The RC 160 will be the entry-level fully-faired supersports motorcycle from KTM in the Indian market
KTM RC 160 was spotted testing undisguised last month on the Indian roads. We had told you that the all-new entry-level fully-faired supersports motorcycle will be launched in early 2026 in India. Now, the clear images of the RC 160 have emerged on the internet ahead of the official debut. KTM RC 160, the faired twin of the Duke 160, will lock horns with the Yamaha R15 in the domestic market in India. It will be the brand’s entry-level fully-faired model as the RC 125 was discontinued in April 2025 in the country.
The leaked images reveal that KTM RC 160 gets familiar design as the other fully-faired bikes in the brand portfolio in India. The fairing seems to be borrowed from the RC 200. Some of the notable elements include signature KTM LED headlamp setup with LED DRL, two-piece stepped seat, polygonal rear-view mirrors, tall windshield, and a compact rear profile.
It could be presented with a 5-inch TFT display, which was recently introduced with the Duke 160. The bonded glass instrument panel comes with an array of features such as Bluetooth connectivity, Turn-by-turn navigation and Incoming calls notification. KTM could also offer a new switch cube, with 4-way menu switches to operate this TFT display and perform various functions.
The RC 160 is likely to share cycle parts with the Duke 160. The suspension duties could be helmed by WP-sourced inverted front forks and monoshock rear absorbers. The stopping power will come from disc brakes at both the ends, along with a dual-channel ABS. Sitting on the trellis frame, it shares the 17-inch lightweight alloy wheels with the Duke 160.
At the heart, the RC 160 gets the same 164.2cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled petrol engine which develops top power of 18.7 bhp at 9500 rpm and peak torque of 15.5 Nm at 7500 rpm. The engine will come paired to a 6-speed gearbox. It will become the most powerful 160cc fully-faired motorcycle in the Indian market upon launch by leaving behind the likes of Yamaha R15 and TVS Apache RTR 160.
KTM launched the Duke 160 in Aug 2025 in the Indian market at a sticker price of Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). However, the price was slashed by around Rs 14,000 next month to bring it down to Rs 1.71 lakh due to the introduction of GST 2.0 in the country. A few days back, a more premium version of the Duke 160 was launched at Rs 1.79 lakh (ex-showroom). KTM RC 160 price in India could be in the same ballpark as the Duke 160, except for a few thousands here and there.
