KTM RC390, RC200, Ninja 300 : Review : PowerDrift 

I hope RU-vid includes a "superlike" button because your super hot killer shot videos deserve that. Well informative and useful review on all fronts.

its been 2021....completed my engineering....watching this video since 2017........but finally bought the duke 200 bs4 on 2018(as rc was way too agressive for the pillion rider).....much happy wid my bike......lemme say everything....my parents told me to bring good marks in 12th standard to get me a bike......i studied very hard....and i got good marks, which even fetched me a free laptop from odisha govermnttt...and whenever i used to feel demotivated while studying....i used to watch this exact video,,,,,,and it used to gave me goosebumps...and again studied for 2-3hours....this cycle continued....and now i am a happy owner of my 4 years duke 200......love you powerdrift...and lemme say time flies......so enjoy each and every moment of life....

2019 and still gets me everytime :')

Your Chanel is even better than Xvideos. Love u guys.

PowerDrift You realize you guys are really good at this right? Just in any holy case you didn't, you folks are absolute mind freaking amazing!

2022 and still proud of my decision in getting the first gen RC390 ❤️

@KJ EB: That accent is there for a reason. Thank you for your time on our video!

4 years later in Jan 2019, I'm still watching this and still in love with the video every single time, can't get over it. #RC390 what a machine!

Hey guys. So, watched this video again. I must confess I very recently discovered your channel on RU-vid. And boy was I surprised. Every other rc390 review was just the muttering of the keywords 'very flickable, nimble, light, bad seat, metzelers are awesome... Yada yada'. But you guys went so much beyond that. First and the only review to point out the underbelly tends to scrape at sharp lean angles. Every reviewer has passion. But your passion shows and boy does it paint the review in its colours. The only other motoring show I liked was Top Gear. Now, having found you guys churning out stuff with equal finesse, superb editing, awesome music and top notch hosting... I don't think it's just a review anymore. It's a work of art for the two wheeling community. #25MillionOnPD keep revving.

AND THIS is what Santa left me for X-Mas. A fscking awesome RC390 video :) If I didn't have an r15, I'd have gone and booked an RC390 after this video. I think I still have more use for r15 before I upgrade; also by then R3/R25 and GD250r would be here. I will be sharing this on my facebook page, for someone who was arguing quite some time ago that the underbelly will NOT scrape. Thanks Sgt for scraping it :)

First off thanks for another awesome video! Now, on to the big question: Is it worth upgrading from 200NS to RC200? NS has its share of problems - the peg vibrations, occasional gear slippage, rear brake noise if you don't get it serviced every 4 months. But since I am an occasional rider these problems aren't a deal breaker for me. Will I see a lot of difference if I upgrade from NS to RC200? Just to throw some questions, how is the low end and mid end torque, for example on the RC200? What about the engine vibrations? For NS the engine vibrations kick in at about 5000 rpm which is kinda annoying. --- Rant begins --- Its a turn off when you guys alternate quickly between slow motion and normal speed. Showing parts of your video in slow motion is great for emphasis but it gets in the way when you guys do the quick alternation between the slow-mo and normal speeds. That being said I still love the videos you guys make. Among the best in terms of production quality and content. Keep up the good work! --- Rant ends ----

