Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM rolled out 125 Duke motorcycle in India in November 2018 and the bike has since become a top seller for the brand. Nicknamed baby Duke, the bike was a bit costly as per the market standards but had what it takes to become the top choice of the masses. Awed by the success of 125 Duke, the company is now in process of developing a fully-faired version of the bike. Just like its elder siblings, the new two-wheeler will be named RC 125 and share most of the components with its naked version. It will take on Yamaha R15 V3 in India.
Interested yet? We have good news for the enthusiasts eagerly waiting for the bike. KTM is expected to hold a launch event for RC 125 at the end of this month. Moreover, RC 125 will be brought in an all-new black and orange paint scheme. The company is expected to launch this new motorcycle in other color options too.
As stated before, most of the components for RC 125, including engine and cycle parts, will be taken from the naked 125 Duke. What would be different is full cowling and altered position of foot-pegs and handlebar. This would result in a more aggressive riding stance. The 125 Duke is powered by a 125-cc, liquid cooled, 4-stroke engine with a twin-overhead camshaft running a 4-valve head. It produces 14.3 Bhp power and 12 Nm torque and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The new RC125 will also come with the same motor though it can be tuned differently to enhance performance. This is because the RC 125 will get a full-front cowling. This will result in better aerodynamics and subsequently higher top speed. This means the new motorcycle will be less powerful than Yamaha R15 that is powered by a 155-cc engine.
KTM RC125 will be offered with dual disc brakes and single channel ABS as standard. The suspension duties will be performed by upside-down front forks and a monoshock at the rear. At present, the motorcycle is under development at KTM's Chakan factory. The company plans to start delivery by the end of July. As 125 Duke is currently priced at Rs. 1.30 lakh in Delhi, the full-faired version is expected to cost around Rs. 5,000 more. We believe that KTM will have to tread a very fine line as far as pricing is concerned because a much more powerful Yamaha R15 V3 is priced at Rs 1.40 lakh in the Indian market.