KTM 125 Duke

The RC125 appeals to the young generation (or the young at heart). Even if you’ve been riding for over 30 years, rewind the clock to your first bike. If it was a small capacity machine, you’ll know the fun they can be…

The RC is powered by the same lump that’s in the 125 Duke – a water-cooled, 4-stroke single cylinder – and it’s certainly got some poke. In fact it’s right at the top of the power restriction for those with an A1 licence at 15bhp. Power delivery is smooth, and working up the six gears, either through sound and feel, or using the handy gear shift indicator, there are no uncomfortable vibrations – even at the top of the rev counter.

KTM has built a partnership with the third largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world – Indian company Bajaj – working together to produce the bikes in the range under 400cc, which includes the Duke 125 and 390. After being built, all the bikes then go through Austria for quality assurance and distribution.

KTM-RC125-029The commitment from KTM is obvious: “Just because it has a smaller capacity, doesn’t mean it takes less of a priority than any of our other models.” The company is actively investing in products for a new generation of riders, and wants to give them the best they can, transferring some of the learnings from the flagship models such as the Super Duke and Adventure onto the RC. The suspension is a good example – the RC is fitted with WP upside down (USD) forks with the same 43mm outer tube diameter as the RC8 R.

Compared to KTM’s 125 Duke, the RC has a stiffer spring inside the fork to give it more of a supersport feel, and the stroke has been reduced from 150mm to 125mm. The rear shock has 150mm of travel, and features adjustable preload – for me the standard set-up was fine, with the bike sagging slightly when I jumped aboard.

The steering head angle has been steepened to 66.5° to give more ground clearance when leaning round corners, less trail and a shorter wheelbase. The result is playful handling with increased agility.

Stopping power is provided by a four piston radially bolted caliper on the front, and a single piston caliper on the rear, developed in cooperation with Brembo. The bike features Bosch ABS as standard too.

KTM didn’t want the functional items required for riding the bike on the road to interfere with the overall look of the machine, and intended to replicate the look of the RC’s racing counterparts. You’ll find the LED indicators cleverly hidden in the mirrors, and the tail-light positioned under the rear seat cowl. Sharp styling is key and of course it features those eye catching orange wheel rims that you’ve come to expect on the KTM machines. There are some innovative touches, like the pillion seat which looks like a solo seat cowl unit but is made from rubber. The chunky 150mm rear tyre provides good grip, and viewing the bike from behind, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s packing more than 124cc under those fairings.