At 4:30 in the morning, Mumbai is almost unrecognisable, with all the emptiness filling out the air. It is also the only time we could realistically attempt the ambitious challenge we had planned for ourselves. We had two Aprilia Tuono 457 Special Editions in our possession, and as magazine shoots go, we needed to click them at five locations spread across Mumbai. On any other day, this would have been smooth sailing, but the deadline was just hours away. How many hours, you ask? How does six hours sound? While Nirmeet was frantically packing camera equipment, I was still sitting with my laptop open, convinced that another few minutes wouldn't make much difference. Eventually, at 5:01 AM, the laptop was shut, the helmets went on, and the Tuonos fired into life. Finished in the newer Mamba Black and the familiar Puma Grey liveries, the Special Editions looked particularly menacing under the sparse street lights. Our first stop was Kala Ghoda, and the clock had officially started working against us.
South Mumbai before sunrise is about as easy as urban riding gets. The roads are largely empty, and the grand old buildings around Kala Ghoda and Ballard Estate look particularly good in the soft early light. The Tuono 457 Special Edition feels perfectly at home here. The revised ergonomics, particularly the newly raised handlebar, give you a more commanding view of what's happening around you and make the motorcycle easy to manoeuvre at low speeds. There is a pleasing lightness to the way it changes direction, too, which becomes increasingly valuable as the city begins to wake up.
And then there are the brakes. The Tuono's braking performance inspires confidence without feeling overly aggressive, something that becomes particularly useful as Mumbai's roads start filling up. The adjustable brake lever also lets you tailor the reach to your preference, a small but welcome touch on a motorcycle that is otherwise quite focused on being accessible.
By the time we leave Kala Ghoda, the transformation has already begun. Milk vans are making deliveries, newspaper vendors are setting up and the first morning walkers are out. Mumbai is slowly filling up, but the Tuono remains easy to place through the gaps. The motorcycle is narrow and agile enough to make filtering through traffic feel natural, while the 457cc parallel-twin is always there when a gap opens up and you want to make a little progress. It is an effective combination for Mumbai because it doesn't force you to choose between being manageable in traffic and being enjoyable when the road finally clears.
Ballard Estate gives us our second backdrop, and the change from Kala Ghoda is subtle but significant. The colourful, artistic character of the former gives way to broad avenues, colonial architecture and a more restrained sort of grandeur. Park the Tuono against one of those old buildings, and it looks almost deliberately out of place, which is precisely why the photographs work.
We don't linger. Nirmeet has already established that his relationship with the clock is considerably more serious than mine, and we're soon heading north towards Powai. This is the longest ride of the morning and, consequently, the first proper test of how the Tuono behaves when the ride stops being a quick blast between photographs.
The answer is encouraging. The revised seat padding becomes increasingly useful as the kilometres accumulate, while the riding position manages to retain the sense of involvement you expect from a sporty naked without becoming tiresome. The flyscreen also takes some of the wind pressure off at higher speeds, making the Tuono feel a little more composed when the road opens up.
Then the rain arrives, because this is Mumbai and apparently our schedule needed another complication. The Tuono's three riding modes give us the option of moving from Sport to Rain, which is exactly what we do as the roads become slicker and traffic less predictable. The confidence from the brakes becomes even more useful here, allowing measured inputs when the road surface is less than ideal.
Powai feels like another city altogether. The historic architecture of South Mumbai has disappeared, replaced by glass buildings, high-rises and the expanse of Powai Lake. It is a useful reminder of how quickly Mumbai changes, and the Tuono seems to adapt to each version without requiring much adjustment from the rider.
The 457cc parallel-twin remains the mechanical highlight. There is enough performance to make an open stretch genuinely entertaining, but it doesn't come at the expense of the motorcycle's urban manners. That balance becomes particularly apparent when you're spending an entire morning moving between locations rather than simply going out for a spirited Sunday ride.
The chassis plays its part, too. Steering inputs are light and predictable, while the braking hardware gives you enough feel to confidently shed speed when Mumbai throws an unexpected obstacle into your path. The adjustable brake lever feels like a particularly thoughtful addition when you're spending several hours in the saddle, rather than simply riding around the block for a quick impression.
By now, we're beginning to feel the effects of the early start, but the Tuono's comfort means neither of us is particularly interested in stopping. Nirmeet gets the photographs he needs, and I make the rather premature declaration that one of them is going on the cover. He reminds me that we still have two locations to go. He is, unfortunately, correct.
