started out as the RS 150, which then turned to a 250-300cc bike, has now ultimately shaped up to hopefully be a worthy rival to sub-400cc supersport machines like the KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 400 and the TVS Apache RR 310 (or the BMW G 310 RR if you like a little bit of a German touch). Much like the original SR150 scooter, the RS 440 will properly state Aprilia’s sporty intentions while making the brand somewhat accessible.

We are saying somewhat accessible and not really accessible because the price tag is going to be equally premium, closer to the Rs 4-lakh mark. In comparison, the KTM RC 390 currently retails for Rs 3.15 lakh, while the Ninja 400 continues to arrive with its astonishingly high asking price of Rs 5.14 lakh, all prices ex-showroom India.

In order to justify the steep pricing, Aprilia should hold back no bars. The RS 440 will definitely have a motor capable of keeping pace with the RC 390. On its recent spotting, we came to know that it was a single-cylinder fast revving mill. Hopefully, it should come loaded to the gills with riding aids like traction control, cornering ABS and a properly functioning bi-directional quickshifter, like all performance-oriented Aprilias.

Even the hardware spotted on the bike were a chunky USD fork, likely a cast aluminium gullwing-type swingarm, lightweight alloy rims, sleek brake rotors and a radial front brake caliper. Adjustable suspension would be a bonus, or that might just be something for a more serious ‘R’ version in the future.

We are super excited for the RS 440 as this bike has the potential to disrupt the class. Will Aprilia hit the sweet spot and snatch the title of the best sub-400cc bike from the KTM? September couldn’t come sooner.