KTM RC 160 dealer dispatch has begun and the launch price could be announced in the next few days in the Indian market
KTM RC 160 was leaked a few days back ahead of its official launch in the Indian market. The clear images of the fully-faired sportsbike emerged on the web, hinting that it will go on sale soon in our country. Now, the RC 160 has been spotted in flesh at a KTM dealership in Patna with on-road price of Rs 2.23 lakh. This indicates that it could be launched with an ex-showroom price of around Rs 1.85 lakh in India. KTM RC 160 will directly rival Yamaha R15 and Hero Karizma XMR 210 in the domestic market.
Underpinned by the same platform as the Duke 160, it takes design inspiration from the RC 200. This is not something very new for KTM as most motorcycles with different engines share the same architecture and design. The RC 160 flaunts identical sharp styling with fairing alongside the fuel tank. The sportsbike gets an all-LED lighting setup with headlamp, turn indicators and DRLs housing LED units.
The LED blinkers as well as the ORVMs are mounted on the fairing. The RC 160 also boasts of a semi-transparent windshield, ready to race graphics and RC 160 badging on side fairing. The unit spotted at the KTM showroom in Patna rides on black-coloured alloy wheels. However, it is likely to get a few more wheel colours including the signature Orange.
KTM had recently rolled out a new top-end variant of the Duke 160 with a 5-inch TFT screen and bonded glass. However, the RC 160 misses out on this premium feature and instead comes equipped with a LCD instrument cluster. The Smartphone can be paired with the LCD unit through Bluetooth while there is a switchgear to operate it. The inclusion of rear set footpegs and clip-on handlebars sum up the styling of the RC 160.
KTM bikes in India have always been feature rich and the RC 160 is no different as it is packed with a plethora of bells and whistles in the form of dual-channel ABS, split seat, hazard switch, ABS modes (Road & Supermoto), underbelly exhaust, front and rear disc brakes, USD front forks, 17-inch wheels, trellis frame, monoshock rear suspension and LED tail lamps.
At the heart, KTM RC 160 houses the same tried-and-trusted 164.2cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled petrol engine as the Duke 160. It develops top power of 18.7 bhp at 9500 rpm and peak torque of 15.5 Nm at 7500 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. It will become the most powerful fully-faired 160cc motorcycle upon launch in the Indian market.
