Is 2019 KTM The Ideal Beginner Sportsbike To Help Hone Your Riding Skills?

KTM’s track tool, the RC 125 has gotten more accessible. Is it the ideal beginner sportsbike to help hone your riding skills?

- Aditya Jadhav

When KTM launched the 125 Duke in India, it was a given that its fully-faired sibling will show up too. KTM India’s silent goodbye to the RC 200 also created space for the KTM RC 125. Not that it replaces the more powerful RC 200 directly, but in a way it does, as effectively it is the entry-level sports bike from KTM in India now. The RC 125 has been launched at a price of 1.47 lakh ex-showroom, which makes it an expensive proposition as an entry-level sports bike, more so as a 125cc machine. Does it live up to its sticker price? We rode the RC 125 at Bajaj Auto’s own test track near Pune to find out.

Styling

The RC 125’s design is largely the same let me rephrase that, the styling is exactly the same as we’ve seen on the RC 200 and older RC 390, both. But this time, the paint schemes on offer are orange and white schemes. The orange is vibrant while the white is low key. Overall paint quality is premium, also thanks to the choice of colours. Panel gaps are consistent and plastic bits are overlaid well. Walking towards the motorcycle didn’t feel very different as compared to walking up to my own motorcycle, which is an RC 390, and the 125 didn’t feel different when I hopped onto it either. That said, one of the first things I noticed was the lack of adjustable brake and clutch levers. The dashboard is largely the same though as the instrument cluster is the same LCD screen we’ve seen since KTM’s entry into the Indian market. Quality of the switchgear is excellent as well and is particularly impressive for a 125cc motorcycle.

Performance and rideability