Rumour: KTM’s Duke-based RC 125, 200 and 390 bikes at EICMA?
EICMA, also known as the Milan Motorcycle Show, is a yearly affair held at Milan, Italy. This motorcycle show plays host to a flurry of global motorcycle brands who use this event to showcase their upcoming wares and concepts. KTM’s last big splash at Milan, during EICMA 2012, was a two pronged one, what with the unveils of the KTM Super Duke 1290 in concept guise, and the Duke 390 in production guise.
This year’s EICMA is likely to see KTM unveiling no less than three new motorcycles, all hopping on to the full-faired bandwagon in a big way.
Note . Images used in this report are that of ADAC cup race-spec KTM RC 390, and are illustrative in nature.
VisorDown asserts that KTM will unveil the small capacity Duke motorcycle range based RC 125, RC 200 and RC 390 motorcycles. All three motorcycles will be full faired versions, aimed at the entry level sportsbike markets in the emerging world and learner bike markets in the developed world. As their names suggest, the RC 125, RC 200 and the RC 390 will be based on the KTM Duke 125, Duke 200 and the Duke 390 respectively.
Since KTM’s RC range of new, small capacity sportsbikes will be based on the Duke nakeds, changes to the RC range will be mainly in the styling department. The major styling changes include new tanks, full fairings, revised graphics and signage. Rear set footpegs and clip-on handlebars are the two other changes that’ll be common to all three bikes in the small capacity KTM RC range.
Engines, transmissions and cycle parts such as the upside down front forks and monoshock rear suspension will be borrowed from the Duke range.
Notably, the RC range of full-faired sportsbikes will be made at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan factory, as Bajaj produces all the road-going small capacity motorcycles that KTM sells worldwide. Notably, Bajaj Auto holds a 48 % stake in KTM and provides the latter access to low cost-high quality sourcing and manufacturing. KTM, for its part, provides Bajaj Auto cutting edge motorcycle technology honed in the cut throat world of competitive motorcycle racing.
Usually, KTM launches the motorcycles it showcases at the EICMA in the subsequent year. A similar strategy is likely to be in place for the RC range of small capacity sportsbikes. Expect Bajaj Auto and KTM to launch the RC 200 and RC 390 in India next year.
The KTM RC range of sportsbikes could be priced slightly higher than the equivalent Dukes due to the additional cost of the full fairing and other aggregates.
KTM is also working on an Adventure range of small capacity motorcycles, again based on the entry-level Dukes. The Adventure range of motorcycles based on the Duke platform are likely to have higher ground clearance, extended range fuel tanks, an upright seating position and other changes to make them suitable for long distance touring. The first of the Duke (125, 200 and 390) based Adventure line of KTMs are likely to debut in EICMA 2014, with official launches in India and elsewhere slated to happen in 2015.
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