New KTM 450 RC Vs 390 RC: Key Differences
The RC 390 shook the sports bike world upon debut. It had class-leading power, features, and handling, making Japanese rivals seem vanilla in comparison. Then, the competition slowly caught up, and KTM essentially neglected its baby sports bike for a few years. Now, though, Team Orange has officially rejoined the segment by showcasing its new 450 RC at the 2026 EICMA. It is an entirely new machine compared to the outgoing 390, and here are the key differences you need to know about.
Next-Gen Design That Will Turn Heads
It wouldn’t be a new bike if it didn’t look new. Thus, the 450 RC takes an entirely different design approach compared to the previous model. Now, there’s direct inspiration from the bigger 990 RC R, evident in the single headlight and angular bodywork. The fairings also house a set of aerodynamic wings, which are more for aesthetics than for purpose. These aren’t color-matched with the rest of the orange bodywork–just like on the 990 RC. Speaking of colors, we hope there are at least a couple of other options besides KTM’s staple.
Updated Cockpit With New Switchgear And TFT
Once you swing a leg over, the 450 RC continues to feel new. That’s because KTM uses its new 5-inch TFT here instead of the previous-gen unit. The display has an easy-to-use interface and high-quality graphics, and a lot of information about the motorcycle. Toggling through these is also easier than ever, courtesy of the new switchgear. All this comes straight from the 390 Duke, and as an owner of the new Duke, I can vouch for the quality. These are backlit, too.
Six-Axis IMU-Aided Electronic Aids Join The Party
Coming to electronics, KTM has confirmed the new 450 RC will feature a six-axis IMU and ride-by-wire. This unlocks modern safety aids like cornering ABS, cornering traction control, dual-channel ABS with Road and Supermoto modes, and ride modes. We also see a cruise control button on the switchgear, hinting at its presence.
Meanwhile, you can expect launch control, bidirectional quickshifter, and wheelie control to be part of the Track package sold separately. The cockpit view also reveals a steering damper–a rarity in the segment. The previous-gen RC was much simpler in comparison, offering just a quickshifter, traction control, and ABS.
Revamped Riding Position
The 450 RC promises to seat you differently than the 390 RC. That’s because all the touchpoints are different here. The footpegs have new aluminum mounts, the saddle looks flatter, and the handlebar appears wider than before. These bars mount on a new triple clamp with hollow cutouts to lower the weight. Also new are the clutch and brake levers, and they have new attachments to the handlebar. They are adjustable like the previous model, but the way of adjustment is new (as seen on the 390 Duke.
A New Twin-Cylinder Engine
Since its inception over a decade ago, the baby RC has had a single-cylinder engine. Particularly, the 373cc liquid-cooled mill with ~43 horsepower. For the updated model, the RC is now going the two-cylinder way. It will debut a new parallel-twin powerhouse, expected to be around the 450cc cubic capacity mark.
The output and other details remain under wraps, although we do know the Chinese model–the 490 RC–has about 55 HP and a top speed of just under 124 mph. If the Western version is close to this, it’d lead the 400-500cc class, beating rivals like the Honda CBR500R, Kawasaki Ninja 500, Aprilia RS 457, and CFMoto 450SS.
Trellis Chassis With An Updated Subframe
Housing the engine is a familiar trellis chassis structure that KTM has always favored. Yes, that puts the 450 slightly on the back foot against the twin-spar aluminum chassis-equipped Aprilia RS 457, but we all know KTM usually nails the handling side of things. Joining the trellis structure is a visibly new cast metal subframe. We’ve seen KTM use this setup in its new 390 Duke, too. The previous RC used to have a tubular trellis main frame and tubular subframe, in case you’re curious.
A Rare Single-Sided Swingarm
Yes, you read that right. The production-ready 450 RC shown at the EICMA features a single-sided swingarm. Not only is it rare by entry-level segment standards (no 400-500cc bike has this in the US), but such a setup is rare in the middleweight or liter-class segment as well. Even KTM’s own 990 RC R missed out on it. Thus, this feels like a big step up from the 390 RC, although the riding benefits and weight penalty remain to be seen.
WP Monobloc Brakes Instead Of ByBre
Unlike the chassis and swingarm, the suspension is similar to the outgoing model from the limited information we have. Up top are new 43 mm WP Apex USD forks that provide compression and rebound adjustment. At the rear is a WP Apex monoshock offering preload and rebound adjustment. The discontinued 390 model had a similar adjustability for its WP suspension.
The big difference, though, comes to the braking. The front ByBre caliper has made way for the WP monobloc unit, which continues to work in tandem with a single disc brake. A closer look also reveals a new front brake master cylinder at the top. A new set of 17-inch wheels–which possibly help shed weight–are present as well.
Source: KTM
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