I am a fan of PD and i love this show as much as i love topgear UK presentation. RC390 is my first bike, which i have ridden almost for 3000kms in first 3 weeks and below are the points i would like to highlight, to which PD might or might not agree. 1) Awesome projector headlamps, my first long ride was a night ride from pune to mumbai alongwith a d390, the visibility which i had of the road in the night was way better than even some cars. 2) Awesome brakes, though sgt finds the abs intrusive because sgt has more skills than i do at the corners and almost everywhere on the road, for me the ABS is god's grace. The bike has forgiven most of my mistakes almost always, it is easy to handle even with so much power. ABS is a blessing as per me. 3) The throttle response is way different from the duke, i have ridden both duke for some kms and RC for almost 3000 kms now and the RC power delivery is very matured and it builds up the speed. The duke will outrun the run RC for first few seconds, and RC will eventually outdo the duke in latter half of a drag. 4) Yes i agree the comfort level on the bike is low, this is my first bike, longest i have been on this bike is 200 kms in one go, its a demanding bike and the fan is almost on like sgt says and it has never bothered me honestly. 5) In my car i used to cut the apex at 70kph max, with the RC i am doing the same and its not my skills honestly, its the bike's ability and finesse. 6) The suspensions do an amazing job i believe, i have hit bumps at 120 kph and never felt that the bike would crash and burn on me. 7) its easy to maintain, the first service expense was only 1600 bucks, which is cheap considering that this is a proper 300+cc sports bike. 8) I generally take the bike out for a spin almost every night after dinner on the highways in mumbai, i would readily agree that this is not a bike for riding in heavy traffic but its not only for track also. The bike behaves very well on city roads as well. My conclusion is that in the review, PD could have put in more depth, and yeah as far ninja goes, its a good bike, but with power, mileage, usability and price in question the RC leaves ninja in dust.

Watching this video again & again...!!... Simply superb!!!.. This is the single video reviewing RC390 I have seen so far on RU-vid which has highlighted that exhaust can scrap easily when you lean over... As Sagar said, it is really dangerous & definitely is a thing to concern about... (May be only Sagar has balls to lean bike till belly is scrapped... :P... Just kidding bro)...Thanks a lot for highlighting this... It shows how deeply you have gone through the riding and how balanced are the views!!! Review should be like this!... Hats off!.. Keep it up!!...

Goosebumps when the Ninja enters

It's 2022. Must have watched it over a 100 times. My all time favourite Powerdrift video ever.

PowerDrift the review was interesting as was expected from you guys...being said that i would like to correct u folks on one thing if u do agree that a single cylinder or twin cylinder dosen't matter much in the initial powerband considering the RC 390 has a 43.6 horsepower on it with a 35 nm of torque which is a whooping 8 nm more than the Ninja 300 and considering that the RC 390 is almost 12 kg lighter than the N300, it can pull lot harder than the ninja be it on a race track or straight lines so the distance gap is supposed to be on the bigger side than just 0.3 secs as u guys hav mentioned atleast more than 1.5 secs given the riders weigh the same on both these bikes with similar riding skills...and i shud mention that i hav seen in a number of vids on youtube especially the professional 'A2 shootout' where cbr 500 was half a sec behind the RC 390 and ninja 300 was following the cbr 500 and was about 1.5 sec behind the RC & in ur "First ride KTM RC 390" vid ur own national champion rider clocked around 2.2 secs from 0-60 and 4.5 secs from 0-100 on a straight line with the same RC 390 on bajaj's track. So my point being that in similar conditions be it a drag or track, the RC 390 will definitely be atleast a 1.5 secs faster than the kawasaki's motorcycle backed up by the first para i hav mentioned..unless its a very long stretch of road where the ninjas top end kicks in and fills in the time gap eventually leaving the RC390 behind at some point.. looking forward to see more from u guys, keep it up;)

Great video! i'm glad you guys didn't go too overboard with excitement and jizz all over the bike with extra special effects and over produced music. This video is exactly what the RC390 needed, a more grounded approach to all the mega hype its been getting the last few months. I did see an RC in the flesh the other day, one thing I absolutely cannot get over is the complete and total non-correlation between the bike and the sound it makes. It's like hearing the patter of puppies' feet ending up being a huge beefy guy walking along. Also, no comments on the design of the RC? and I think the RC200 deserves a separate video. Cheers!

The rumors came true !! I got my RC390 equipped with the slipper clutch..today only!! PowerDrift

Hi Guys! This is my first post for you guys but consider me a fan..Specially Sagar, because he has something for the sports bikes which I share (minus his skill set to match..).. Awesome review as always.. I am an R15 owner (2008 model) and can't put in words how much I am satisfied with it. Be it touring, track days or some fun battles with friends... I was looking forward to upgrade to Ninja 300. Unfortunately, the pricing is on the downside and like many others; I was waiting for the RC series. My only concern is about the quality and the mechanical issues in the RC. Like KTM has those with Dukes..Specially the 390. Sagar's opinion has almost compelled me to go and book one for myself but I am still in a dilemma that whether I would be able to trust this like my R15. Your reply matters a lot as I think being an R15 owner yourself, you would be able to understand me better. Thanks..

