New KTM RC 390 Spotted Testing In Europe

KTM engineers seem to be quite busy as spy pictures of the next-generation RC 390 have surfaced online. KTM is already testing the 2023 390 Duke in India and it’s likely to make its debut soon. However, the new RC 390 comes as a surprise as the bike was unveiled just two years back and had received a significant update. We think this could have been done to make the RC 390 more up to date as it’s in its second generation, while the upcoming 390 Duke will be its third iteration. 

Coming back to the 2024 KTM RC 390, the bike was spotted undergoing testing in Europe and there are major visual differences between it and the current bike. The design is now sharper and you can see influences from the Moto3 race bike. It features a LED projector headlight and the fairing is now more curved with larger vents. We think the changes in the fairing have been implemented to improve the aerodynamics of the RC 390. Even the rear end of the test mule is different and the seats look larger as well. We also assume that the TFT display will be redesigned and could be similar to that of the upcoming 390 Duke and might get navigation as well. 

On the mechanical side, the 20254 KTM RC 390 will be powered by the rumoured 390-398cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that will make its debut on the 2023 KTM 390 Duke. Power figures will be under 45 bhp, but torque figures might be improved for better low-end grunt. The 6-speed gearbox will remain similar to the current bike and so will be slipper clutch and a quickshifter. The other big change that we can see on the test mule is the revised bolt-on aluminium subframe and longer swingarm, both elements will help in further improving the sharp handling dynamics of the RC 390. It would also feature updated adjustable suspension. The wheels and braking hardware seem to be carried forward from the current bike. 

It looks like the RC 390 is in its early stages of real world testing and we feel the production bike might be unveiled at the 2024 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. India launch of the new KTM RC 390 looks like in the first half of 2025 as the brands focus will be more on the upcoming 390 Duke. In terms of pricing, expect a premium of around Rs 25,000 to 30,000 over the current bike which retails for Rs 3.19 lakh (ex-showroom). The 2024 KTM RC 390 will be pitched against the soon to be launched Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 300, BMW G 310 RR and the TVS Apache RR 310. 

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