1701 RF final

SMALL
IS THE NEW
BIG
We are all about big capacity bikes that produce massive
amounts of power and torque, but what about the smaller
siblings to those big bikes? There are a few great options out
there so we decided to highlight them. Words: Wim Edge & Daniel Harry
In the pursuit of speed and power we
often forget where it all started. Maybe
in the back yard on a PW50, or was it
on your way to school with a 125 scoot?
What about the moment when a Sportbike
blasted by, leaving you speechless? When
exactly did the bug bite? For quite a couple
of recent years there were no exciting small
bikes for sale on the market. There was
nothing that could make a kid or beginner
rider’s heart race. Luckily this situation has
changed somewhat over late times and
We tested the KTM RC125
and 390 back in 2015 with
Brad and Darryn Binder. Not
bad test riders hey?
that is great news for the future of biking in
general. Featured here we have a couple of
examples of hot small bikes available on the
SA market today.
KTM RC 125 and RC 390
Through the years KTM have spoilt us
with an orange machine in each category
of biking, and even at entry level they
have nailed it once again. As always the
Austrians delivered high build quality and
great performance. KTM have never been
subtle when it comes to styling and the
RC’s carry the image forward. The orange
powder coated trellis frame does not only
look good but it plays a key role in the
handling setup of these bikes. It is only
fair that the above mentioned excellence
also reflects in the price. The RC 125 in
particular is not what one would call cheap.
Personally I think if licence restriction is not
an issue that the extra R15 000 for the RC
390 will be money well spent as it has more
than double the power of the RC 125.
KTM 125 Duke and 390 Duke
So you like KTM as a brand but the fairing
look doesn’t excite you that much? Well no
problem. KTM styled these two bikes on
the same drawing board as their big Duke
and Super Duke siblings. The same rules
apply when it comes to build quality and
overall feel. Great in-house alternative to the
RC series.
KTM RC125 R52 999
125cc single, 15hp @10500rpm • 12nm@8000rpm
125kg dry • 0-100kph=8sec - max speed=135kph
KTM RC390 R67 999
373cc single, 43hp @9500rpm • 35nm@7250rpm
147kg dry • 0-100kph=6sec, max speed=168kph
KTM 125 DUKE R48 999
125cc single, 15hp @10500rpm • 12nm@8000rpm
125kg dry • 0-100kph=8sec - max speed=125kph
KTM RC390 R63 999
373cc single, 43hp @9500rpm • 35nm@7250rpm
147kg dry • 0-100kph=6sec, max speed=160kph
62 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017