Friends, bikers and Austrians, the moment you have been waiting for has finally arrived. KTM has officially launched the RC 200 supersport motorcycle in the country priced at a highly competitive Rs. 1.60 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), while the on-road Mumbai price is Rs. 1.86 lakhs. First showcased at the 2013 EICMA show in Milan last year, the RC 200 is the full-faired sportier version of the Duke 200 and is based on the same platform as its Duke counterpart. It weighs 154 kgs with a power to weight ratio of 162 PS per tonne.
Starting with the design, the RC 200’s styling isn’t particularly conventional but is instantly likeable, especially with twin projector headlamp design with LED DRLs. Compared to the Duke 200, the RC 200 sports a redesigned fuel tank, tail section and new side mirrors that get integrated turn indicators. Leaving the quirkiness aside, the design is functional and aerodynamic that helps in achieving a marginally higher top speed. The RC 200 has been upgraded with clip-on handlebars, revised foot pegs (forged instead of cast), higher seat position and a shorter wheelbase for more track focused riding. The RC 200 also get a redesigned 9.5-litre steel fuel tank.
In terms of powertrain, the KTM RC 200 gets the same engine as its street-fighter sibling without any mechanical change. The motorcycle uses a 199.5cc single-cylinder engine offering peak power of 25 PS and 19.12 Nm of torque. The bike uses a 6-speed gearbox that does not get taller ratios, contrary to the rumours afloat. The RC 200 rides on MRF tyres and the suspension travel has also been reduced at the front. The seat height is 834 mm while the ground clearance is 157 mm.
The KTM RC 200 does the 0-100 km/hr sprint in 9.3 seconds, while the top speed is 138 km/hr. There is no ABS on offer in the RC 200 and the bike is being produced from the manufacturer’s facility in Chakan (the localisation level is 98%), near Pune and will be available in only one colour at the moment. The RC 200 will be competing against the Honda CBR250R, Hyosung 250, Yamaha R15 V2.0 as well as the upcoming Hero HX250R. KTM is offering two after market packages for the RC 200 – Style and Race.
