The 160 Duke came in as a replacement for the erstwhile 125 Duke, and we were also expecting an RC iteration of the 160 Duke. Now an image of the RC160 has surfaced on the internet. Here’s a breakdown of all the things we see.
1. RC 160 features similar livery as the RC 200
2. It will share its engine and fundamentals with the 160 Duke
3.The 160 Duke engine produces 19hp and 15.5Nm
KTM RC 160 leaked: What to expect?
The RC 160 will rival the Yamaha R15
A right side-profile shot of the RC 160 has surfaced online, when compared to the RC 200 that’s on sale, it has a few subtle differences but there are also a lot of similarities. Starting with the livery, it looks nearly identical to the RC 200’s Black colour. Even the headlight and taillight have been plucked right off the RC 200.
Talking about the differences, It gets a rear tyre-hugger, a shorter rear number plate holder, a pillion grab rail. The chassis, suspension and tank looks similar but there are a few engine differences that give away the fact that this is indeed the 160cc engine from KTM. The exhaust, the mid-pipe look quite similar to the 160 Duke, although in this application, it gets a blacked out look.
Moving on to the engine specifications, it will be powered by the same engine as the 160 Duke – a 164.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that is based on the 200 Duke’s unit, producing 19hp at 9,500rpm and 15.5Nm at 7,500rpm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
This will help the smallest RC to take better on the Yamaha R15. The Achilles heel of the erstwhile RC 125 was that it couldn’t match the outright performance that the R15 offered. Now with the RC160, the power figures are similar. Upon launch, it will serve as an entry-point in the RC family.
The RC 160 could be priced slightly higher than the 160 Duke. For reference, the 160 Duke starts at Rs 1.71 lakh. We expect the RC 160 to launch in the coming months.
Image Source: Bikewale