2020 & still gets me every time.😍❤ You guys are soo... good team#powerdrift👍

Great video. You've made it clear that the RC390 is a track bike, and not for everyday riding and touring, where as the Ninja is. This puts an end to the 'RC vs Ninja which one is better' argument once and for all.

One of the best reviews I had seen so far. comparing RC 390 with a Ninja 300 was great; I really loved that part. A big thanks for Team PowerDrift for such an awesome review.

i have been waiting dor this particular review for along time ... a very long time... i booked a a rc 390 on 10th of september (first day of bookings) after a month i get a call that that the test ride vehicle has arrived at the show rooms and i immediately rushed to the showroom to check it out. instead of a grin in my face i came out with a never ending dilemma .. i am a die- hard enthusiast of 2 strokes . currently i am riding one rd and two rx 135s (all souped up fully prepd ones). i found out that the stance was rather too (too much) aggressive , i immediately cancelled my booking and went for the naked one and bought it the next day. all i was looking for was a crazy power delivery and flick-ability and i ride almost 45 kms everyday in traffic .. was it the right choice i made?

the more you see it.. more you want to see it. felt a little short for a review which includes 3 bikes..wanted to see more of the rc 😍

Breathtaking shots,brilliant camera angles and top of it all an evident harmony between the man and the machine is what makes PowerDrift awe-inspiring.Keep up the good work! :)

Why only 360p????????.... Of course the contents matter... :) piece where entry of Ninja 300 in this video was superb!!.. Nice photography as always!!.. Talking about both these bikes, I agree Ninja is much more practical bike than RC and when I checked in the showroom with Ninja 300, Z250 & RC390, I found, quality of both the Kawasakis in terms of build, ergonomics, plastics, switches engine refinement, ease of riding position etc. is much higher than KTM's.. But of course you get what you pay for, and technically Ninja & RC both are different bikes right from engine configuration, but obviously KTM is not really low on quality!.. Both bikes have their own character and we need to choose what we really want! So, if you are tight on budget go for RC, if not, then Ninja should be the choice!.. :)

6 years after this video was released I purchased a 2016 rc390 and man this video holds true even today . The good old powerdrift you two were the best hosts ever

been watching you guys for a bit and curious to see what you would recommend im 5'7" about 220llbs. and looking to learn to be a great rider. which bike would you recommend for someone who will be using the bike for commuting but also wants to hit tracks on the weekend. i would rather learn proper technique than speed, speed i can work into, learning the proper why to ride is more important. so would the ninja 300 be best or should i wait for yamaha r3?

Waiting for KTM RC 390 vs Yamaha R3 review. :)

Am I the only one who is watching this video in 2019?

buying it 2-3 after months , just had a question are the vibrations still present in 2016 model od RC?

Kudos to the kind of quality and style you bring in to your reviews. Every video has something unique that strikes with the viewer. I don't think there's any other RU-vid​​ channel that reviews so well. I think I have watched this one, Benelli 899 and Ninja 300 over a hundred times over the last month or so. Have gone to Lavasa many times and didn't realize it's as beautiful as you guys have shown in many videos. Tumhi kaam changale karat are. Coming to the RC390, I have a P220 for over 5 years now and have done 71k so far. I plan to upgrade to a faster machine (so that my travel time from Bangalore to Pune reduces by a huge margin as I currently take around 12 hours to complete the distance and at the same time meet my day to day requirements. I absolutely love Ninja300 and it meets all my requirements except for the price tag. Does a difference of 1.8 lakh justify in the long term say about 5 to 7 years of owning one or is RC390 the bike to go for. 

2020 and iam still in love with this bike😍😍

@ten hut bigfan of ur scripting editing & all ✊👌

Best auto review channel < period > !! Best camera and editing work ever seen on a video blog !! You guys rock , keep up the good work.

