KTM’s boss just confirmed what the spy-shot crowd has been speculating about for a year: the RC supersport line isn’t stopping at one model. Two more are coming, and I’m already doing garage math I have no business doing before either bike has a single leaked photo.

KTM Confirms RC 790 and RC 490 Are in Development

KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister confirmed in an interview that an RC 790 and an RC 490 are both in development, joining the KTM 990 RC R and 990 RC R Track at the top of the range. “We definitely want to extend our RC line-up,” Neumeister said. “The 990 was first and we’ll have a 790 and a 490 like other brands with mid- and lower-class presence.” No design, spec sheet, or launch date has been shown — this is a strategy confirmation from the top, not a reveal.

Neumeister tied the expansion to where KTM actually makes its money: “We make half of our revenue with street models. So, we want to show this expertise, and not through participating in smaller [national] championships but by being right at the top.” The offroad side of the business, he added, “has been steady for many years… but it has not been growing profoundly,” which is why the street-focused RC family is getting the investment.

What We Know About the Platform

Nothing about the RC 790 or RC 490 has leaked in patent filings or spy shots yet, but the pieces KTM already has on the shelf point to an obvious path. The RC 790 is expected to lean on KTM’s twin-cylinder platform — most likely the 799cc parallel twin already doing duty in the 790 Duke — while the RC 490 would use a smaller single or twin closer to 490cc, shared with the Duke and Adventure models further down the range. Both are expected to carry over the MotoGP-inspired aerodynamic bodywork and electronics package KTM introduced on the 990 RC R.

KTM 990 RC R (current) KTM RC 790 (expected) KTM RC 490 (expected)
Engine 947cc parallel twin ~799cc parallel twin (est.) ~490cc single/twin (est.)
Power 128 hp Unconfirmed Unconfirmed
Price $13,949 (~€12,800) Unconfirmed Unconfirmed
Status On sale In development In development

Those first-two RC 790/RC 490 columns are placeholders built from KTM’s existing engine shelf, not confirmed specs — treat them as an educated guess, not a leak.

What we know

  • KTM’s CEO has publicly confirmed both an RC 790 and an RC 490 are in active development.
  • Both are positioned to sit below the 990 RC R in a three-tier RC supersport range.
  • The stated motivation is growing KTM’s street-bike revenue share, not motorsport participation.

What’s still unclear

  • No engine, chassis, or styling details have been confirmed for either bike.
  • No launch window has been announced — trade reports guessing at an EICMA 2026 premiere are speculation, not KTM statements.
  • Whether the RC 490 uses a single-cylinder or the smaller end of KTM’s twin platform is still an open question.

Why This Matters for the Rest of the Lineup

KTM already builds twins across the Duke and Adventure ranges spanning roughly 390cc to 990cc, so slotting an RC 490 and RC 790 in underneath the RC R isn’t a stretch — it’s filling the one gap KTM’s supersport range actually has. My own 690 Rally is sitting in the garage right now, unrelated to any of this, gathering dust since May, but you’d better believe an RC 490 announcement is exactly the kind of thing that makes me start “researching” trackday insurance at 11pm on a Tuesday.

For context on how seriously KTM is taking the street side of the business right now, it’s worth reading alongside the 790 Adventure prototype KTM’s engineers were caught testing with a redesigned fuel tank, and the 690 Rally testing mule spotted near KTM’s Austrian HQ earlier this year — both point the same direction: KTM is actively reworking its middleweight range on multiple fronts at once.

FAQ

Has KTM officially unveiled the RC 490 or RC 790?

No. KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister confirmed in an interview that both are in development, but no design, spec sheet, or launch date has been revealed yet.

What engines will the RC 490 and RC 790 use?

Neither is confirmed. Both are expected to draw on KTM’s existing twin-cylinder platform shared with the Duke and Adventure ranges — likely the 799cc parallel twin for the RC 790, and a smaller unit around 490cc for the RC 490.

When will the RC 490 and RC 790 be revealed?

No date is official. Trade reports point to a possible EICMA 2026 premiere, with market arrival not expected before early-to-mid 2027.

How do these fit with the existing KTM 990 RC R?

They’d slot below it, giving KTM a three-tier RC supersport range from entry-level to flagship — similar to how rivals spread their sportbike lineups across multiple displacement classes.