KTM stormed into the Indian motorcycle space a couple of years back with the Duke, a naked sports bike that went on to become a huge success. After a long and agonizing wait since they were unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo in New Delhi earlier this year, KTM finally launched the RC200 and RC390 in India today. Essentially, the RC twins are fully-faired variants of their Duke counterparts and share the basic underpinnings, including the engines, with them. At INR 1.60 Lakhs and 2.05 Lakhs for the 200 and 390 respectively, the RC motorcycles are priced at a slight premium vis-à-vis the Dukes, but are still incredible value for money.
Following a strategy similar to that of the Duke twins, the RC motorcycles look strikingly similar to each other with the body decals being the only differentiator. Sporting a full fairing, menacing twin circular headlamps on a recessed housing and LED daytime running lights, the RC bikes look sharp and futuristic. The exposed Trellis frame painted in the trademark KTM orange shade, the minimalist rear and the split seats are the other standout deisgn elements. On road, the RC is sure to attract envious stares from onlookers.
While the RC200 gets a 200 cc single cylinder engine that generates 25.48 bhp and 19.2 Nm of torque, the RC390 is powered by a 372.3 cc single-cylinder fuel-injected mill that’s good for a whooping 42.9 bhp and 35 Nm of torque. Both the motorcycles get high-specification suspension system from WP, shorter wheelbase (compared to the Duke) and reduced rake angles to complement their track-handling characteristics. To handle the additional power available at the flick of its throttle, the RC390 features a standard Antilock Braking System (ABS) supplied by Bosch. The RC200 sadly makes do without it. Similarly, RC390 sports premium Metzeler tires while the RC200 wears MRF radials.
If the success of Duke 200 and 390 are any indication, we expect the two RC motorcycles to fly off the showrooms as quickly as they enter. After all, with striking design, flickable chassis with more than adequate power on tap, widespread after-sales support from Bajaj and a superb price tag, we would be surprised if they don’t succeed. Now that the Naked and Super Sports segments are tapped, what’s next KTM?
it seems to be an attracting vehicle but in a cost conscious society it will be considered by many as unaffordable. pricing policy to be reconsidered
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