When can we expect the comprehensive review of 2016 RC 390?

Fabulous again. You fellas sell these bikes a hundred times better than the sales guys getting a salary to do so. Keep it going gents! Sagar, get that rc already! ;)

Absolutely world class camera work.....brilliant choice of music.... #PDRULES

About handling who is the Best yamaha R15 or RC 200,390 ?

I would like a sports bike for daily use. I am not a fan of naked bikes tho, you guys have any suggestions?

You guys do a lot of good videos and I've been subscribed to you guys for a long time even when you guys used to be PTR. On behalf of most of the riders out there, it would be much more useful if you guys decided to shoot a video on how to do proper downshifting with blip throttle. It would be greatly appreciated and i guess it would be essential as it's much more safer than the ordinary braking methods. Hoping you guys would respond to this. Thanks a lot in advance :)

Incredible! I wonder how you guys manage such pleasure to the eyes videos. ....

So which one to choose RC 200 or duke 390 or continental gt?

is it 1 down, 5 up when shifting?

As usual.. Awesome review.. But its sad that the baby rc 200 didn't get much attention..

Just 360p ? Also, nice job filtering the wind noise while talking.

Finally a non biased road test review that i had been waiting for a long time. This will help me a lot in choosing the right ride for me.. Thanks Powerdrift . you did it again. :)

I was so set on buying the RC 390 over the Ninja 300. I did a lot of research and settled my mind on the RC 390.. So, I went to the KTM dealer to get a quote and saw a Ninja 300 beside the KTM... I realize it's a perspective thing when I say this, but as many videos and pictures aside, the Ninja looks so much prettier in person.... I changed my decision on the spot and decided to save for a ninja... I could defend my purchase by saying what you say about it being more practical with a 17 litre tank or the parallel twin ( Which is so bloody smooth btw)... but the truth was the feeling I got when I saw the Ninja for the first time.... The official trailer ( the minute 9 seconds long one) is not exaggerated in any way.... For a guy who never understood a man's love for his bike and always stuck to his car... I have barely touched my car since the past month. ZERO regrets of paying that much for my Ninja. ZERO complaints about the brakes or the tough seat as many people find it.... I love every bit of it!!!! I honestly end up making a U-turn and just heading for another ride when I'm about to park it sometimes. Nothing against you RC fans. I doubt I'm outgrowing this machine in this lifetime. One of the best decisions of my life.

some says KTM is full of problems

is it easy to ride rc 390 as I am a new biker and dont know how to ride a bike properly..😅

Does RC390 is also having "warm start" problem which 390 was facing?

I always wanted to see an indian channel or a show to match or even take out the quality of European automobile shows, n u guys hav done it. I watch each n every one of ur videos. Salute guys

simpler english please.. bestow you with ammunition? poised like a ballerina? I really like your videos guys, please dont spoil it by sounding like siddhu

How did they get the braking wrong if it has the same config as the duke390?

I request PD channel to make review on missed out Yamaha SS125, because we don't have better bike than Yamaha gladiator/SS125 on the market in 125cc class and it is the class where more action is, in terms of fuel economy, performance, Handling & specially cornering this bike brilliant. No media has supported not even the Yamaha guys are not supporting this little bike only people who know about the bike buy it. This thing is small but give good competition on most of the 150cc out their. And there is No video or written review of the bike only owners do review of the bike. I don't know why it is left out maybe because of its looks but a normal guy wouldn't be able to afford bigger cc bike for daily commute still its not economical yet. I love the way you present the video and I am a great fan of motoring. watched your every video from the day one. In India the biggest problem is that we don't promote good products, we just hate them.

I m going to buy this bike but m pretty disappointed with the issue of over heating plz guide me should I go for rc390 r not bcom of over heating..?

like rc 390 will rc 200 also scrape its under belly if lean angle is high . please do reply thanks .

which can i buy rc 390 2017 edition or duke 390 edition

Is it good to buy ninja 300 this late or would it be better to wait for R3?

