Once upon a time the KTM twins RC 390 and RC 200 were up for a test ride and they called their half brothers the Bajaj Pulsar 200 SS and 400 SS to tag along; and this is how Motoroids reader Swapnil Kadam snapped the Indo-Austrian brigade while cooling off under the shade. One of the most awaited motorcycles this year, the test mules were spotted near Mulshi, Pune near the company’s Chakan facility. As the launch comes closer, we take a quick look on what to expect from each of the motorcycles.
The KTM RC twins get a full faired design over the Duke’s body. Both the bikes are mechanically the same as their street fighter siblings, but will cater to a different audience. The KTM RC 390 is powered by a 373.2cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor from the Duke 390 and produces 44 PS of power and 35 Nm of torque. The Pulsar 400 SS that was also spotted and was first unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo earlier this year, also makes use of the same engine that will be de-tuned to offer slightly lesser power. The Pulsar 400 SS comes with an all new full faired design, a major leap from the existing design language.
The KTM RC 200 uses a 199.5cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled mill that produces 25 PS of power and 19.2 Nm of torque, paired to 6-speed gearbox. The Bajaj Pulsar 200 SS on the other hand was spotted earlier last month without camouflage at a dealership and gets the same engine as the 200 NS that produces 23.17 BHP and 18.3 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Made to a look like a baby Pulsar 400 SS, the 200 SS gets dual projector headlamps, sharp full fairing and new LED tail light cluster.
The Pulsar 200 SS will be competing against the Yamaha R15 and the Honda CBR150R in the segment and will be priced around Rs. 1.40 lakhs. The KTM RC 390 will be competing with the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the upcoming Yamaha R25 and Honda CBR300R in the segment with an expected price of around Rs. 2.50 lakhs, it will be the first to be launched in the next couple of months; followed by the RC 200 that is expected to be priced around 1.80 lakhs (all prices on-road, Mumbai) and will be launched around the festive season. The Pulsar 200 SS is expected to be launched by the end of the year.
Source – Motoroids.com
