KTM RC 490 Spied, Aprilia RS457 Rival Launch Expected In 2027

Quick News Highlights:

• KTM RC 490 seen testing for the first time 

• Could get a new 500-oddcc twin-cylinder engine with a little over 50PS

• Will likely be made in India by Bajaj

The KTM RC 490 was spotted testing in Europe for the first time, the bike could be unveiled late next year at EICMA show in Milan, Italy, and could be launched in India some time in 2027. The bike will likely be made by Bajaj in India.

Design & Styling

The test mule shows sharp, MotoGP-inspired styling with winglets, a single projector LED headlamp, and LED indicators. The fairing is new, and looks pretty clean in our opinion. There’s no dedicated tail light at the rear, so it could be integrated into the indicators. All in all, the design looks a lot sharper than the current-gen KTM RC 390.

The high-set pillion seat looks very small, but then again, the KTM RC bikes are not known to be pillion-friendly anyway. The low clip-on handlebars and the rear-set footpegs clearly indicate an aggressive riding posture - in line with the bike’s sporty nature.  

New Twin-Cylinder Engine

It’s clear that the KTM RC 490 will use a new parallel-twin engine as you can see the twin exhaust downpipes in the spy shots. Expect it to have a displacement of around 500cc (or maybe a bit more). With a twin cylinder configuration, this engine is expected to be a lot more refined than KTM’s 400cc single.

Also, it could make more power and torque than the KTM 390 Duke’s 46PS and 39Nm. We wouldn’t be surprised if it made a little over 50PS. For perspective, the Aprilia’s 457cc parallel-twin engine makes 47.58PS and 43.5Nm. 

Based On CFMoto 450?

From the spy shots, the bike’s wheels and the single-sided swingarm (likely to be cast aluminium) look very similar to the CFMoto 450SR-S. CFMoto has a partnership with KTM for the chinese market, so it could be possible that the test mule has borrowed parts from CFMoto. That said, the upcoming KTM 490 range will be manufactured by Bajaj Auto at its Chakan plant in Pune, helping KTM keep prices competitive in India and abroad.

Underpinnings

The frame is likely to be all-new, and the bike comes with adjustable WP inverted fork up front, and a linked monoshock at the rear, also likely to be adjustable. There are disc brakes at both ends, and expect the bike to also be fairly light for its segment. The tyres on the test mule seem to be Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs, known to offer good grip. That said, expect the India-spec bike to come with different (hopefully grippy) tyres to keep the costs in check. 

Features

We can expect features such as a colour TFT display, Bluetooth connectivity with navigation, multiple riding modes, cornering traction control, cornering ABS, and a bi-directional quickshifter (visible in the spy shots). The current KTM 390cc platform already gets all of these features, so the 490 could add some more as well. You can also see the multi-function switchgear, and it looks pretty premium.  

Rivals

The KTM RC 490 will take on bikes like the Aprilia RS 457 and the Kawasaki Ninja 500 in the Indian market. KTM is also expected to use the same 490 platform to make other models like the Duke 490 and Adventure 490.

BikeDekho Says

Since the RC 490 will be built in India at Bajaj’s Chakan plant, prices are expected to be aggressive. We expect the KTM RC 490 to be priced around Rs 4 lakh to 4.5 lakh (ex-showroom), placing it right between the KTM RC 390 and bigger middleweight sports bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 650. This will also be the biggest made-in-India KTM bike - giving enthusiasts a taste of twin-cylinder experience at (hopefully) affordable price point.

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