by Yves Khadra
“In the course of history, KTM has often knocked over old ways of thinking, set new standards and won brilliant victories- in sporting rivalry as well as in the battles for the hearts of the fans and the market shares of the competitors.”
I cannot stop thanking KTM, for inviting us to its official launch of its new Super Bike small capacity engine and the best in its class, the KTM RC 390.
Our journey began in Modena where KTM invited us to the welcome dinner in La Una Hotel Modena where we shared drinks and talks with more than 40 journalists from all over the world that were invited themselves to this event. All the talks were about the new Moto3 street super bike and the expectations the bike will deliver the next day.
The next morning our day started with a breakfast in the lobby and then to the press conference and the official launch of the bike.
During the Launch KTM presented a slide show showing the sales records that the company achieved: a 28% growth in only 6 month of the current year. KTM was able to sell 70500 units which position it as the number 1 company in Europe for the moment. Then they talked about the reason they created the RC 390, it’s a chance to get everyone with a limited budget to start a racing career. This bike is the bridge to Moto3.
For example the Junior Cup which is powered by KTM RC 390, it is very easy to convert the RC 390 to a racing bike by purchasing the power parts which are very affordable.
Then they continued by speaking about the specifications of the bike, mainly the power to weight ratio which is the best among its competitors whether the Yamaha R25, CB 500 R, CB 300 R and the Kawasaki 300cc.
The RC 390 delivers 44 horsepower and has a 35 nm of torque. It is water cooled. The amazing thing about this bike is that it has double overhead camshaft 4 valves, even though the engine is the same as the Duke 390, but the bike is totally different. The fuel tank’s capacity is 10 liters, 820 mm seat height and 150 rear tyre size. Many power parts can be purchased from the local dealers such as the ergo seat, racing license plate, graphic Kit neon and many others.
After the press launch, we were divided in three groups and began our test ride on the beautiful roads of Modena heading through the mountains enjoying the scenery of this amazing and historical village in Italy.
Once you get on the bike, you can quickly sense the Ready to Race impression, the clip-ons, rear-sets and foot and hand levers support a dynamic riding position. Even though I am only 170 cm long, I could easily touch the ground with both legs because of its 820 mm seat height.
We rode the bike for a period of half an hour and it was impressive especially when you are going up, you can easily ride on the 5th gear never feeling the lack of power.
Hitting the brakes was also impressive; the bike is equipped with a 300 mm front brake disk and an ABS system developed closely with Bosch and Italian specialist supplier Brembo. The ABS system could be disengaged which is perfect for track use.
After the road test ride, the fun began. We headed toward the Modena race track and unleashed the beast. I have never felt that handling on a race track like I felt with the KTM RC390, thanks to its sporty ergonomics; the RC 390 is fully controlled even when the pace gets hot. Everything is simply in the right place.
The frame and die cast trellis swing arm of the bike are ultra light and solid, upside down WP front fork of 43mm which has the same diameter as the KTM superbike 1190 RC8 R. The rear shock is of 150 mm of travel with an adjustable preload. The dashboard has all that you need, like the gear shift indicator, gear indicator, you can toggle on off the RPM.
Riding the Modena race track was enough to understand what the bike is all about, the power that the bike delivers was more than enough but what was more impressive was the light weight of the bike and the easy maneuvers that you can make. The precision in entering each and every corner hitting all the apexes was amazing. The leaning angle that you can get on this motorcycle was amazing due to its large ground clearance, slim outline and racing tire size format.
After 1 hour of track riding, it was really hard for me to give the keys back. This bike is built for those who belong to the Ready to Race philosophy.
Following the race track, KTM invited us for a dinner in one of the most amazing restaurants that you can find in Modena, known for their wine and international Balsamic vinegar of Modena.
Amazing company, food, we sat and shared our experience on the RC 390, and it was seen on their faces the satisfaction that they got from the bike.