Hi Rishav,

Don't bother about RC250. Go ahead with RC390 if you really want a hard core affordable racer bike. Just check if now RC390 has come in with Slipper Clutch or not. Duke 390 already is now coming with Slipper Clutch. If you are not too particular about buying a faired motorcycle, then buy Duke 390. It is the best value for money in the segment.

Features given by KTM are absolutely far ahead of the competition while the price is much lower. Duke 390 is around 2.2 - 2.3 lakhs on road and it is faster than much costlier bikes like Yamaha YZF-R3, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and even Benelli 300.

People keep talking of quality etc. - I own KTM Duke 200 for last 3.5 years and it is totally trouble free motorcycle giving excellent performance for its price. The shine of its colour/plastic parts is intact, no rattling sounds, no rusted bolts or silencer etc. parts...No reduction in pick up and average....

Just be aware - you will be moving to a relatively expensive segment and maintaining it requires some care. But it will still be cheaper to maintain than Japanese brands in that segment. Duke 200 and Duke 390 are the best bikes you can buy in their segment and you can go ahead without too much thinking.

Beware - Duke/RC are much focussed on high performance and handling. So they have stiff suspension and it takes some effort to adjust with it. Relatively Yamaha R3, Ninja 300 and Benelli TNT 300 will all be far more comfortable. Benelli is very comfortable. But performance of Duke/RC will blow you away compared to all of them. Also KTM Duke/RC (200-390) are very lightweight bikes and hence cutting through traffic is very easy on them. Duke 390 is most practical thing you can buy.