2018 KTM RC 390 coming to India by December 2017

The new 2018 KTM RC 390 will be making its way into India. The last year update got more of a cosmetic update. The new chassis on the KTM RC 390 wasn’t introduced in 2017, and this was pushed to this year end. KTM had introduced the new-gen chassis on its fully-faired bikes in 2016 itself.

These new bikes have side-slung exhaust and a lot more flexible chassis.

Design

In terms of styling there will not be a major difference. There is a small change in the livery, which will be implemented on the new bike as well. So in visible appearance the changes that can be spotted are at of a new seat, which is a lot more comfortable. There is an improvement in the seat cushion, new alloy wheels and even the exhaust is now side-mounted. These will be the clear visible changes on the new bike. These changes have been implemented already on the new Duke range of bikes.  There shall be no change in the fuel tank size and the bike will offer a similar range.

So in styling these will be the clear changes. When you get into the riding position, there will be change in the handle bar position. The seat will be more comfortable as it has better cushioning. This sitting will be a lot more comfortable than the current bike. Better for not just city riding but even for highway runs. The ride will also see an improvement too. KTM RC 390 2018 will get a new chassis, which changes the game.

Engine and Transmission

We expect an update in the instrument cluster also on the 2018 KTM RC 390. The step-up seat will continue on the new bike. The 373cc engine will churn about 43bhp of power and will have a maximum torque of 33Nm. This is a single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that comes mated to a six-speed transmission. There shall not be a major change in the engine tuning. The exhaust will be side mounted and it will be the first of the lot. This will change the exhaust note completely. As there will be Ride-By-Wire then the throttle response will be better. The performance in city will be good enough. More importantly it will be the new chassis. This will improve the riding dynamics of this bike, making it a lot more fun too. The adjustment lever for suspension will be carried forward too. There shall be no change in its mileage too, which will continue to be about 25km/l in the city and close to 30km/l.

When we checked with KTM on why the current Duke and the old RC are on sale, the response was first step at a time. So, we can expect the new 2018 KTM RC 390 bikes to hit the showrooms not too while away from now. We expect the new bike to make its way into India by early 2018.

It will not be before that. The current bike is doing well and the company will want to continue with the same. There is no other 390cc fully-faired bike at the moment in India.

2018 KTM RC 390 Top Speed

The top speed of this new bike will not change. It will be about 168km/hr. As there isn’t a major change in the engine’s performance. Hence, there will be no change in the top speed of the fully-faired bike.

Also Read: 2017 KTM Duke 390 | TVS Apache RR 310 S

Following are the features on offer:

• Ride-by-wire technology

• Bigger disc brakes (320mm and 230mm)

• Side slung exhaust

• Adjustable levers

• EVAP system

• New UV resistant paint

• New Graphics

• Wider rear view mirror

• Updated instrument pod