India Specific KTM RC 125 Or The RC250? We think the latter because the Duke 250 doesn’t do well and Duke 125 is already doing well.
A couple of months back KTM launched 125 Duke in the Indian market and now its fully-faired version KTM RC 125 is on its way to dealerships. This RC series motorcycle was recently spotted testing and spy shots revealed some of its important design and structural aspects. Unlike the globally sold version which comes with side exhaust, India-spec RC 125 will have an underbelly exhaust system.
Design elements on the bike conform to the lineage of RC family and some of the worth mentioning include dual front headlamps, fairings, and slim fuel tank. However, it is the color scheme where the RC 125 stands out from its globally selling cousin.
The bike snapped testing featured a bright orange colored fuel tank and even the fairing got a color scheme which is inverted to the shade available on the international version of the bike. KTM RC 125 is expected to share engine and mechanical with the 125 Duke. This means the bike will derive power from the 124.7cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, double overhead cam motor which is capable of putting out 14.5bhp@9,250 rpm and 12Nm@8,000 rpm of max power and max torque respectively.
A 43mm upside down (USD) fork will be used as front suspension while at the back; an adjustable monoshock system will be utilized. To provide the bike with effective braking power, RC 125 will receive a single-channel ABS system with 300 mm and 230 mm disc brake at front and rear respectively.
The retail price of currently selling RC 200 is Rs 1.88 lakh while the 200 Duke can be had at Rs 1.6 lakh. Applying the same logic to guesstimate the price of RC 125, we expect KTM to price it around Rs 1.45-1.50 lakh as 125 Duke has a price tag of Rs 1.25 lakh. (all-prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).
We expect a KTM RC 150 though, if possible for the Indian market. A proper R15 rival from KTM seems very likely one day. A 20 BHP RC 150 would make more sense even if priced higher than the R15 because the platform all more features and good value. Duke 125 is already doing well. Jacking up the price to sell the similar thing won’t make much sense. RC250 is need of the day as the Duke 250 doesn’t do well. RC 250 is also what the public has been asking. It has the right engine, gearing and power with the proper chassis over the RC200 which is nothing but Duke 200 street tuned engine with a fairing. KTM has one chance to makes it portfolio proper, this is it.
Picture Source: Powerdrift
