ktm motorcycles malaysia Archives

Why You Should Trade Up To a KTM RC 200!

KTM Malaysia is having a special campaign called aspiRC Trade Up that is designed to give you better value for your current bike when you trade it in for a RC 200.

You just have to bring in your current motorcycle and KTM will give you RM2,000 more than the current market value of your bike.

So for example, if the market value of your bike is at RM5,000, KTM Malaysia will give you RM7,000 for it.

With that, you do not have to worry about losing money on your old bike and having to fork out a higher down payment. KTM Malaysia is essentially sorting that out for you, so all you have to do now is visit your closest KTM dealership and talk to the sales team there.

So there has never been a better time to trade up to a KTM RC 200.

The RC 200 may have been around for a while already, but it has been continuously improved and enhanced and yet it remains as one of the most exciting bikes in its class.

Some have criticized its design but none in its class have such functional, race inspired aesthetics. The design of the RC 200 follows the RC16 MotoGP race bike where the front provides positive aerodynamics that makes the bike more efficient as it cuts through the air.

And just like the race bike, the bodywork has been specifically designed to be easily dismantled and reinstalled. This is very much in line with KTM’s tagline – “Ready to Race”.

The riding position of the RC 200 is also spot on. Aggressive enough for corner carving and yet comfortable enough for daily use. To ensure this, the handlebars are adjustable. As compared to previous models, the handlebars are now positioned 15mm higher than before for better posture which makes the bike more comfortable for long distance riding, especially for your shoulders and wrists. But you can also drop the handlebars by up to 10mm when you want to ride your favourite track.

The KTM RC 200 will particularly appeal to those who like a nimble handling bike. With adjustable WP Suspension, the rear monoshock can be adjusted for pre-load to your preference.

The RC 200 was redesigned in 2022, and part of the redesign efforts focused on the front of the bike. This redesign resulted in a lighter front end with most of the weight of the bike focused on the center. For example, the wheels too have been lightened by 3.4kg and this results in lesser rolling resistance, providing for better acceleration and easier corner entry. All this clever engineering resulted in better weight management that ultimately contributed to lighter and more agile handling.

Top speed is another aspect that comes under occasional criticism. Rated at 137km/h, top speed is good enough for highway cruising without compromising on comfort and safety, which is ultimately what is important for KTM. And besides, the bike has racing in its DNA, and we all know that a race is won in corners and not in a straight line.

But most importantly, the RC 200 is the most powerful in the 200cc range of bikes. It partially achieves this through the clever use of a larger airbox that is 40% bigger than its rivals. This is important for power production, as the more air that goes in, the better the engine breathes, and you get better power delivery.

However, the RC 200 is not all about performance alone. It is also a friendly commuter if you so wish. The volume of the fuel tank for example has been increased to 13.7-litres from 9.5-litres before. This gives it better range which means that you can also go touring with your riding buddies if you wanted to.

But buying a RC200 is one part of the journey, owning it over a couple of years is a completely different thing. And this is where the RC 200 excels again. With most bikes in its class having a short service interval, the RC 200 has a service interval of 5000km. This is perfect for those who are looking to trade up to a sports bike from a moped as it will provide for longer service intervals and thus making the RC 200 easier on the wallet over the long term.

All of the above does not matter though if the RC 200 did not prioritise safety. You can have a fast bike but what is the point of that if it did not stop as fast? Providing stopping duties are a pair of four piston ByBre calipers.

Provided by legendary brakes manufacturer Brembo (hence the name, By-Brembo), a four-piston caliper grip a single 320mm disc up front while a single-piston caliper manages a 230mm disc at the rear.

The big discs are great for heat management, which means that you can have some serious fun with the RC 200 without worrying about brake fade. And if you are the type that likes to brake late and hard, you will be happy to know the RC 200 comes with dual-channel ABS provided by Bosch.

Not only that, the RC 200 also has a Supermoto mode that lets you switch off ABS-interference and slide the rear wheel. A slipper clutch is also on duty to help you manage the rear wheel.

Now with the KTM aspiRC campaign, this is the best time for you to fulfil your aspirations of owning an RC 200.

Reviewed: KTM Duke 200 and RC200 – The Fun Loving Siblings!

When it comes to big fun on two-wheels, KTM is one of the best at it. Most of the bikes it makes has some racing pedigree, with the brand dabbling in major race series the world for as long as most of us can remember.

