KTM RC 490 Officially Confirmed!

• KTM confirms RC 490 and RC 790
• Bajaj-KTM co-developing a small twin platform
• Launch expected towards the end of 2027

KTM plans to focus on the low to mid-size supersport segment with two new motorcycles already under development, as revealed by the brand’s CEO in one of his recent interviews. One of these two upcoming bikes that has specifically caught our attention is the mention of the RC 490 in the interview. This is likely to be based on the small-size, twin-cylinder platform that is being co-developed by Bajaj-KTM in India.

Now, KTM already has a twin-cylinder RC 450 in China. However, the one mentioned above is certainly not the same motorcycle. You see, the Chinese RC 450 is made in association with the two-wheeler giant CFMoto. It is based on the latter’s 450SR-S model and is unlikely to be available anywhere outside of China.

While KTM has not shared any technical details yet, the RC 490 might sit between the existing RC 390 and the upcoming 790 RC in the brand’s supersport lineup. We also expect the new 490 range to replace the existing 390 lineup globally at a later stage, as it doesn’t make sense to sell bikes with two different engine capacities and largely similar output figures in the same segment. That said, KTM may continue to sell the 350cc-powered 390 range in India as more affordable offerings, while positioning the upcoming 490 range as a more premium, refined, and performance-oriented upgrade for existing 390 owners.

Now, it remains to be seen whether KTM will debut its new twin platform with a naked streetfighter or a supersport. KTM says its expanding supersport lineup will draw heavily from the company’s MotoGP experience, building on the recently unveiled 990 RC R and 990 RC R Track. Although the Austrian manufacturer has not announced a launch timeline for the RC 490 yet, we have learnt in the past that the bikes based on this new platform are expected to arrive globally by late 2027.