150cc Aprilia sports bike has successfully entered the prototype testing space, with first-round already finished and the brand is now working on other strategies to keep their product feasible at the time of launch. The report was recently made official by none other than the managing director and CEO of Piaggio Vehicles. The launch period for the new 150cc bikes is now said to be between 18 months.

That takes the overall waiting period a bit longer than usual but, the brand also cleared that studying the way other premium products are placed around this segment will help them with better pricing and equipment during the period of launch.

Here is what really came out in an interview with Autocar Professional: “We are studying our competitors and have done some prototype testing recently. If everything goes in the right direction we have planned, we should be able to launch the motorcycle in India in the next 18 months too,” Diego Graffi said, revealing the company’s aggressive new product strategy for the Indian market.

He admitted that “having a brand like Aprilia and not playing in the motorcycle market is unaffordable. It can help us expand our motorcycle portfolio as well as powertrain options, and thus, investing in Aprilia is a must.”

Aprilia is a popular motorcycle brand and missing their presence from the entry-level motorcycle segment made them vulnerable to losses that could have been well balanced by a different set of products. The 150cc Aprilia sports bike (RS 150 or GPR 150) will serve as the local production flagship model for the brand as they currently produce only scooters in the country.

Even when the availability of the litre-class RSV4 motorcycle helps them attain the premium image, only a lightweight single-cylinder machine can bring mass market numbers for the brand. The festive period of 2020 can be the best assumed time slot for Aprilia’s much-awaited launch.

Source: Autocar Professional