Now that is a bike review with a great comparison. Camera work is simply superb, it just translates the speed and precision to the viewers.well done.it is really fresh to hear the bikes character from, a rider who can take it to the limits, and not from a boring reporter. I follow mcn and motorcyclesusa and I have to say they can learn a few things from these guys, because they usualy talk about the bike , after e few cut scenes., but power drift transcends passion

Hi Sarge....at what speeds are you running down the curves???

Hey PD if i install an aftermarket air filter and a full exhaust system will it cure the heating problem a bit ?

How would you go about fixing the scrapping belly pan? Could you raise the ride height at all or would that do more harm then good

Zitat Gerald Kiska: "Neben Orange als KTM-Farbe hat Gerald Kiska einige Grundsätze aufgestellt, die dafür sorgen sollen, dass eine KTM unter allen anderen Motorrä­ dern hervorsticht: „Wir schrauben auf eine KTM nichts drauf, was das Ding nicht schneller oder besser machen würde. Es gibt also keine Verkleidungsteile, die nur der Zierde oder Optik dienen. Eigentlich sollte jedes Teil funktional begründet sein. Dann gibt es ein paar typische Elemente wie die Mittenbetonung in der Frontverkleidung, die eckigen Schultern am Tank, die Luftauslässe sind immer dreieckig. Bei uns gibt es nichts, was zwei Scheinwerfer nebeneinander hat, höchstens übereinander. Das sind so ein paar Regeln, die wir aufgestellt haben.“"

Its a nice review guys, but I have to say, its not all smiles sitting on the back seat of this bike. I've been on the back a few times and its not the acceleration that is uncomfortable but the breaking. You shoot to 3 digit speeds in a few seconds and come back down even faster with the ABS. While the rider doesn't feel the force, in the pillion seat, due to the lack of proper grip, you have a lot of strain trying to adjust to the speed changes. I know it is a problem with all sport bikes, just wanted to point it out since I'm pretty sure no one has done a pillion rider review. LOL.

well made video guys, i was quite surprised to hear about the ABS intrusion being a hindrance while on track. Though i do wonder what would the results of a comparo between a modded ninja. Ninja 300 with Metzeller M5/pirelli Sport Demon, Yoshimura R-77 Slip-on with Power-commander, ZeroGravity Corsa Screen, Rear-set Pegs. Vs RC390? also considering no one in their right minds keeps their bike in stock form (atleast i wouldnt) so looking at it that way, wont the ninja be a better proposition?

hello guys...im a big fan of you guys! Ive got an rc 200...but its got a smaller turn angle and higher seat which makes it difficult to back or turn it ... I am 5'10"...so do i need to keep my one foot at a time to back or turn it because when i put two...they mostly slip and i cant maintain flat foot with both the legs most of the time (except when bike is not moving) Please help :)

Is rc200 easy to ride in city traffic?

Hi Powerdrifters.. please make your videos hard-core like this... New videos have gone a bit soft... This adrenaline rushing video compelled me to buy the Bike... PD army 👍🏻

i am riding the rc 390 now since 4 months... its a super fast bike... with a super sport feel... but i feel the refinement level is not up to the mark.. it feels ruff at times... also the quality feels bajaj at times.... if i get a ninja 300 now in exchange for this one, should i go for it?? is it really a better bike than the rc 390...? i also have plans to upgrade to big capacity motorcycle in a couple of years... please suggest Mr Sagar Sheldekar, since you have ridden both the bikes extensively.... awaiting your response... thanks...

Is 2015 rc390 equipped with slipper clutch?

why no HD video?

sir i want to chose from husang gt250r and ktm rc 390 so which bike would u sujest

i really like power drift videos,specially the style in which the videos are shot.precise and awesome music with great and useful reviews.guys i am a proud owner of kawasaki ninja 250.i love every bit of it,the fit and finish and the quality is just top notch.no issues for more than 3 yrs .well RC 390 looks good and also much cheaper.well since i am already riding a ninja 250 is it worth to buy RC 390 as ninja 300 is not an option because of the price.it would be really interesting to see a video comparison between ninja 250 and RC 390 if its possible for you guys.Keep making such awesome videos.

