KTM RC 160

The KTM RC160 is the Austrian brand’s answer to the Yamaha R15’s dominance in the 150-160cc faired bike segment. The KTM RC160 was launched in India at Rs 1,85,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), making it Rs 6,464 costlier than the KTM 160 Duke TFT variant (its streetfighter sibling). It is the most affordable KTM faired bike in the country, and is the second cheapest KTM bike in India.

The KTM RC160 has the typical aggressive faired bodywork associated with the rest of the latest-gen bikes in the RC series. The bulbous front, sleek side panels and high-set tail section is very much like the RC200, and at a quick glance it might even be hard to distinguish, other than the stickering. KTM recently gave the bike 2 new colours and it now comes in a total of three paint schemes: Electronic Orange Matte, Black, Ceramic White Matt.

Safety Features:

The KTM RC160 gets a dual-channel ABS as standard. Dual-channel ABS acts on both the front and the rear wheel, preventing them from locking up under hard braking. It also has a SuperMoto mode, which switches the system off for the rear wheel alone, so that expert riders can perform a controlled slide by locking up only the rear wheel. Do note that performing such maneuvres require skill.

Convenience Features:

Like with any modern KTM bike, this one also comes with all-LED lighting. The instrument console is a 5-inch LCD unit, as seen on the base KTM 160 Duke.

Rider Comfort:

The KTM 160 Duke comes with a split seat setup with low clip-on handlebars and rear-set footpegs. Hence, the rider sits leaned forward. While this offers great control, it will not be as comfortable in stop-go traffic as the rider will have to support themselves by gripping the bike with their thighs and using their lower back to prop themselves up. If your daily commute includes heavy city traffic, then you will have to factor in the sporty riding posture.

Pillion Comfort:

The pillion seat is fairly well above the rider’s seat. It may not be as roomy as roadsters, so it will be ideal for short rides. There’s no backrest here, so for a secure seating, the pillion will have to hold on to the rider (with consent) or hold on to the fuel tank. The bike also gets a split grab rail.

The KTM RC 160 comes with the same engine as the Duke 160. It produces 19PS and 15.5Nm, and in the Duke we found the engine to be pretty rev-happy. So expect the same mannerism in this bike as well. 

City & Highway Performance:

City Performance:

In the Duke, the quick-revving engine made up for the lack of low-end grunt under 4,000rpm, so we expect the KTM RC 160 to have similar characteristics as well. The refined engine loves to be revved hard, so the RC 160 is also likely to be like that, and will be ideal for sporty riding more than related cruising.

Highway Performance:

The KTM 160 Duke was capable of easily sustaining 80kmph on the highway without feeling stressed, so expect the RC160 to also perform similarly. The vibrations aren’t distracting, and more importantly, since the RC160 has a fully faired bodywork with windshield, it should be able to cut through the wind at high speeds better than the 160 Duke. 

Gearbox:

The KTM RC160 has a six-speed transmission with an assist-and-slipper clutch. The assist functionality makes the lever action more effortless, whereas the slipper clutch allows the rear wheel to slip while downshifting aggressively so that it doesn’t lock up and cause instability.

Brakes:

The KTM RC160 comes with a 320mm front disc with a radial caliper, and a 230mm rear disc. Radial caliper helps in ensuring better brake feel and more even wear of the brake pads compared to an axial caliper.

Handling:

The clip-on handlebars, rear-set footpegs and split seat setup is geared towards sporty riding. The inverted fork and the rear monoshock should be in their element on smooth, winding roads, going hand-in-hand with the forward-leaned riding posture. 

Ride Quality:

The inverted fork offers 130mm travel whereas the rear 6-step preload-adjustable monoshock comes with a 165mm wheel travel. Since it's a supersport, the ride quality is expected to be on the firmer side.

The only rival of the KTM RC160 is the Yamaha R15 V4. In fact, they are the only two bikes currently available in this space with a liquid-cooled engine.