Laid out like KTM’s Moto3 racer, the RC 390 has a lightweight tubular steel frame, aluminium swingarm and WP suspension - chunky non-adjustable 43mm upside forks up front and a single shock, adjustable for preload at the rear.
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Although relatively stiffly sprung the damping at both ends is soft, especially at the rear but it makes for a comfortable ride and combined with its light weight (just 147kg dry) it’s easy for the less experienced to jump on and ride the wheels off it, which is what the RC390 is all about.
It’s perfect for learning the art of cornering and there’s always something electrifying about riding a small bike to its limit that you just don’t get on a bigger, more powerful machine. The key to peddling the KTM quickly is to maintain momentum through corners, brake as little as possible (just as well - the single disc set-up lacks power), hold your breath and flick it on to its side.
Despite its bouncy set-up the chassis is composed, there’s lots of ground clearance and things never get out of control, even when you’re bouncing off the kerbs on track. It’s only when you want to flick from side to side quickly you wish the suspension had slightly more control - something KTM addressed with the limited edition (500 built) RC 390R, which had fully-adjustable WPs.
Controls are smooth and light and it’s easy to thread through traffic but ride the KTM a long way and you wish the bars weren’t quite so low and that the seat didn’t have all the cushioning of concrete. Fitting a more comfortable perch is a must if you’re going to do big miles, which it’s perfectly long-legged enough to do. On the flip side, those bars are set wide and the tall seat gives you lots of legroom, which makes it ideal for taller riders.
Aside from the front disc diameter growing 20mm to 320mm, which didn’t improve braking power by much, the chassis was left unchanged for its light 2017 refresh, which when compared to the new and improved 390 Duke of that year, made the RC 390 feel old and refined at a stroke.