And it is through everything that it learns in its racing endeavors that it makes some of the best bikes in the business. And the great thing about the KTM brand is that it has a bike for every budget and riding preference.

Take the two models seen here for example. Priced at RM13,888, the Duke 200 is the smallest sibling of the Supermoto range of KTM bikes. Those in the know will understand that when it comes to supermotos, KTM is arguably the best at it.

On the other hand, the RC200 is priced at RM15,888 and despite sporting a full fairing, it shares the basics with the Duke 200 such as the engine, the electronics, the suspension and the braking system. But it offers a very different riding style as compared to its naked sibling. In these two bikes, there’s something to satiate two very different riding preferences.

Powering both bikes is a 200cc, single-cylinder engine making 26hp and 19.5Nm of torque. Now that may not sound like a lot of power, but it is the way the power is delivered that makes a huge difference.

Almost all that power is made at the upper end of the RPM band and that gives the engine a rev happy character. Both bikes need to be truly strung up to be fully enjoyed and it is not that difficult to do that thanks to a slick-shifting 6-speed gearbox.

The Duke 200 features a close ratio gearbox while the ratios on the RC200 are a little higher. That and different engine tuning gives both bikes different characters.

The Duke 200 for starters feels like the naughtier one of the two siblings. It’s upright Supermoto-like sitting position adds to the drama it offers. It has a purposeful feel to it. Like it is always ready to take on the tightest of corners at your favorite track.

It also comes with two riding models – Road for regular everyday road riding and a Supermoto mode as well. And because the bike comes with a twin-channel ABS system with braking duties managed by ByBre calipers, this mode basically limits ABS intervention at the rear wheels. And this allows the rider to lock up and slide the rear wheel into a corner. It is an amazingly fun feature for a bike with this price tag.

The suspension is made up of 43mm upside down forks provided by WP Suspension upfront and a WP monoshock at the rear, adjustable for pre-load. There really is no drama with the suspension system soaking up and having just the right amount and consistent dive. Giving it a very predictable, sporty yet comfortable riding character.

But what makes the bike truly fun and easy to ride is the fact that it is extremely lightweight – weighing in at just 140kg (dry). This was achieved by using high quality lightweight materials and a new split steel trellis frame that saves weight and adds rigidity.

The position of the exhaust too contributes to the nimble handling of the bike – making it a breeze to pick it up and drop it into corners all day long. The exhaust of the Duke 200 and RC200 has been placed at the very bottom of the bike, and it is a functional design. With most of the exhaust load placed at the bottom of the bike, this lowers the center of gravity and concentrates the weight at the bottom, making it easy for the rider to pick up the bike mid corner. Something like a pivot point.

Despite its sport character and aggressive design, the Duke 200 is surprisingly frugal. The fuel tank measures in at 13.4-liters, and in a real-world test during the few days that we had the bike, we saw a range of 360km. The official fuel consumption figure is rated at 13.4-litres per 100km, an astonishing feat considering that the Duke 200 is meant to be a fun naked sport bike.

But while the Duke 200 offers a naughtier approach to riding, the RC200 is more polished. The Duke 200 loves it when you manhandle it and chuck it in and out of corners, and perhaps wheelie your way into the next corner. The RC200 though prefers long sweeping corners with a transition to tight, hard corners.

The RC200 is a proper track day weapon, one that you can also ride daily to the office thanks to adjustable handlebars. The clip-on handlebars are 15mm higher than the previous generation models for a more comfortable ride. And at just the turn of a screw you can lower it by up to 10mm for a more aggressive sitting position ideal for track days or for a corner carving ride up the mountain.

The design of the bike is the first thing that attracts you. It looks like a proper sports bike and that is because it has been designed using the same CFD software as KTM uses to design its Moto3 race bikes.

Up front, the headlight and windshield look like they are part of a single element but are three individual components that house the halogen headlamp, the Daytime Running LED lights, and the turn signals. If you blacken it and stick on a number, it looks like the front of a race bike.

But it does not only look like a race bike, but that windshield also offers class-leading wind protection. Making the RC200 incredibly comfortable to ride even at high speeds, but yet looks menacing.

And that is the very essence of the RC200, a bike that does not only look like it was born on a track, but track life is why it was born in the first place. Everything else in between is just something the RC200 just happens to do and does it well.

Even the side mirrors are purposeful, having been specifically designed to be aerodynamic, the mirrors are also foldable to give the RC200 a slimmer profile which makes it easier to slice through traffic when needed.

