2022 KTM RC 390 FIRST RIDE REVIEW

 Here are our two cents on the new KTM RC 390 as we thrash it around Bajaj's Chakan test track to see what it's all about!

- KARAN SINGH BANSATTA 

AS we the 390 Chakan test track, we realized that the best thing about KTM is how unapologetic they are when it comes to their road bikes. Ready To Race is their motto and Ready To Race is what they bring to the road.

It was a long time ago when we first rode the new RC 390 when it first came to India. But we clearly remember the feeling;

'How the heck is this supposed to be a road bike?' It was razor-sharp, always on the edge, protested if ridden slow and made you go nuts when ridden hard.

It was everything a racetrack junkie could ask for. Yet, it sold like a cold beverage on a hot day. Correction; a searing hot beverage on a cold day!

So, is the new one more of the old one? Yes, and no. It is a complicated question to answer but we will try our best.

The new KTM RC 390 is surely a grown-up now. It feels more like someone in a suit rather than a bare-chested beast. It is easy to gauge that it will fare a bit better on the street. So is KTM not unapologetic about its ethos anymore? Not by a long shot!

 Underneath the suit, it is a tattooed hooligan. Underneath the suit, it has weapon holsters that are filled to the brim. Underneath the suit, there lies the same crazed focus that made us fall in love with the RC 390 in the first place.

So yes, while the new KTM RC 390 uses beautifully crafted language that is empathetic and soft, one can easily hear how unapologetic it is in the undertones.

Enough of intros and building suspense. Let us get down to business and see what's what.

In our typical fashion, let us start with the looks. Polarizing has always been the word we have used. Not to everyone's taste but fits like a glove for some. But the new KTM RC 390 has garnered a rather harsh response to its looks.