Grabbing a lot of attention amidst the plethora of two-wheelers displayed at the Indian Auto Expo 2018 was the Aprilia RS 150 sportsbike. This 150cc supersport motorcycle was not just on showcase, but the brand is also evaluating if they should launch it in India. While Piaggio is keen on introducing this in the premium motorcycle segment, the sales numbers in this segment is what is holding them up currently.
As per the segment, which is under 200cc, Piaggio will have to manufacture the Aprilia RS 150 here in India completely grounds up. So that will account for a lot of investment. But looking at how popular the Yamaha YZF-R15 is, and the grand welcome received to the R15 V3 at the Auto Expo; we are hoping that Aprilia RS 150 becomes a reality for the Indian audience by the end of 2018-19.
Powering the Aprilia RS 150 is a 150cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected petrol motor producing 18 HP of power @ 10,000 RPM and 14 Nm of torque @ 7500 RPM. For those who love sports biking, they will appreciate that Aprilia also has a quickshifter as an accessory for the RS 150.
ABS is a standard feature on the Aprilia RS 150. So while performance numbers are marginally lesser compared to the Yamaha R15 V3, the safety feature makes up for it. Also, the Aprilia RS 150 looks smashing and would redefine the segment. Features include USD front fork, rear monoshock, disc brake at the front and back, digital + analogue speedo console, forged levers, LED tail lamp, wider tyres and split seats.
Would you want Aprilia to launch the RS 150 in India? How much money would you be willing to spend to buy one? Do you think this looks better than the Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0?