Ever since its 2012 launch in India, KTM have stormed the Indian motorcycle market with positive remarks from motorcycling enthusiasts who loved the Duke 200 and the recent Duke 390 for their hard bound packaging of performance and style decorated with an affordable price tag. The solid and naked design, and the miraculous power and handling capabilities shot at the performance bikers in India make the Dukes stand out in the front line when it comes to affordable performance bikes.
While we wait eagerly for the launch of the RC390 and the RC200 in India, Stefan Pierer, the CEO of the KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG has given bikers in India a small tit bit of information to speculate on. The KTM CEO has confirmed that they are planning to roll out parallel twin engines in the range of 500 to 800 cc in the next three to four years and these engines in all probability will be made in India so as to keep manufacturing costs down and also avoid the complicated high import duty structure of India.
It is evident that India is a rapidly evolving market for bike manufacturers, and as such, KTM have practically unlimited plans for the market. The move to bring in the 500 cc and 800 cc KTM engines in India is a proof for the same. Pierer also said that they are planning to roll out a machine in the off-roading platform, while the only details given are that the bike will have the same engines, but with a different geometry, hence making it a new bike under the KTM family. Expect these to be the enduro/off-roading/supermoto versions that we have been hearing a lot about. He also went on to confirm that the much awaited RC series, the RC200 and the RC390 will be launched in India somewhere in mid 2014.
The decision to produce the 500cc and 800cc engines in India by the Austrian manufacturer is a move that can prove to be a stepping stone in bringing a number of affordable performance bikes on Indian roads. The manufacturer exports its products from the country already, and they are expecting to export over one lakh products in the next three years. KTM’s positive move with a number of surprises to offer the Indian market is definitely the next big thing to pump the blood of the adrenaline junkies out here waiting to roll in style and power.
