The New RC 390 May Debut Sooner Than We Expected

This year hasn’t been kind to KTM fans. In a span of just four months, the prices of the orange beauties have skyrocketed, with the latest one coming in this week. That said, we all know that the 2021 KTM RC 390 and RC 200 are on the horizon, and going by the latest developments, it seems that the launch isn’t far away.

First it was the image from the production plant that was leaked, showing that the RC 200 is already under production. Next came in a few shots of the RC 390 being tested in Europe, and now even in India. In fact, the bike was spotted sans camouflage recently, hinting that we won’t have to wait much for the new supersport’s launch.

The most obvious change is the new bodywork, which is a bit polarizing at first glance. Replacing the twin projector headlamp setup is a new unit that looks similar to the ones seen on the 390 Duke and the 390 Adventure. The mirrors too are all new, and no longer house the indicators. Even the fairing has been completely altered, and though it retains the floating fairing look, it gets just a single unit on either side with a puny belly pan rather than the two-piece unit on the current unit.

Underneath, expect the same 373.5cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor producing 43.5PS and 36Nm, but housed in an updated chassis. Though it is not clear yet whether the main frame has been altered, the bike gets a new bolt-on subframe, similar to its naked and ADV sibling.

Unlike the current model which is completely track-focused, the new model seems to be a bit easy-going and gets a slightly relaxed rider’s triangle. Even though the new pillion seat looks fairly comfortable, the seat cowl-shaped unit on the current model is aesthetically pleasing and blends well with the overall design of the bike.

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Other changes on the bike include new and possibly lighter wheels, which, coupled with the sleeker, spoke-mounted disc, should reduce the unsprung mass and help the bike shoot in and out of corners with more poise. The Europe-spec model is likely to get preload-adjustable front forks and monoshock, however, the India-spec unit is likely to continue with non-adjustable front fork.
KTM is likely to equip the bike with the same TFT console that we have seen on other 390s. So, the track scorcher will finally get more perks like bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

So, when will the 2021 KTM RC 390 debut? While the brand has remained tight-lipped about the development of the bike so far, it is no longer listed on KTM’s website, confirming that it won’t be long before the bike makes its debut. We expect it to be priced around Rs 2.75 lakh. Once launched, the bike will go up against the TVS Apache RR 310, which will soon be launched in its 2021 guise. Another alternative could be the BS6 Kawasaki Ninja 300, although that’s is a bit on the expensive side.