The KTM RC390 is easily the fastest and the most performance-oriented motorcycle in its price segment. In essence, it’s a fully-faired sibling of the 390 Duke, which means you get a really high-strung engine and sorted dynamics along with the additional benefit that comes from a fairing. The RC390 is quicker and faster than most of its direct rivals. But what happens when it engages in a high-speed drag battle with a pricier, twin-cylinder motorcycle like the Yamaha R3? Here’s a video –
The video starts with the two motorcycles riding rather sedately to the starting point of the race. You can start watching the video at 0:49 seconds to skip to the start of the race. In the first race, the uploader of this video rides the Yamaha R3. From the looks of it, both the motorcycles seem to be neck-to-neck in the initial part of the race. The KTM RC390, however, starts overtaking the R3 around 100 KMPH. Soon, the RC390 is ahead of the Yamaha and establishes a decent lead.
The gap between the two motorcycles widens as speeds rise. Both the motorcycles max out at roughly 175-177 KMPH. For the next round, the riders exchange their machines. In the second round, the RC390 manages to overtake the R3 much earlier than before. Even in this round, the RC390 establishes a decent lead over the R3. Both the motorcycles max out at roughly 178 KMPH. The Austrian motorcycle is the clear winner here.
While the outcome of these races isn’t surprising, what’s interesting is the lead that the RC390 manages to establish over the R3. Both the motorcycles seem to have an identical top speed. The R3’s 325cc, twin-cylinder engine outputs 41.4 bhp, which is slightly lower than the RC390’s max. power of 43 bhp. Also, the 373cc, single-cylinder engine of the KTM RC390 offers 36 Nm, which is substantially higher than the 29.6 Nm that the R3 has on offer. Moreover, the RC390 achieves its max. power-torque at significantly lower engine speeds, which is another factor that helps it have a huge lead over the R3. Ultimately, the KTM RC390, which costs Rs 2.34 lakh (ex-showroom), turns out to be much quicker than the much costlier Yamaha R3 (Rs 3.48 lakh).
Video courtesy – Ayush Verma on Youtube
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