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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/389578
2015 KTM RC390 FIRST RIDE P108 body (vs. 38mm on the RC200), breathing through a bigger airbox and with a larger single injector than the smaller bike's. It uses the same Bosch ECU common to all Indian-made KTM models, made there by a subsidiary of the German firm. However, unlike on the smaller variants of the Duke engine (with just a single pressure pump), there are two Eaton oil pumps on the 390 motor: one for high- pressure force-feed lubrication, with another suction pump for crankcase evacuation. That's be- cause using the same crankcase as the smaller motors means that the 390 version's crankshaft sits deeper within the engine. There's also a spinoff benefit in that there's reduced friction de- rived by draining the crankcase chamber, thus minimizing oil drag and enhancing performance. This entails an enlarged ex- ternal cooler compared to the RC125/200, located in the belly pan. The exhaust system's com- pact three-chamber silencer (mounted in close proximity to the entire motorcycle's center of gravity in order to compact its mass for optimum handling) has a three-way catalyst cleverly locat- ed between the engine and the cantilever rear shock. Space for this is provided by the vertically stacked shafts of the six-speed gearbox that's fit- ted with a large oil-bath clutch in order to handle the meaty power and torque delivery for what it is, with 44 hp available at 9500 rpm, and maximum torque of 35Nm peaking at 7250 rpm (the RC200 offers 26 hp at 10,000 rpm, with 19.5Nm of torque at 8000 rpm). Service intervals are held at 4600 miles. This engine is installed as a semi-stressed component in an all-new tubular-steel trellis frame that has much sharper steering geometry and a stiffer construc- tion than the outwardly similar Duke chassis. This is matched to a die-cast aluminum swingarm giving a tighter 52.7-inch wheel- base than the 53.8 inch Duke's. The 43mm upside-down fork developed by KTM subsidiary WP in Austria, but made in In- dia by its suspension partners Endurance (wholly owned by Bajaj), is now set in the frame at a 23.5-degree rake (vs. 25 degrees on the Duke) via black- anodized forged aluminum triple clamps, with 88mm of trail (ver- sus 100mm). But there's still a 5.9-inch cushion of rear wheel travel (al- beit just 4.9 at the front), to cope with rough road conditions in key target markets. Even though it's non-adjustable, the full-size front suspension gives visual sub- stance to the minimalist pack- age, while the rear direct-action The little KTM is a sweet handling package and should join KTM's 125, 200cc and 390 Dukes as a successful model in worldwide sales.