Is This The Upcoming KTM RC 160?

Quick Highlights: 

• New KTM sports bike spotted

• Could be the RC 160

• Will be the most affordable faired KTM bike in India 

It is no secret now  that KTM is developing the RC 160 and the 160 Duke. These will be the new most affordable KTM bikes in India, and will replace the RC 125 and the 125 Duke. We have a spyshot of a new faired KTM bike, which is claimed to be of the upcoming RC 160. 

What Do The Spy Shots Reveal?

The person who clicked this photo claims that the bike gets RC 160 badging embossed on the fairing, indicating that it is the RC 160. We can also see a brand new white paint scheme which looks quite good and will attract quite a lot more first-time buyers into the KTM family. Apart from that, the bike shares a similar silhouette as the RC 200, the bike on which it is based upon. 

What Do We Expect?

The upcoming KTM RC 160 is expected to get a 160cc engine, which should be a downsized version of the KTM’s 200cc engine.  It could make around 20PS and 14-15Nm. For reference, the RC125 makes 14.5PS and 12Nm. This should bring the new KTM’s firepower at par with the Yamaha’s while having a significant power difference to the 200. 

The upcoming RC 160 will most likely share the same underpinnings as the KTM RC 200. The RC 200 has a trellis frame with a bolt-on subframe, a USD fork and a monoshock, a cast-aluminium swingarm, radial brake callipers, and 17-inch alloy wheels at both ends. In terms of features, the new RC 160 may continue with the same LCD cluster as the RC 125 but could have an LED headlight similar to the RC 200. It could also get dual-channel ABS which could be switchable for the rear wheel. 

Expected Price And Launch Timeline

The KTM RC 160 could be priced between Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 1.9 lakh (ex-showroom), which will bring it at par with the Yamaha R15 V4. Other rivals for this RC are the Hero Karizma XMR and the Suzuki Gixxer 150. 

We expect the KTM RC 160 to launch in the second half of 2025, just before the festive season starts. There are good chances KTM will launch the 160 Duke along with the RC 160. The new KTMs should offer a more powerful entry point to the brand. If the pricing is as expected, the value-for-money quotient will also go up for prospective buyers.

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