- KTM RC 990 sportbike spied testing in Spain
- Seems to share a lot of components with the 890 Duke
- Official unveil expected to take place by late 2023
KTM was recently spied testing what looks like the all-new RC 990 sportbike. Although it shares a bunch of components with the existing 890 Duke, the displacement will reportedly be increased, as will be the case with the Duke in the near future.
Visually, the motorcycle seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from KTM’s RC 8C track bike that was limited to just 100 units all of which were sold out within five minutes last year. There’s a curvy front end with a small opening at the centre for a projector headlamp. The fairing design looks somewhat like KTM’s RC16 MotoGP motorcycle. Having said that, it’s difficult to decipher its styling at the moment since the body panels are far from being production-ready.
The chassis of the RC 990 looks similar to that of the 890 Duke. Although the engine too seems to have been borrowed from the naked bike, certain elements like the engine casing, swingarm and exhaust set up look unique to the RC. The motorcycle was reportedly undergoing testing alongside the Ducati Panigale V2 which is mostly being used as the performance benchmark. Moreover, the RC 990 test mule appeared to have Brembo Stylema brake calipers with cooling ducts and WP Apex forks at the front.
Going by the extent of development with the RC 990, KTM is unlikely to launch the motorcycle any time before late 2023. Interestingly, we might see the new 990 Duke being unveiled before the RC.
