KTM RC 490 and RC 790 confirmed to be in development

“Where is the Gen-3 Duke-based RC 390?” has been a pressing question in many people’s minds. While we still wait to hear about the 390, we now know that there’s an RC 490 and a 790 coming, according to KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister in a recent interview.

1. RC 490 to be based on a new platform not shared with China-exclusive RC 450
2. RC 790 should share a lot with the freshly updated KTM 790 Duke

KTM RC 490 and RC 790: What do we know so far?

While it sounds closer to RC 450, RC 490 will be based on a different platform

“We definitely want to extend our RC [supersport] line-up; the 990 was first, and we’ll have a 790 and a 490, like other brands with mid- and lower-class presence and in a segment that is growing,” were his exact words, which tell us two things.

One, there will be not one but two new RC motorcycles, and two, the absence of the 390 could mean that KTM intends for the 490 to be the new entry-level supersport in global markets at least.

Based on previous information, we know that this 490 will not be the same as the China-exclusive RC 450. It will be a new platform, jointly developed by Bajaj and KTM and will likely be derived from the current 390 LC4c platform. It’s reported to use a twin-cylinder engine, with its smoothness likely to be the big differentiator. There’s no official launch timeline as yet.

Ever since the 390 Duke was updated to Gen 3 in mid-2023, KTM fans have been anticipating the update to reach the RC 390 as well. However, that hasn’t happened yet, and the latest RC 390 sold in India still uses the older LC4 373cc engine.

For the RC 790, however, we have a blueprint to look at in the recently revealed 790 Duke. Traditionally, Dukes serve as a precursor to RCs; if that continues to be the case here, the upcoming RC 790 should share the updated LC8c platform and the parallel twin-cylinder engine that makes a similar, if not the exact same, 104hp and 87Nm of torque. However, the power delivery will likely be different to account for the RC’s high-revving nature.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning that KTM had recently launched the 990 RC R, followed by the track-focused 990 RC R Cup. These are currently the newest supersport motorcycles in the Austrian manufacturer’s global portfolio.