Italian two-wheeler manufacturer Aprilia had a splash at the Auto Expo 2018 in February. Apart from the launch of the SR 125 scooter, the Piaggio subsidiary revealed the RS 150 full-faired and Tuono 150 semi-fared bikes at the show and it garnered a lot of attraction from the show-goers.

Soon after the show, multiple reports claimed Aprilia has got an overwhelming response and that has prompted to fast-track launch of the 150cc bikes in India. However, a report in Autocar India claims that the launch of both the bikes has been pushed to 2020.

Aprilia RS 150
Aprilia RS 150Aprilia

Aprilia is still studying what the market potential in India is for bikes like these, the report adds. In addition, there is a gradual growth of interest from 150cc bikes to 200cc and above. Hence, there is a high possibility that the production-spec models getting a higher displacement engine.

Aprilia RS 150 and Tuono 150 at the Auto Expo has been showcased a liquid-cooled fuel-injected 150cc motor. Being Aprilia models, the RS 150 and the Tuono 150 get premium cycle parts. These include 40mm USD forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Their 17-inch wheels are equipped with a 300mm disc up front and a 218mm disc at the back. Both motorcycles also get ABS as standard.

Aprilia Tuono 150
Aprilia Tuono 150Aprilia

It will be difficult for Aprilia to restrict the price of the RS 150 and Tuono 150 on par with the rivals with all the aforementioned premium features. The rival-in-chief in the segment is the hugely popular Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 3.0 which is retailed at Rs 1.27 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Even though Aprilia wants to position its models premium than rivals, the company fears a huge gap in price with rivals will dampen the deal.

The logical move is to plonk a higher capacity mill that will do justice to the high price along with the premium cycle parts and reports claim Aprilia is thinking on those lines. Aprilia RS 150 is a fully-faired supersport motorcycle. If the company goes for a bigger capacity engine, the bike is expected to go up against TVS Apache RR 310 and KTM RC 390 models. The Tuono sibling, on the other hand, is expected to challenge KTM 390 Duke and BMW G 310 R.

In terms of looks, both Aprilia RS 150 and the Tuono 150 have a scaled-down stance of their respective litre-class motorcycles. From the aggressive headlamp layout to the LED taillight, both motorcycles carry aggressive styling in line with the big bikes' DNA.