The RCs—available in models RC 200 and RC 390—share the same engines as the very successful Duke series, which started gracing the streets of Nepal not too long ago. But what makes the RC twins stands out from its Duke peers is their racing DNA. And to determine how true the bikes were to their origin, I decided to get my hands on the twins and see for myself what all the hype was about.

Design

One thing that differentiates the RCs from the Dukes is the design. The RCs are fully faired super sport bikes whereas the Dukes are naked street bikes. The RCs feature a distinct look with their twin projector lights and DRL (Day-time Running Lamps) up front. The bikes have a sharp look to them. The side indicators are integrated in the mirrors to give them a clean and an elegant look. The exhaust is neatly tucked underneath the chassis.

The best part of the designing aspect is that the rear seat looks like a cowl but functions as a proper seat. The matte black covered seat is soft and comfortable.

Performance

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the RCs feature the same engine as the Dukes. So, both models produce the same amount of power and torque—but with a little tweaking. The Dukes do slightly edge out the RCs in terms of initial acceleration, but only for a short period of time. Because the RCs possess aerodynamically designed bodies, which more than comensate for the slower initial acceleration. In the 200 cc category, the RC felt like it had a more refined engine as the rev-up felt smoother and created less vibration. The RC 390, on the other hand, does vibrate when ridden in higher rpms. However, the RC 390 did feel slightly more tamed than the Duke 390. It didn’t have the same hooliganism of the Duke and its power was more manageable.

Handling

Now this is where the RCs excel the Dukes. As the RCs are track-focused bikes, precise handling is more important for the models, and the company certainly seems to have paid more attention to that. They shares the same trellis frame as the Dukes, but with some placement modification. The steering angle was changed and has been made steeper to improve the handling of the bike. So the bike takes corners with ease and is even more flickable in the traffic. To match its super sports styling, the bike gets a pair of low clip-on handle bars which are very different to the high single handle bar on the Duke. But while this makes handling easier, it makes it really hard for everyday use due to the aggressive positioning that a rider has to take up.

The front suspension has been adjusted and is now stiffer. Its travel is now limited to 125mm, while the Duke has 150mm of suspension travel. This improves the stability of the bike in corners and bumps. Just like in the Duke series, the RC 390 comes with sticky Metzeler Sportec M5 tyres and Bosch ABS system, while the RC 200 comes with an MRF tyre and is deprived of the ABS. You can clearly feel the lack of the Metzeler tyre in the RC 200.

Verdict

The new twins might share the same engine as the Dukes, but as soon as you get on an RC, you can feel a considerable difference between these two series. The RC twins give you a very different experience altogether.

But what concerns me is that the clip-on handle bars can be a bit painful in traffic and on long rides. It doesn’t just have the same practical usage as in the Duke. And I also wish that they would focus on the rider’s seat as well; it is thin and very lightly padded and will definitely make for painfully sore long rides.

And the restyling comes with another sacrifice. As opposed to the Duke’s 11-litre fuel tank, the RC’s tank only manages to squeeze in 10 litres.

While the changes made in the new models are significant in terms of looks and riding experience, the choice entirely depends on what kind of bike you prefer. If you are looking to get something that is capable of everyday usability and has enough power to thrill you, then the best option for you would be the Duke 200/390 or the RC 200. But if you want to sacrifice everyday usability for hardcore performance and an aggressive riding experience then RC390 is the bike for you.

Ride safe! Happy riding!