KTM's upcoming RC450 specs have been leaked due to Chinese type-approval documents filed by the joint-venture operation that is KTM and CFMoto. Thank god for homologation documents. The long-awaited update to the Austrian brand's entry-level sportsbike is heavily based on the CFMoto 450SR-S, except it's, well, better or at least sportier.
Powering the little orange rocket is the same 270-degree 449cc parallel twin engine that debuted in the CFMoto 450SR. But, unlike the 50 HP that this unit puts out in the 450 SR-S, it'll produce an extra 5 HP in the RC450, bringing the grand total to 55 HP and, interestingly, making it non-A2 compliant in Europe without restricting the power. Either way, it's going to beat the US version of the niche-topping Ninja 500, which produces 51 HP.
Cradling the parallel twin is a trellis-style frame that also features on CFMoto's 450 SR-S, but whereas the 450 SR-S tips the scales with a dry weight of 171kg, KTM has ensured that RC450 has been made on a calorie restriction and weighs just 168kg dry. The bottom line is that the KTM has more power and less weight than the CFMoto that donated so much of its DNA to put this bike into production so quickly.
