Okay, let’s talk about the Aprilia RS 457 seat height. I finally got a chance to swing a leg over this thing, and that’s always the first moment of truth for me, you know? How does it actually feel when you sit on it?
First Impressions
So, I walked up to the bike. Looked pretty sharp. Grabbed the bars, threw my leg over. Plonked myself down. First thought? Okay, it’s not super tall, but it ain’t exactly low either. For context, I’m about 5’9″, maybe 5’10” on a good day with thick-soled boots.
My feet? Yeah, I could get the balls of both feet down pretty comfortably. Not flat-footing it completely, but definitely enough to feel secure when stopped. Had a little lean to one side to get one foot fully flat. Seemed pretty standard for this type of sporty bike, honestly.
Checking Things Out
I bounced on the seat a bit, shifted my weight side to side. The bike felt light enough that the height wasn’t intimidating. That’s a big plus. Sometimes a bike can feel tall and heavy, which is just a bad combo if you’re not built like a giant.
I looked around the seat area, under the seat too. Was wondering if there were any easy adjustments, like a high/low setting some bikes have. Nope. Didn’t see anything obvious. Looked pretty fixed to me. I guess if you wanted it lower, you’d have to go the route of shaving the seat foam or getting some aftermarket lowering link, which I’m usually not a huge fan of doing right away.
Living With It
So, what’s the verdict from my little test sit?
- It felt manageable for my height.
- Definitely has that sporty feel, you’re perched a bit, but not extreme.
- Seemed like someone shorter, maybe 5’6″ or 5’7″, might be on their tiptoes a bit more, but probably still doable because the bike isn’t wide.
- Taller riders? They’ll fit easy, might even feel a little cramped in the legs after a while, but the seat height itself won’t be an issue.
Overall, the seat height felt pretty well-judged for the kind of bike it is. It wasn’t something that immediately made me think “nope, can’t ride this”. It just felt… like a modern sportbike seat height. Not too crazy, not super low. Just gotta adapt your technique a little if you’re on the shorter side, like always. For me, it worked out okay straight out of the box.
