As if the KTM Duke 390 was not enough, Bajaj-KTM has once again rendered the other two-wheeler manufacturers in India absolutely helpless with the superb pricing of its RC390 sportbike. Other bikes in the ‘around two-lakh-rupee’ bracket were never in the game – the RC 390 has taken the fight straightaway to the more expensive twin-cylinder sportbikes from Hyosung and Kawasaki.
We have listed below the specs and price comparison between the current KTM flagship and the Ninja 300 R and the GT 250 R for you to see what exactly you get and how much you get it for…
| Specification | KTM RC 390 | Kawasaki Ninja 300 R | Hyosung GT 250 R |
| Engine | 373.2 cc, liquid-cooled single cylinder | 296 cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin | 249 cc, air and oil-cooled V-twin |
| Power | 43 bhp at 9,000 rpm | 38 bhp at 11,000 rpm | 28 bhp at 10,000 rpm |
| Torque | 35 Nm at 7,000 rpm | 27 Nm at 10,000 rpm | 22.07 Nm at 8,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed |
| Front Suspension | Upside down forks | conventional forks | Upside down forks |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock (adjustable for preload) | Monoshock (adjustable for preload) | Monoshock (adjustable for preload) |
| Front Brake | Single 300 mm disc | Single 290 mm disc | Twin 300 mm discs |
| Rear Brake | 230 mm disc | 220 mm disc | 230 mm disc |
| ABS | Yes | No | No |
| Weight (fully fueled) | 166 kg | 172 kg | 188 kg |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 260 bhp per tonne | 226 bhp per tonne | 149 bhp per tonne |
| Price (on-road, Delhi) | 2.27 lakh | 3.96 lakh | 2.95 lakh |
Despite carrying one cylinder less than the other two, it’s the RC here that makes the most power and churns out the most torque. Of course, it has more cubes but the Ninja and GT 250 R have no option but to look up in awe. The KTM is also the lightest in this company while Hyosung is the heaviest. The Korean also is the least powerful at 28 bhp. Plus, while the KTM and Kawasaki come with 6-speed gearboxes, the Hyosung makes do with a 5-speeder.
However, the GT 250R has something that the Ninja and the RC do not have – twin front discs. Now, I am not saying that a 28 bhp motorcycle necessarily needs twin rotors but it’s always good to have more stopping power. That being said, we would suggest Hyosung to skip one disc and provide ABS, and that’s something which is standard fitment on the RC 390 and, sadly, not even an option in the 4-lakh-rupee Ninja 300R. The Ninja also does not have upside down forks, which the other two bikes here very well do.
So, for a little over the price of a Ninja 300 R you can buy the KTM RC 390 for yourself and an RC 200 for your wife/girlfriend, or for the price of a GT 250 R, you can buy an RC 390 for yourself and present a Honda Shine to your father while still saving enough cash to take your wife/girlfriend to a five-star dinner… Case closed.
Related: RC390 Design Review: Explained With HD Video Walk-Around
