After bringing out the Duke 125 in the Indian market, the Austrian bike maker has now launched the fully faired version of the same in the Indian market. As per the naming convention of the brand, the new bike will be called the KTM RC125. Just like the Duke 125, the influence of the elder siblings of the Austrian maker’s line-up are also visible in the smallest fully faired bike of the brand in the Indian market. The price of the RC125 has been set at Rs. 1.47 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi. This makes the newly launched KTM RC125 the most expensive 125cc bike in the Indian market. However, the aforementioned price of the bike is only the introductory price and this means that in the coming times, the price of the latest fully faired bike from the Austrian maker can also go up. The newly launched bike from the brand will face the heat from the Yamaha R15 V3, but the Japanese offering is not only cheaper but significantly more powerful than the KTM offering in the market.
Sumeet Narang, the vice president at Probiking Bajaj Auto Ltd. spoke on the occasion of the launch of the latest fully faired bike from the Austrian maker in the Indian market and stated,
KTM motorcycles are built to a purpose of winning performance and handling. It is no different with the RC 125 which will provide a true KTM experience to the motorcycle enthusiast seeking to enter our Supersport world. It carries Moto GP genes from its sibling, the much celebrated RC16.
The new fully faired bike comes with a 125cc, liquid cooled, fuel injection, single-cylinder engine with twin overhead camshafts and a 4 valve head. The engine on RC125 is rated to deliver 14.5 Bhp and 12 Nm and is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox which comes with a slipper clutch as standard. The new bike from KTM will also come with a USD fork at the front and a mono shocker at the rear and both the wheels of the bike will get a sic brake setup with single channel ABS being standard on the bike. All the mechanical aspects of the RC125 are identical to those of the Duke 125. The company already manufactures this bike in India for export to international markets.
The features and performance aspect of the RC125 will surely find it lagging behind the chief competitor Yamaha R15 V3 in the market. Not to mention that the Yamaha bike already has a huge following and legacy in the Indian markets. It remains to be seen as to how the latest fully faired bike from KTM performs in the market amid the stiff rivalry from the Japanese bike.