BEAUTY, they say, lies in the eyes of the beholder. This is to say that the whole appearance of an object is subjective, that it boils down to one’s personal tastes and preferences.
To some people, orange on a bike looks awful. To me, it looks outstanding. And looks will always play a huge part in turning something into an object of our desire.
Now take a good look at the KTM RC250. At those sleek lines, and sportbike aerodynamics. The distinctive orange-black theme wrapped in white fairings that accentuates a powerful and youthful image.
If you can excuse my vanity, it’s how I would describe myself.
Fortunately, the RC250 is not just about good looks. Underneath the make-up, the bike boasts the performance and specifications to match, in a way that even beginners like me can easily appreciate.
I discovered these qualities when I got hold of one on a weekend recently.
The first thing that hit me when I straddled the RC250 was how comfortable it was, despite the radical stance. Given the bike’s aggressive crouching tiger position, I was expecting some comfort issues riding it. But that wasn’t going to be the case.
The long and wet ride home to Puchong turned out to be a pleasant experience. No back pain, no strained arms, no pins and needles!
And despite its fierce looks, the RC250 purrs almost demurely, when you give the throttle a light twist. While it took me a while to get used to the previous test bike, the KTM’s handling is easy from the start.
The RC250 does not try to intimidate the rider. Instead, you get the feeling that it is trying to put you at ease, to be friendly. For a newbie, that cannot be appreciated more.
Make no mistake, though. The RC250 is no pussycat. The next day, on the open road and in improved weather, I discovered that it didn’t take much to wake up the beast within.
The first thing I noticed when we hit the highway was the power delivery. The RC250 dishes out power in a gradual and well-mannered way but it has plenty of that for its size.
It does not overwhelm you like, say, the 690 does (ok, I did go on a quick spin with that monster, too, the other day!) but, yes, breaking our highway’s speed limit can be child’s play for the RC250. I certainly won’t recommend it to my fellow B2 licence holders, though.
What I would recommend is to find some twisties in hills like Fraser’s or Bukit Tinggi and let this bike go.
For, when it comes to corners and bends, I find the 250 absolutely compliant. The crouching-yet-relaxed riding position allows me to lean into each corner confidently and — I’d like to believe — smoothly.
There are a lot of confidence-boosting features on the RC250. The slipper clutch that KTM has introduced on this bike — for lighter clutch pull and smoother downshifts — is one of them.
At one stage in the ride, I was approaching a bend on fifth and needed to downshift quickly to at least third. I had been told that I risk locking up the rear wheel if I were to downshift too rapidly at a tonne of speed.
With the slipper clutch engaged, though, you basically don’t have to worry about locking up the rear. In theory, at least. In practice, I found myself less hesitant than usual about downshifting when on this bike. KTM says the slipper clutch is not available on the RC200 and RC390.
At 5’7”, the seat height of 820mm enables me to flat foot the RC250 easily, thus having a more secure stance. And weighing in at just 147kg dry, the bike is nimble on the go and, better still, lightweight enough when stationary for me to effortlessly push it out from the parking spot while seated on it! It’s something a girl always wants to be able to do...
Like other KTM sports bike, the pillion seat of the RC250 is integrated into the bodywork lines so that it looks like a real racing bike tail. It offers good comfort for pillion riders, too, but what’s amazing is that it makes the bike look like a single-seater!
ABS comes standard on the RC250 but for maximum comfort and safety, do avoid potholes and other major road imperfections at all costs. This bike has sport bike DNA after all, and therefore, rides best on smooth surfaces.
One of the first things I look for in a bike is the gear indicator and I am glad that the RC250 comes with a clear gear indicator display, situated to the left of the large speedometer in the middle. Many seasoned riders tell me that gear indicators are helpful, even for them.
They are more so for the learner rider or novice, who needs to constantly remind herself which gear she’s on so that she knows which way she needs to shift when the time comes.
Just as important is a fuel indicator. Especially if the bike doesn’t fill more than 10 litres, like the RC250.
One thing that bugs me about the RC250 is the kickstand. When flipping out the kickstand, the bike rests to the left ever so slightly that it is almost upright even though the kickstand is already fully down! Ergo, some riders may forget to put the kickstand up before riding off. In my case, that was what happened!
Other than that, it is hard to find fault with this appealing quarter litre super sport bike. The RC250 looks exactly like its bigger sibling, the RC390. One body, two different souls. A dream come true for B2 licence holders who are limited to 250cc.
At RM18,888, it is tough to argue against the value that KTM is offering here. With the right marketing, many B2 licence-holders out there would be eager to readjust their budgets to get their hands on this beauty.
I know I would.