We all knew it’s coming but now KTM has confirmed its plans to launch not one but two RC bikes in India next year. The Austrian automaker will officially unveil the RC 200 and RC 390 at the upcoming ECIMA motorcycle show in Milan in November 2013. The launch of these bikes will happen next year, the first time when KTM will launch two products in India in the same year. Last year KTM launched the Duke 200 while this year, the Duke 390 was launched. Both bikes will form the basis of the upcoming RC bikes.
So why is KTM going from naked motorcycles to full faired machines, when the company is known for its Duke series of bikes which have no weight and best in class power to weight ratio. After having sold 8000 units of the Duke 200 in India last year, KTM has managed to understand the mentality and desire of Indian bikers. Most people give full faired bikes more weight-age, even putting performance and handling as less important parameters. All this has made KTM put the development of RC bikes on top of their list.
“Bajaj-KTM will launch two variants of the RC brand of faired racing bikes in the calendar year 2014 under the sub-500 cc category,” Amit Nandi, Head, KTM India, said on the sidelines of the Duke 390 launch in Kolkata.
So what can we expect from the upcoming RC series of motorcycles? They will be priced around Rs. 35,000/- more than their naked counterparts, which manes the RC 390 will be priced around Rs. 2.4 lakhs on-road, Mumbai. The RC bikes will feature a full fairing, aerodynamic headlight and clip-on handle bars. The seating position will be slightly aggressive compared to the rather upright position on the Duke 200 and Duke 390.
Under the skin, everything remains the same, so you get a Trellis frame, 150 section rear tyre, WP suspension, etc. The engine will be the same as well, so in the case of the RC 390, the 373.2cc engine from the Duke 390 will power it. KTM recently unveiled the racing version of the RC 390 which has been detuned to 38 HP to fit racing regulations. Expect the same amount of riding hooliganism from KTM’s upcoming RC series of pocket-rockets.
