KTM created a new segment earlier this year with the launch of the 250 Duke, alongside the mildly updated 200 Duke and the all-new 390 Duke. The 250 has since enjoyed some decent success as it not only offers more power than the 200 Duke but it also comes with the more striking, angular style of the 390; all this for a significantly lower price over the range-topping 390 Duke. Following their price structures, the most affordable 200 Duke continues to be the highest selling of the lot, while the 250 Duke manages to outsell the premium 390 Duke, which after GST is close to Rs 3 lakh (on-road) in many markets.
The RC family, meanwhile, received an update for 2017 too, with a new exhaust system, CAN bus wiring system and ride-by-wire throttle. However, it retained the styling of the original with the only visual change coming in the form of new paint schemes and revised graphics.
When KTM launched the 2017 RC family in India, the company continued to offer the RC 200 and RC 390 and quite categorically mentioned that the RC 250 would not be launching in India. However, recent spy images captured of the RC 250 testing in India might suggest otherwise. Could KTM be aiming to carry over the success of the Duke 250 to the RC family as well?
Two things are worth considering here. First, India is an export hub for KTM and the RC 250 photographed testing could simply have been undergoing routine testing for the international market. Second, the 250 Duke has proved to be so popular in India, not so much for the extra 5hp it offers over the Duke 200, but because it packs KTM’s new-age styling in a much more affordable package than the 390 Duke. The RC 250, meanwhile, will look pretty much identical to either the RC 200 or the RC 390, save for a different colour scheme. Furthermore, our sources inform us that the RC 250 is not currently under consideration for India.