KTM RC 390 2018

Currently the flagship product of KTM in India, the RC 390 has the most aggressive stance and design language in the entry level super-sport segment, which is further complemented with world-class new-age features. Armed with a four stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled, 373cc engine which produces 43PS of power and 36Nm of torque, the RC 390 is also the most powerful motorcycle in its class. The trellis frame under the skin along with 43mm inverted hydraulic telescopic forks at front and a fully adjustable hydraulic mono-shock at the rear give the RC 390 exceptional agility and handling. On the other hand, the new 320mm front disc and a 230mm rear disc brake, along with dual channel ABS, brings the RC 390 to halt in the best possible way.

It’s slightly a matter of surprise that even after so many minute but worthy and noticeable additions, the new RC 390 has been priced at the same price point as before. With an asking price of Rs. 2.35 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi), the RC 390 is an incredible value for money option for all those who want to upgrade themselves in the world of super-sport. The sad part is that the RC 390 is offered in only one paint shade, which though is not a big reason to worry.

For a long time, the KTM RC 390 didn’t had a direct competitor, but now, TVS has upped the ante by introducing the new Apache RR 310, which has the same racing pedigree and sporty stance as the RC 390. In comparison, the Apache RR 310 feels more solidly built and premium over the slightly flimsy bodywork of RC 390. The engine on the Apache RR 310 is much smaller, which translates in lesser-in-comparison power and torque numbers, but then, the overall power delivery is slightly more refined and predictable in the Apache RR 310. Handling is exceptional on both the motorcycles, however, the RC 390 feels more aggressive in riding posture as well as ride quality.

The RC 390 was always an incredibly aggressive looking motorcycle, and even with the new facelift on board, KTM hasn’t brought many changes to the bodywork, and the motorcycle continues to look sporty and mean as ever.

At the front, the RC 390 comes is adorned with a mean looking and pointy front fairing, which are here jewelled with dual projector headlamps along with daytime running LEDs below them. The transparent windshield above the headlamp assembly is the same as before, however, the RC 390 now comes with a new set of rear view mirrors, which are larger and provide better visibility than before. As before, they do possess small but noticeable turn indicators within them, making the RC 390 the most affordable motorcycle to feature this thing.

Like before, the orange theme of the RC 390 continues to be in this facelifted version as well, with the body panels as well as trellis frame under the bodywork being finished in orange colour. However, this time, the body panels do get glossy accentuates of black and white along with orange, which makes the bike look & feel larger and premium than before. Another welcoming change here is the new side mounted exhaust pipe in place of underbody exhaust. The other things which have been retained from the previous version are the high mounted tailpiece, which gets LED tail lamps along with petite rear fender and LED blinkers from the Duke.

Even the fully digital and extremely comprehensive instrument console has been retained from the previous version, which displays a host of information which no other motorcycle in its class has in its kitty. Apart from these things, KTM has introduced some more new features like adjustable levers for front brake and clutch, ride-by-wire technology and slipper clutch, all of which make the RC 390 a benchmark to be followed.

Apart from the basic design which has been retained but slightly refreshed with minor changes and feature additions, even the powertrain has been treated in the same way. KTM has decided to retain the same four stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled, 373cc engine as the previous generation version, however, thanks to minor changes to engine and new tech additions like a new CAN BUS system derived from KTM’s Moto3 WSBK bike, new Bosch fuel pump and a new Evaporative Emission Control System (EVAP), the engine now produces 36NM – 1Nm more from the previous engine. On the other hand, the peak power output still stays the same at 43PS.

As before, the power delivery feels aggressive and thanks to these minor additions, it now feels refined and less jerky as well. The 6-speed gearbox also is still the same, however, the presence of slipper clutch now makes the gearshifts even more precise than before. The only grouse here is the small 11-litre fuel tank, which gives the RC 390 a very short tank range.

Apart from the basic engine, KTM has chosen not to fiddle with the fantastic chassis setup of the RC 390, as the motorcycle continues to sit on the same trellis frame as before, along with 43mm inverted hydraulic telescopic forks and a fully adjustable hydraulic mono-shock with rear aluminum swingarm. Sourced from WP, the overall suspension setup is set on a stiffer side, which gives the RC 390 marvelous handling characteristic. However, the flipside here is stiff ride quality, which can be tedious for longer rides.

Another change which is worth mentioning on the new RC 390 is the larger 320mm disc brake at the front, which along with the 230mm disc brake at the rear as well as ABS at both the ends, give the RC 390 an enhanced braking experience than before.

The KTM RC 390 gets a host of safety features like 320mm discs with radial callipers,  ABS, slipper clutch, sticky premium tubeless tyres, AHO and projector headlamps and rear LED tail lamps and clear-lens LED indicators.