New KTM RC 125 Spotted In India

Expect KTM to launch the new motorcycle in a couple of months

[UPDATE: The KTM RC 125 has been launched in India. Head here for the price, availability and other details]

• It was spotted testing near Pune. 
• The bike’s belly pan was missing, probably because it’s still being tested.
• Might remain mechanically identical to the KTM 125 Duke, already on sale in India. 
• Packs an underslung exhaust as opposed to the conventional silencer in the European model.

A new KTM RC has been spied testing near Pune. It is very likely to be the new KTM RC 125, as the design language of this motorcycle is somewhat similar to the one sold in Europe. However, this motorcycle features an underbelly exhaust as opposed to a side-slung unit in the European-spec bike.

Also, compared to the motorcycle sold in Europe, the colour scheme on the fairing appears to be an orange-on-white combination instead of the other way around. However, the fuel tank’s colour scheme seems to be unchanged, while the frame is coloured in black. At the rear, the subframe and the body panels have the same livery as the Euro-spec bike.

Expect KTM to plonk in the same engine that does duty in the India-spec 125 Duke. The 124.7cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor produces 14.5PS at 9250rpm and 12Nm at 8000rpm. It is paired with a 6-speed transmission. Interestingly, the Euro-spec RC 125 as well as the 125 Duke make 0.4PS more.

Suspension hardware is also likely to be shared with its streetfighter sibling, which includes inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear, both from WP. For braking, it is expected to employ the same 300mm front and 230mm rear disc with single-channel ABS as standard. Since the KTM 125 Duke and the 200 Duke have the same kerb weight of 148kg, expect the RC 125 to weigh as much as the RC 200 - 160kg (kerb). 

The 125 Duke has been received well by the Indian audience and it looks like the Austrian bikemaker is capitalising on the demand with a faired iteration. This should appeal to a more budget-conscious youth who want a fully faired bike with a KTM’s pedigree.

That said, KTM recently hiked the price of the 125 Duke by almost Rs 7,000, and it now costs Rs 1.24 lakh. So, expect KTM to price the RC 125 at around Rs 1.40 lakh. This will put the bike directly against the Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 3.0, which costs Rs 1.39 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi). The Yamaha, on the other hand, offers a more powerful and advanced motor, also not to forget, dual-channel ABS as standard.