2022 KTM RC 390 Officially Unveiled!

Expect KTM to launch the bike in India  early next year

• It gets a complete cosmetic makeover and weighs 15kg less than the previous model.
• Is powered by the same 373cc liquid-cooled motor that makes the same power but 1Nm more.
• Gets traction control, cornering and supermoto ABS and optional quickshifter.
• India-spec bike will likely get the non-adjustable USD fork.

After countless spy shots and leaked photos, KTM has finally taken the wraps off the 2022 RC 390. For the latest iterations, the bike has gone under a major overhaul and here’s a breakdown of it.

It’s no secret that the new design is quite polarising. The sharp front fascia housing the twin projector lamps have made way for the new design which looks erm… quite docile. You get an LED headlight with the boomerang-like DRL-cum-indicators. The windscreen too has been altered and is larger than that on the outgoing model.

Furthermore, even the features list has been bumped up a notch as the bike’s now equipped with a TFT display and gets the KTM My Ride provision too. This allows you to pair your smartphone with the bike and control the music as well as phone calls using the new switchgear.

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At the heart of the new RC 390 is the same 373cc liquid-cooled motor. It claims to dish out 43.5PS and 37Nm (1Nm more than the current RC 390) and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with an optional quickshifter. The cooling has also been improved thanks to the new side-mounted radiator fan setup. For reference, TVS has launched the 2021 Apache RR 310 and it makes 34PS and 27.3Nm.

Helping you put a leash on all the horses is the updated suite of electronics. The 2022 KTM RC 390 gets cornering traction control, cornering and supermoto ABS.

The engine is nestled in a new lightweight trellis frame with a bolt-on subframe. The setup has aided in a total of 1.5kg weight savings. Moreover, the new subframe also comes in as a more affordable option to replace in case of a crash.

The bike’s suspended on a 43mm WP Apex fork with 30 clicks of compression and 30 clicks of rebound adjustment. Meanwhile, a rebound and preload-adjustable monoshock does the job at the rear end.

The 2022 KTM RC 390 gets the braking prowess from a 320mm front disc and a 230mm rear unit that aid in saving 960 grams of total unsprung mass. An additional 3.4kg weight savings are done by the new 5-spoke wheels.

All the weight savings and design changes have helped the KTM engineers increase the fuel tank capacity by 4.2 litres. The bike can now hold 13.7 litres, unlike the previous 9.5-litre unit. The total dry weight has been cut down to 155kg from the previous 170kg.

Even the seat height has been reduced from 835mm to 824mm which should make it a bit easier for shorter riders to get on and off. Even the seats have been redesigned and are covered in an Alcantara-like material.

Expect KTM India to launch the bike by early 2022 with a price tag close to the Rs 3 lakh mark (the current bike is priced  at Rs 2.77 lakh). It’ll have the 2021 TVS Apache RR 310 and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 in its crosshairs.