Austrian motorcycle maker KTM, which is co-owned by Bajaj Auto, unveiled its new range of Duke naked bikes at the EICMA show in Milan. After refreshing the Duke range, KTM is said to have started working on the new range of fully-faired RC series.
The RC 200 and the RC 390 are popular fully faired motorcycles of the KTM in India. The new version of both motorcycles can be expected to be out by the end of 2017, MotorOctane reported. If the unveiling of the new bikes at the EICMA show is taken as a precedent, the arrival of the new RC series can be expected to take place at the 2017 EICMA show in November.
The new RC series will not get the split headlamp design like the Duke siblings. Instead, the new RC series is expected to get restyled headlamp units with reworked bikini fairing. The new design language will be more aggressive and edgy than the current version, in line with the bigger RC bikes. The underbelly exhaust of the current RC series will make way for a conventional and Euro IV compliant exhaust pipe.
The new version of the RC 390 will get ride-by-wire technology as standard in all the versions sold around the world. It will flaunt LED headlamps, full-colour instrument cluster, Bluetooth smartphone integration and maps sync, dual-function forks and ABS as standard. The new RC 200 may miss the full-colour instrument cluster.
No updates in engine and transmission are expected. The new RC 390 will be powered by 373.2cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that generates 43.4bhp at 9,500rpm and 35Nm torque at 7,250rpm, mated to six-speed transmission. The RC 200 will draw power from 199.5cc single-cylinder engine that develops 25.65bhp and torque of 19.2Nm.