Aarey Colony provides the day's most dramatic change of scenery. One moment you're surrounded by concrete and traffic, and the next the road is bordered by thick greenery and the city seems to have receded into the background. We should probably be concentrating on getting the photographs done quickly, given that we're running behind schedule, but Aarey has a habit of making you slow down.
The Tuono 457 Special Edition is particularly enjoyable here because its 175kg kerb weight and wide handlebar make quick changes of direction effortless. The motorcycle feels light on its feet, and the parallel-twin responds immediately whenever the road opens up. The brakes are equally reassuring when you need to slow down quickly before one of Aarey's tighter corners.
We don't have much time to exploit any of that, though. Nirmeet is already outside the moment we stop, camera in hand, trying to make the most of the rapidly changing light. I take a moment to remind him that my Tuono has the optional quickshifter. His doesn't. He remains unimpressed, which I consider his problem rather than mine. A few minutes later, we're back on the road. Madh Island is the final stop, and the deadline is beginning to feel uncomfortably close.
The ride from Aarey towards Madh Island gives us another opportunity to appreciate the work done on the Tuono's suspension. The roads may be reasonably good, but Mumbai has never been shy about installing speed breakers wherever it sees fit. The front suspension has been retuned with Indian road conditions in mind, and that becomes noticeable when the surface stops being perfectly smooth. The motorcycle absorbs the imperfections without turning them into a separate event for the rider.
By this point we've been riding for several hours, and these seemingly small details have started to matter more than they would on a short test ride. The Tuono remains comfortable, easy to manoeuvre and sufficiently entertaining that the journey itself never feels like something we simply have to endure before reaching the destination.
The braking performance also continues to impress. After hours of stop-start riding, sudden traffic and changing road surfaces, the brakes retain their confidence-inspiring feel, while the adjustable lever makes it easier to find a setup that works naturally for the rider.
The rain clouds begin to break as we get closer to Madh Island, and occasional patches of sunlight dry the road behind us. For the first time that morning, it feels as though the city might actually be cooperating.
Madh Island is an appropriate place to finish. The polished architecture of South Mumbai and the modern skyline of Powai feel very distant here. Fishing villages, old fort walls and communities that existed long before the city grew into the metropolis we know today give the area a completely different character.
Nirmeet gets off the Tuono almost before I have removed my helmet and starts working on the final photographs. The Mamba Black livery looks particularly striking against the muted coastal landscape, and for once, I understand why he is more interested in photographing the bike than talking to me.
I walk towards him with the timer still running and, for the first time that morning, realise that we might actually have pulled this off. Half an hour earlier, every signal seemed longer, every road looked busier, and the clock appeared determined to make a mockery of our plan. Yet here we are. Nirmeet takes the final photograph, lowers the camera and tells me it's the cover. The timer stops. Mission accomplished.
The photography wasn't really the difficult part. Getting across Mumbai was. The city changed character five times during the morning, and the Tuono 457 Special Edition had to deal with everything from deserted South Mumbai roads to rush-hour traffic, wet surfaces, open stretches, leafy lanes and the less forgiving bits of urban road infrastructure along the way. It never felt out of its depth.
The raised handlebar and compact proportions make it particularly easy to manage in traffic, while the 175kg weight and responsive chassis give it an immediacy that becomes especially enjoyable when the road opens up. The revised seat, retuned suspension, adjustable brake lever and capable braking performance make a difference over longer rides, while the flyscreen adds another layer of comfort when the pace picks up.
The three riding modes give the motorcycle some flexibility when the weather inevitably decides to complicate matters, and the newer Mamba Black livery gives the Special Edition the visual presence to match its mechanical character. At the heart of it all is that 457cc parallel-twin, which gives the Tuono enough character to remind you that commuting doesn't have to be a joyless exercise.
By the time Nirmeet finishes transferring the photographs, there are 438 images on his laptop. Only a handful have made it into the magazine, as you can very well see. That's usually how these things work. We set out looking for five photographs and ended up with something more useful: several hours of riding through almost every kind of Mumbai we could have asked for.
The Tuono 457 Special Edition proved to be particularly good company for the exercise because it never demanded that the conditions be perfect before it became enjoyable. In a city where the road ahead can change completely within the space of a few minutes, that versatility is perhaps its most convincing quality. By the time the sun is properly up, Mumbai is fully awake and the morning's quiet has disappeared. We, meanwhile, have already crossed half the city and got exactly what we came for.
