KTM India is reportedly working on a fully faired version of its recently launched entry-level naked bike – the Duke 125. As with all of its fully faired siblings of naked motorcycles, this new model will be called the KTM RC 125. Upon launch, it will become the most affordable sports bike in the KTM portfolio.
Mechanical changes
Mechanically, the new RC 125 will share most of its powertrain components with the KTM 125 Duke. This includes the 124.7 cc, single cylinder, DOHC liquid-cooled engine that churns out 14.5 hp and 12 Nm of peak torque. Suspension system also is expected to be carried over, including the 43 mm upside down (USD) forks at the front and an adjustable monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are likely to be taken care of by a 300 mm disc brake at the front and a 250 mm disc at the rear. This setup is further aided by the presence of a single channel ABS unit.
Cosmetic changes
On the cosmetic front, the KTM RC 125 is heavily inspired by the RC 200. As a result, it adorns a similar split headlamp section with LED DRLs located on the lower edge. It also gets a slim fuel tank and multi-layered fairing; things that have become a characteristic design element of the RC range of bikes. Recent spy shots suggest that the RC 125 will be having an under belly exhaust, rather than the side mounted unit found on its larger displacement RC siblings. Additionally, there will be a different colour scheme on offer to differentiate it from the more expensive RC 200 and RC 390. The spy shots show the bike in a new paint scheme, where the fuel tank is finished in orange, and the side fairings are dominated by a white shade with few dabs of black and orange.
Expected Price
We know that the KTM RC 200 is priced at Rs. 1.88 lakh, which is around Rs. 20,000 costlier than the 200 Duke. As a result, the KTM RC 125 is expected to be priced around Rs. 1.45 lakh, given that the 125 Duke is pegged at Rs. 1.25 lakh. However, the Yamaha R15, which is expected to be the toughest competitor of the RC 125, is priced at Rs. 1.39 lakh. Since the R15 is actually a more powerful bike with a matured design and bigger engine, KTM will try to undercut it with the price of the RC 125. Hence, it will not come as a surprise if the KTM RC 125 India price is a lot more aggressively pegged.
Source: ZigWheels