KTM Announce RC390 Cup Series For America; Will It Come To India?

Austrian two-wheeler manufacturer, KTM has been in partnership with Bajaj Auto for a while now. Under the partnership they have created entry-level motorcycles like Duke 125, Duke 200 and Duke 390 in the naked bike category. They recently launched their fully-faired sportbikes, the RC125, RC200 and RC390.

Now MotoAmerica and AMA have announced the inaugural year of KTM RC390 Cup Series. There will be five race events organised by the Austrian manufacturer. The schedule of 2015 AMA MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup is as follows:

• Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. on 29th to 31 of May, 2015
• Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. on 12th to 14th of June, 2015
• Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah on 26th to 28th of June, 2015
• Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. on 17th to 19th of July, 2015
• New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J. on 11th to 13 of September, 2015

2015 KTM RC390 is built in India and is then exported to several markets including U.S.A. it is powered by the following:

Single cylinder 373.2cc, 4-stroke water cooled engine does duty in the RC390. This motor is capable of producing 43 horsepower, along with 35 Nm of peak torque output. The engine is mated to a 6-speed, claw-shifted transmission.

The race-spec KTM RC390 will be devoid of electricals and several other equipment to make it even lighter than it currently is. The Austrian manufacturer could also provide a slipper clutch to assist smooth downshifts for novice riders. This series is aimed to provide a racing opportunity to everyone, who believe they have the skill to tame a two-wheeled beast.

Currently Yamaha, Honda and TVS organise their ‘One Make Race' in India. Yamaha offers its YZF-R15 Version 2.0 for track racing, while Honda provides its Twister, Stunner, CBR150R and CBR250R for its own One Make Race. Indian based manufacturer TVS provides its Apache range for competition.

KTM on the other hand organises its own race event called ‘Orange Day'. The organisers prepare a specially designed track for owners to have competitive fun. Last year they organised a track day for Duke 390 owners at the Buddh International Circuit. We believe it was a test by KTM to see if they could organise a full fledged racing event in India.

In our opinion, it would be great if KTM could introduce their RC390 or RC200 Cup Series in India. This could prove a great opportunity for aspiring Indian race enthusiasts. They could also pick up talent from these events and provide them with an opportunity to compete at international events.