2022 KTM RC 390 review, first ride 

KTM has finally launched the new 2022 RC 390 that uses the same motor with some improvements to create a much more well rounded motorcycle

The all-new KTM RC 390 has been a long time coming, while the rest of the KTM family had already got significant updates over the course of the last few years, there track weapon had been sorely in need of a come up. Pandemics, chip shortages and supply line disruptions meant that the wait just kept getting longer. Now though that has alll changed and how! The 2022 KTM RC 390 is here, and it’s a brand new motorcycle based around the same engine, and all of it atleast on paper points to a more mature, well rounded motorcycle that combines the scalpel like nature of the previous gen with a more tractable and accesible demenour. We headed out to Bajaj’s test track outside Pune to put their claims to the test.

Before we jump into our review, let's start talk a little bit about the way it looks. For 2022 the RC 390, is a rampant departure from its predecessor, ditching the sharp edgy design in favour of a more rounded design language, that we’ve seen on the newer generations of KTMs. From the time we got our first look at the bike, keyboard racers on the interwebs have been on about how it looks and why the older one looked objectively better and more like the track tool that it is.

First of all, puhleese!

While the older bike did push the bounds of what we call a safe design, this new motorcycle looks more modern and compact. Add to that the new orange and blue MotoGP inspired livery, and you have a bike that grabs eyeballs quicker than a celebrity spawn of drugs. And let’s be honest, you’re interested in a track-bred middle-weight to ride to work, so that’s what you wanted all along.