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The 2022 KTM RC 390 gets a premature reveal on KTM’s website

Maybe some intern mistakenly uploaded it on the site?

Earl Lee Earl Lee on Aug 04, 2021
KTM RC 390 Unofficial Reveal

There is no doubt that the KTM 390 series of bikes are popular. In terms of price to performance, the Austrian brand delivers on multiple fronts from its suspension, chassis, all the way to how its single-cylinder engine beats. 

It’s always big news when a new leak of a next-generation 390 series bike leaks. This time, it’s not a render nor is it a what-if, but rather it’s the real deal. This is what the new 2022 RC 390 will look like. 

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KTM RC 390 2022

While it may be “official,” the images are actually from KTM themselves. Perhaps some intern mistakenly uploaded it on the KTM website. Multiple media outlets reported about it as soon as it was seen. Following the little mishap, KTM site managers promptly removed it from the site. Even then, Team Orange was given no quarter, and the photos went on the internet and spread like wildfire. 

The supersport itself has a few improvements over the previous model. KTM ditched the pointy front and dual-projector setup found in the currently available first-generation RC 390, in favor of a more Duke-like or 1290 Adventure-like front end. You can tell that it is still a KTM, but it’s not as unique as it once was. The old RC 390 featured styling that wasn’t so unified with the rest of the model lineup, and predictably so because the model has been going strong for about a decade now. 

2022 KTM RC 390 Front

In addition to that, the new front fascia brings a single-unit reflector headlamp which we expect to be LED, carbon fiber fairings, integrated turn signals, and even a larger fuel tank. The problem that most owners had with the RC series of bikes was its tiny 9-liter tank. It looks like KTM sized up the tank quite a bit, and we have a feeling it’s now closer to 14 liters. The livery is also updated, no longer sporting just black, white, and orange. KTM’s MotoGP team is doing pretty well this season, so perhaps KTM thought that it would be nice to slap on some navy blue and orange. 

Also, it looks like the old calculator display will finally be replaced by the TFT that owners love to see on the 390 Duke and 390 Adventure series of bikes. Complementing that is a lean-sensitive ABS, traction control, and Bluetooth connectivity. We also expect the RC 200 to get an update, though, the aforementioned items might not be included. 

Firepower is supplied by the same 373cc single-cylinder engine with up to 44 hp and 37 Nm of torque. However, this new RC will get the Euro 5 engine of KTM, which is expected to be smoother, but no official figures have been released just yet, so the power and torque figures aren’t final at the moment. 

The global launch for this model could happen sometime this August 2021. While the worldwide reveal is expected soon, a Philippine launch might occur later in the year, or into 2022. Considering that KTM Philippines is a manufacturing hub for the ASEAN region, it may take some time for the plant to gear up. Either that, or they’re ready to race, and we just don’t know it yet. 

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