But looks aside, the RC200 has some serious performance credentials identical to the Duke 200. It shares the same engine, the same suspension and even the same ByBre braking system with a Bosch 9.1 MB two channel ABS braking system.

And just like the Duke 200, the RC200 too comes with the same two riding modes. The Supermoto mode also manages ABS intervention and an experienced rider will enjoy locking up and sliding the rear of the bike on track days.

Adding to the joy of riding the RC200 is a new lightweight split trellis frame that is identical to the Duke 200, but this time it comes with a bolted on subframe that is said to add to the stiffness of the bike, letting the rider place it exactly where he wants it to be before and in a corner.

The RC200 is undoubtedly a proper entry level sport bike that will appeal to those looking to trade up from an underbone or simply looking for their first sport bike. But its sporting abilities aside, it also offers some decent practicalities such as the larger fuel tank that measures in at 13.7-litres and provides a range of over 400km in the right hands.

And that is the appeal of the Duke 200 and the RC200, sporting abilities with everyday practicalities. And this time, KTM Malaysia is also throwing in a free maintenance package that includes free engine oil, free labor and a free air filter worth RM1,237 until March 31st, making this the best possible time to get one if you are looking for a bike for some corner munching fun and for everyday practicality.

Specifications:

KTM Duke 200
Engine: 200cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke
Power: 26hp
Torque: 19.5Nm
Gearbox: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch
Suspension: WP Apex 43mm (front) WP Apex Monoshock (Rear)
Fuel tank: 13.4-litres

KTM RC 200
Engine: 200cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke
Power: 26hp
Torque:19.5Nm
Gearbox: 6-speed, claw shifted
Suspension: WP 43mm (front WP Apex Monoshock (Rear)
Fuel tank: 13.7-litres

New KTM 790 Duke now in Malaysia – Priced at RM64,800!

KTM Motorcycles Malaysia has officially announced the price of the new 790 Duke.
New 790 Duke offers the most bang for the buck when it comes to onboard features.
Features include cornering ABS, quickshifter +, colour TFT screen, traction control, and more!

After months of speculation, the day has finally arrived and KTM Motorcycles Malaysia has officially announced that the much awaited KTM 790 Duke is now available in Malaysia for an unbelievable RM64,800 with zero rated GST, excluding insurance and road tax.

Dubbed ‘The Scalpel’, the new 790 Duke continues on the success of its single-cylinder 690 Duke, this time powered by a new 799cc, LC8c DOHC, 8-valve, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine featuring a 75 degree crankpin offset. The offset was chosen to mimic the firing of order of its manic 1290cc 75-degree V-Twin big brother. KTM reverted to a parallel-Twin instead of a V-Twin for a more compact packaging, in aiming for better weight distribution and weight savings, hence a better power-to-weight ratio.

The new engine produces 105bhp at 9,000rpm and 87Nm of torque at 8,000rpm. It now features two balancer shafts to dampen vibration for a smoother ride.

The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox with KTM’s PASC power assist slipper clutch, that allows for ultra fast downshifting or decelerating without locking up the rear wheel, thus improving safety.

The new 790 Duke engine is then set in an all-new frame as a stressed member. The new frame comes with unique sections that have thinner-walls with molybdenum steel sections. KTM says the frame has a finely tuned rigidity distribution to offer the best possible sporty feel with maximum feedback to the rider.

A consequence of the new frame gives the 790 Duke an attribute which Malaysians will love: Its seat height is only at 825mm. It’s very light, too, weighing in at 169kg dry.

As for the suspension, the 790 Duke uses specially-developed WP 43mm open-cartridge upside-down forks up front with 140mm of stroke. The rear suspension is a gas-assisted WP shock absorber and adjustable for preload. A WP steering damper keeps front end movements in check.

Other than that, the aluminium triple clamp has been tuned to match the flex of the forks. Steering rake angle is at 24 degrees while trail measures in at 98mm. Note that those are sporty numbers for a nimble handling bike. As with all KTMs, the handlebar is adjustable in four positions.

As for the electronics, the 790 Duke features ride-by-wire technology (RBW), lean angle sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), cornering ABS, Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) for controlled engine braking, Quickshifter + for quicker up and downshifts with auto blip, and a full-colour TFT display with the optional KTM MY RIDE smartphone integration.

The new KTM 790 Duke is available in Malaysia as a CBU model and priced RM64,800 with 0% GST without insurance and road tax.

Read more about this awesome machine here.

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