Aprilia appears to have taken a hit due to the numerous complaints regarding engine issues with the RS457. The company is now offering an extended warranty for free, and it is also transferable to the next owner, a feature that was not previously available.
Aprilia is now offering a four-year/48,000km warranty as opposed to the earlier three-year/36,000km plan. The warranty can be transferred to the second and even the third owner.
Aprilia RS457 — What was the issue?
Many Aprilia RS457 owners have come up with engine failure issues with the motorcycle. Many have complained about the drop in power and top speed of the motorcycle, along with low fuel economy. Some owners were forced to change the clutch assembly because of the drop in power, while some faced outright engine failure issues.
One person in particular, a customer based in Bengaluru, had made a video on the same a few weeks ago, comparing two Aprilia RS457s, and one of them, which had the clutch replaced, blew its engine. Clearly frustrated, the customer took to social media regarding the same and the saga between him and Aprilia continues to this date.
What did Aprilia say about engine issues?
Aprilia had issued an official statement following the cases of engine issues, saying the customers had altered the motorcycle in some way or the other or had skipped timely maintenance. Aprilia’s official statement said:
“A majority of these “issues” are attributed to only two factors – Unauthorized Aftermarket Modifications and Irregular Service Schedules. For the few genuine cases that arose, we promptly addressed and resolved them in a timely manner, ensuring minimal disruption to our customers.”
While this seems fair, some customers have retaliated saying no modifications have been made to their Aprilia RS457 at all. While the above statement communicates a clear reason, the statement itself says that there have been a few issues with the RS457 engine. Hopefully, the new warranty plan should help, and it is also not clear if the warranty is applicable to existing customers.