For almost a decade, the alleged family KTM 490 It has been little less than a myth inside the two wheels. A project called to fill a strategic vacuum between 390 and 790, backed by Austrian experience in sports motorcycles and weight partners such as Bajaj and Cfmoto.
The truth is that the RC 490 It would have commercial logic: it would cover a displacement vacuum, would take advantage of the experience of Cfmoto and offered young pilots a sports aspirational within the A2 card. Time will say if this prototype is the beginning of a new era for KTM In the half displacement, or simply another chapter in the long novel of the “Ghost 490”.
Yes, his path has been everything but straight: announced plans, cancellations, resurrections and new cancellations made him an endless story. Now, recent filtered images put gas back on the fire. The enigmatic RC 490 has been seen in the test phase, which suggests that the expected intermediate jump of KTM is falling.
The first time KTM He talked openly about a family of half -displacement bicilindricas was in 2019. At that time, up to five models were announced with the emblem “490”: Adventure, Duke, SMC R, SM T and the sports RC itself. The play had all the meaning of the world, because the jump between the well -known 390 monocylindrical and the 790 two cylinders left a emptiness too large. In addition, the alliance with Bajaj It allowed to develop and produce these large -scale motorcycles in India, as is the case with small 125, 250 and 390.
But the dream twisted. The high costs of development of a 500 cc bicylinder caused the project to cool, and KTM He reoriented his resources towards a future engine of greater capacity, the so -called “690” of about 650 cc. Officially, range 490 was parked in 2023.
The surprise has now arrived, with new images that show a sporty fairing clearly inspired by the future 990 RC R.although in compact format and equipped with a parallel bicylindrical engine of about 450 cc. Thus, everything indicates that KTM has found a shortcut to relive project 490. Now, take advantage of the technology of Cfmotohis Chinese partner.
All the secrets of the future KTM RC 490
The key is in the propeller. The engine that equips this prototype coincides with what already use the CFMOTO 450SR, 450NK and 450mta modern Twin with a 270 degree draft that delivers to 50 hp in their current versions.
In addition, the motorcycle hides other “winks” to the Chinese brand: the tilting monobrazo seems identical to that of the 450SR-Rlike the side easel, the strokes and the gear lever. Even multitubular chassis remembers the employee in the sports range of Cfmoto.
It would not be the first time that both companies exchange technology. In fact, the CFMOTO 800MT borrowed the base of the KTM 790 Adventurewhich shows that this collaboration is round trip.
The return of the RC 490 It is no accident. The sports segment of between 400 and 500 cc is in full boiling and KTM He knows that he cannot stay out and, if everything fits, he could produce these motorcycles in China with Cfmotowhile developing in parallel with Bajaj a larger bikeride for other ranges.
