The KTM RC 390 is a sports motorcycle from KTM. It was launched in 2014 and is still on sale. Sports bikes put performance first, usually with a sportier riding position and sharper handling than everyday bikes. With a 398.7 cc engine it sits in the 250–450 cc class.
Power comes from a 398.7 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes 43.5 PS at 9,000 rpm and 37 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm. Its bore is wider than its stroke (89 mm x 60 mm), a short-stroke layout that generally favours higher revs. Divide power by kerb weight and it has about 253 PS per tonne; by that measure, it is genuinely fast, well beyond everyday traffic speeds. The claimed top speed is 169 km/h. It has electric start.
It has a 6-speed manual gearbox with a 1-down, 5-up shift pattern, and a chain carries drive to the rear wheel.
Suspension is by wp apex usd forks, 43 mm diameter at the front and wp apex monoshock, 10 step adjustable at the rear. Braking is by a 320 mm disc at the front and a 230 mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS. ABS on both wheels keeps either tyre from locking under hard braking. It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels with tubeless tyres — 110/70-17 at the front and 150/60-17 at the rear.
The seat is 835 mm off the ground, which is on the tall side, so shorter riders may want to try it first. It weighs 172 kg ready to ride, which is on the heavy side, so moving it by hand takes some effort. Ground clearance is 153 mm — adequate, though tall speed breakers need care. It is 2,145 mm long, with 1,340 mm between the axles. Its 13.7 L fuel tank and claimed mileage of 25-28.9 kmpl work out to roughly 396 km per tankful on paper; real-world range is usually lower.
Equipment includes a digital instrument console, an LED headlamp, turn-by-turn navigation, call and SMS alerts, distance-to-empty readout, gear position indicator, quickshifter, daytime running lamps, service due indicator and windscreen. Safety equipment includes side-stand warning, engine kill switch, traction control, low fuel indicator and malfunction indicator.
The manufacturer's warranty is 2 years or 30,000 km. It comes with 3 free services, the first due at 1000 km or 45 days. For the KTM RC 390, Mechiee offers a fixed ₹2,199 doorstep service.
It is best suited to riders who want performance and sharp handling. With this much performance, it is better as a step-up bike than a first bike.
Recommended tyre pressures are 29 psi front and 29 psi rear riding alone, and 29 psi front and 30 psi rear with a pillion. The published service intervals are 1st service at 1000 km or 45 days, 2nd service at 8500 km or 150 days and 3rd service at 16000 km or 240 days. Its chain drive needs regular cleaning, lubrication and slack adjustment.
