A slipper clutch does not allow the rear wheel to lock during down shifts, thereby preventing loss of traction on roads and would be a major addition to the RC series.
While KTM has not officially confirmed it yet, recent reports suggest that the Austrian performance motorcycle manufacturer is planning to introduce the slipper clutch for its RC series of motorcycles. Currently available on most superbikes including the Yamaha R1, Suzuki Hayabusa and the likes in the country, the slipper clutch is also available on the more affordable Ninja 300, while Kawasaki also confirmed that its naked sibling the Z250 will be updated with the same next year. The upgrade to a slipper clutch will surely make the RC series one of the most affordable bikes to get the same in India.
A major addition to the full-faired KTM RC series, a slipper clutch ensures that the rear tyre does not lock during downshifts that could cause the wheel to lose traction. Also known as a back torque limiter, the slipper clutch assists by allowing the clutch to slip until the engine speed meets the speed of the bike (that’s why it’s called Assist Slipper Clutch or ASC). This in turn let’s the rider to down shift aggressively, while maintaining optimum levels of traction under heavy braking that keeps the bike stable.
Launched earlier this year, the RC 200 and RC 390 currently use normal clutches. If the update is indeed on the cards, we could see the same sometime in 2015 and it will certainly make the performance bikes sportier than ever. You should also expect a marginal price hike on the RC models with the addition of a slipper clutch, but considering the fantastic value pricing already seen on the bikes, the RC twins will only become more desirable than ever. For India, KTM could limit the slipper clutch to the bigger RC 390 for cost reasons, like it does with ABS as well.
Source – Bikewale