For seven years now, the KTM RC 390 has been a fan favorite among sportbike enthusiasts looking for a fun, agile, lightweight machine. Unlike the other entry-level sportbikes in the market, the RC 390 boasts committed ergonomics thanks to its aggressive, low-slung clip-ons and rear-set foot pegs.
It also features a punchy 373cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine rated for around 42 horsepower, painting a sharp contrast against the other entry-level sportbikes equipped with parallel-twin mills. Now, while it can be said that the RC 390's looks are rather polarizing, it has never really undergone a massive makeover, while its naked sibling, the 390 Duke, has already undergone two notable styling revisions. As such, you could say that the RC 390 is beginning to look a little long in the tooth, from a styling perspective at least. Now, we're well aware that KTM has a brand new, redesigned RC 390 in the pipeline.
Numerous spy photos have shown us just what Team Orange has in store for us, however, the exact launch date remains shrouded in mystery. Well, our colleagues from multiple Indian motoring publications have reported that the new RC 390 could soon be making its official debut in the Indian market, at least. After all, KTM's smaller-displacement bikes, such as the 390 Duke, 390 Adventure, and yes, the RC 390 are all manufactured in India, as well as other parts of Asia. The same can be said for the company's 200 range of motorcycles.Â
Some notable changes to that we can expect to see on the all-new RC 390 consist of completely redesigned aesthetics. Gone are the twin centrally mounted headlights. In their stead lies a single LED headlight housed in a more streamlined fairing. The new bike also gets a larger fuel tank, clip-on handlebars, and full-color TFT instrument panel. To top it all off, reports suggest that the new RC 390 will have slightly more relaxed ergonomics thanks to a revised subframe.Â
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Sources: Car and Bike, Motorbeam