KTM Duke platform to spawn three new variants this year

Stefan Pierer- KTM President/CEO recently disclosed to international media that the Austrian bike maker is busy with the development of small capacity fully faired RC series of motorcycles based on the very popular KTM Duke 125, 200 and the 390 platform of bikes. Pierer stated that the three proposed motorcycles would look remarkably similar to the Moto3 Grand Prix Racing motorcycles. This is being done as a part of a strategy to lend good marketing leverage to the upcoming bikes.

He said that the three new motorcycles, though based on the KTM Dukes’ platforms, would look unlike the Duke bikes. The unveiling of the new RC series of bikes would happen at this year’s EICMA Milan Show in November 2013 and the official launch would happen sometime in 2014. The first of these bikes, the KTM RC390, will be launched in January 2014, followed by the KTM RC125 and KTM RC200 in April 2014. The KTM RC125 and KTM RC200 would be used as a platform for KTM’s One-make races as a medium for brand promotion.

It is being said that all these bikes would be produced locally at the Chakan facility of Bajaj. The KTM Duke series of bikes is enough testimony to the fact that Bajaj could produce world class bikes could be built at reasonable production costs. This means that the new KTM RC bikes series could offer serious performance and that too, without having a stratospheric price tag.

Not a really good news for the new Honda 400s then, no? A great battle lies ahead, stay tuned to know who comes out victorious.