Let’s see how the RC 390 GP stacks up against its Japanese rivals.

In the small-displacement sportbike market, Japanese manufacturers are offering the Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 400, and the Honda CBR500R. The KTM RC 390 GP is a European-styled, race-inspired machine, but how does it really stack up against these well-established players? We’ll then compare performance, handling, build quality, and price to value. What areas does the KTM excel in, and where does it lack? It’s a question of trying to help potential buyers understand the tradeoff between the more exotic KTM versus the potentially more practical Japanese options. For the sake of this comparison, we will take into account track performance, daily usability, maintenance costs, resale value, etc.