– New details revealed
– Spotted undergoing test for pillion comfort
– Official debut might take place in early 2024
After KTM’s upcoming RC 990 sportbike was spotted testing for the first time in January, the motorcycle was recently sighted once again. The fresh spy shots reveal some interesting details about the motorcycle.
One important aspect we can clearly observe is that the RC 990 offers a committed yet decently comfortable riding position, unlike its potential rivals like the Ducati Panigale V2 which are fairly unforgiving. Also, going by the presence of a passenger on the test mule, KTM has certainly been testing it for practicality in terms of pillion comfort. A closer look at the spy shots reveals that the pillion footrest was bolted onto a mesh-like panel with multiple slots, probably to experiment with different pillion footpeg positions.
While the RC 990 sports a chrome-molybdenum tubular main frame, the sub-frame is of aluminium type and it’s bolted on to the chassis. Moreover, the aluminium swingarm boasts a banana-like shape, unlike the conventional design of the unit seen on the 990 Duke’s test mule. As for the rest of the cycle parts, the motorcycle seemingly incorporates Brembo brakes and a WP Apex fully-adjustable suspension setup. A closer scrutiny of the pictures also shows a full-colour TFT dash which is designed differently than the unit on the existing 890 Duke.
The test mule of the RC 990 looks far from being production-ready which indicates that its official debut will only take place around late 2023 or early 2024. As for its India launch, it’s difficult to comment on that as of now because the Austrian brand has not been introducing big bikes in its India portfolio for a while.