Official: KTM RC 390 and RC 200 to be launched together in India

It’s the news that many Indian two-wheeler enthusiasts have been longing to hear and now its official. It's official now that KTM will launch the RC 200 and RC390 together on September 9th. The new KTM bikes created lot of curiosity among Indian two-wheeler aficionados ever since the bike was unveiled at the 2013 EICMA show in Italy and later when test bikes were spotted across various locations in the country. Bookings for both the KTM RC 390 and RC 200 will start soon after the launch and it is expected that deliveries for the motorcycle will commence by mid-October coinciding with the festive season.

The major highlight of the KTM RC 390 and RC 200 is their styling and powerplant. The RC duo features a full faired styling that should appeal to the fairing-fixated Indian two-wheeler buyers. Part sharing with the KTM Duke 390 and 200 is visible but it features details like twin headlamps, restyled fuel tank and tail section, fairing integrated underbelly exhaust and mirror mounted turn indicators to set it apart. The overall design of the KTM RC 390 and RC 200 is fresh and edgy while taking very few design cues from the flagship RC8 superbike, which works in its favour. The KTM RC 390 also sports clip-on handlebars that should endow the rider with a more crouched down and sporty riding posture in sync with the super-sport dynamics of the bike.

Powering the KTM RC 390 is the same single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 375cc mill as found on the 390 Duke producing 43.6PS of power and 35Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed transmission. It’s the same recipe for the KTM RC 200 as well, it will be powered by the KTM 200 Duke sourced single-cylinder, and liquid-cooled 199.5cc motor churning out 25.3PS and 19.2Nm of peak torque. Though, the frame looks similar to that of the Duke duo, it has been tweaked for the supersport dynamics of the RC offerings and features a steering head angle of 66.5 degree instead of 65 degree. This has resulted in a shorter wheelbase for added flickability and handling while the ground clearance has also been increased.

Click here to watch: KTM RC 390 Official Video

The RC employs upside-down fork from WP Suspension in the front featuring the same 43 mm outer tube diameter as found on the RC8 R and WP suspension has also been used at the rear mated to a light alloy swingarm. Fuel tank capacity has been reduced to 10-litres while the RC 390 and RC200 have gained weight of their naked siblings as they tip the scale at 147kg and 137.5kg respectively. Like its naked sibling the RC 390 also features Metzelers tyres shod on 17-inch alloy wheels at front and rear, while the RC 200 is expected to adopt MRF rubber. Braking is done by Brembo developed four piston, radially mounted caliper in combination with 300mm disc in front and 230mm disc at rear with ABS being standard on the KTM RC 390, which can be disengaged by the rider. 

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Bajaj is known for their aggressive pricing and we expect the KTM RC 390 to be priced at a premium of around Rs 20,000 to 30,000 over its naked sibling. So expect the bike to be priced around Rs 2.1 lakh (ex-showroom) making it a terrific value for money proposition in comparison to its rivals like the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the upcoming Honda CBR 300R and Yamaha R25. The KTM RC 200 is expected to retail for around Rs 1.75 lakhs (ex-showrooms) and will compete against the likes of the Honda CBR 150R, Hero Karizma ZMR and the Yamaha r15 Version 2.0 in our market.

Click here to watch: KTM RC 390 Official Video