i heard tht the rc390 air flow is down the belly not unlike the duke 390 which gives up large heat to ur body which is very annoying....soo does the rc feels cooler than the duke??

this is the perfection of presentation!!! Awesome!!! kinda miss this magic in your current videos!!!

awesome video and review but i would also like to see some drags between those bikes on a track or on a runway and not just me but also there are so many bike lovers, who would like to enjoy those drag videos. for ex r15 vs cbr150, ninja 300 vs rc390, cbr250 vs rc 200 or ninja 250, p220 vs rc 200 or continental gt 500 ,ninja 650 vs hyosung 650 etc

awesome video nice editing...... what are the disadvantages of rc 390 ??

Which bike is better for a beginner ? RC390 or Ninja 300? Ninja can be fitted with sliders but i don't know if RC can have sliders or not, can it?

Which one's better for city riding?

i have a dout can u tell me abt the tyre gripness is it slipery in wet roads while taking deep corner

Thank you Powerdrift for making me love motorcycles so much ❤️

Which one is better for city riding?

great review guys ....iam not a big fan of ktm...but after rc390 launch i have started to reconsider my decision to propbaly go with this bike....because at this price i dont think except for may be pulsar 400 any bike could ever come close to this bike in performance and delivery....i dont know much about the performance of pulsar but ns 400 with farings have got all the look which like in bikes....so i would rather wait for ns400 launch to compare both bikes and decide which one to go for....

I still remember Rohan's description of the bike in the beginning. That was enough for me to get one. The remaining part of the video was an added bonus of visuals that I lived with till it got home. After a year long break, super excited to get him back home and continue to enjoy the rides.

you guys are clean and transparent to what a rider want to know about these bikes thumbs up guys

In ur asspect which one is the best one rc200 or apache rtr200r

Nice review, but you guys haven't mentioned who takes the crown :) But anyway I got too much inclined to Ninja 300. In the showroom I found that Ninja 300 is more comfortable than RC 390 in ergonomics and also I felt like RC390 saddle height is bit higher than Ninja. The clutch feels butter smooth on Ninja, while RC390 felt almost as hard as normal commuter bike. On top of it there is no denying that Ninja 300 looks more gorgeous than RC 390, except for track focused riders I guess. And definitely Ninja's exhaust note is sweeter and appealing than RC390. The only thing that holds me back from booking the bike last week was the budget. If RC390 had convinced me on that day, I would have booked it but it sort of little disappointed me mainly because of ergonomics. Since, I will use my new bike for office commute and highway touring. Let me save some cash before I go for Ninja :)

Can you kindly suggest me to select a bike out of Kawasaki Z250, Er-6n, KTM RC 390 or RC 200? Also would the Er-6n and RC 390 be too uncomfortable for traffic areas as the traffic are quite congested at times in my city? Cheers

im short (5.5 ft) and i need a bike on the exact same price tag. i am looking forward to the KTM RC390 but it has some flaws. so which bike would suits me perfectly? i also like the HONDA CBR250R ...will it be better than the KTM for me? or i should wait for the HERO HX250? plz help me

How are you guys shooting the trailing shots like at 2:00? Camera mounted to the front of fork of another bike?

whats the soundtrack used in the end of the video??

U guys r just awesome........no one has the guts to review the automobiles at ur stage ..u guys have set the benchmark...n sagar is just fab n tenhut representation is the best

I watch your videos all the time, your reviews especially are very well produced, slick and entertaining while still managing to be really informative and thorough. I'm from the states and I cannot think of any homegrown bike website that does it better than you guys. I've turned on a bunch of friends to your channel and now they're fans too, keep up the great work!

Finally, we have an international level you tube channel in india. I love your reviews, keep it up

which bike do you prfer Rc390 or ninja300 ?? for daily touring plss do rply

2022 and still gets me everytime🤞💝No gen of RC can beat this one.

Is the ground clearance disastrous on indian roads???

Even now... One of the best reviews I've ever seen. Waiting for the part two. 👍

What are your thoughts on adding the akrapovic exhaust system for the RC 390 ?? Are there any other modifications that can be done to the bike ??