There have been many bikes that have been available in some territories and not in others, for many different reasons, perhaps the most common being one of homologation to a particular territory’s legal standards that have no chance of being matched by another.
It’s happened often in South Africa, which has adopted the European homologation standard, leaving SA’s importers powerless to bring in models that would otherwise be strong sellers.
This causes mild outcry here, but it’s not often that there is a worldwide outcry concerning a model being unavailable. However, that is exactly what has happened in 2026, and the protagonist is a surprising one.
It’s not uncommon today for manufacturers to have close engineering and marketing tie-ins with other manufacturers; more often than not, it is European manufacturers linking up with Asian or Indian brands and, recently, Chinese manufacturers have found themselves in demand.
Triumph has close ties with Bajaj Auto, BMW with TVS, while KTM is now majority owned by Bajaj Auto. The latter, however, also has close links to Chinese manufacturer CFMOTO, and it is the latest news from this pairing that has got so many countries’ knickers in a twist.
We’ve sung the praises of the CFMOTO 450 cc models before on www.zabikers.co.za, in particular the 450 MT adventure model and the fully-faired 450 SRS sports model.
Now it appears that KTM is launching its own 450 cc sports model, the RC 450, but – and here’s the kicker – it’s only going to be available in China!
Let’s not forget that KTM already has the RC 390 in its stable, and that’s fine, but the RC 450 differs from the 390 in its use of a parallel twin engine configuration compared to the single cylinder engine in the 390. And this is something that a lot of markets have been crying out for.
The KTM RC 450 and the CFMOTO 450 SRS share a lot of DNA, including the tubular steel chassis and single-sided swing arm. The engines might be the same, but KTM’s engine has been tuned to produce 56bhp, against the 450 SRS’s 52. The KTM is also lighter – 168kg against 171kg.
The KTM gets fully-adjustable WP suspension front and back, and the front 320 mm single disc is clamped by a brand-new WP calliper, WP having entered the braking market as well.
It also boasts a Bosch IMU, giving access to lean-sensitive traction control and ABS via a ride-by-wire throttle, which also enables three riding modes.
In short, it sounds fantastic and would be a sure-fire winner in any market KTM chose to enter. But, for now, it seems that only the Chinese market will be getting this new pocket rocket, and you have to wonder why?
I mean, what is the point? Yes, I know that the KTM and the CFMOTO would be going head-to-head in terms of sales, but this is completely different to one manufacturer bringing out two essentially identical models, thereby shooting itself in the foot.
KTM does have a history of this in its off-road offerings. KTM owns both GasGas and Husqvarna, and all three marques have models that are essentially the same apart from colours and graphics and price tags. And, no, I can’t work that one out, either.
There are a lot of people out there who would buy a KTM but would never contemplate buying a CFMOTO, conveniently ignoring the fact that Chinese-manufactured bikes are no longer the joke they used to be. So, there are sales lost at a time when KTM can ill-afford to lose them.
Perhaps CFMOTO is trying to gain a toe-hold in the international market and wants to give its models the best chance by eliminating as much competition as possible? Perhaps Bajaj Auto has put the kibosh on it, for reasons known only to themselves? Even that would be strange, as having made such a large investment in KTM, you would think they are as keen as anyone to return the Austrian brand to the black on the balance sheets. Then again, it is known that Bajaj is keen to increase production of KTMs in India, so that might leave CFMOTO out in the cold.
Time will tell if restricting the RC 450 to the Chinese market alone will continue or if KTM will bow to public pressure. However, there is another factor to consider.
The middleweight motorcycle market, 400-500cc, is booming worldwide, and KTM is known to be developing its own parallel twin engine that will fit in that category; indeed, it has been spotted being tested in an adventure-style model. It doesn’t take much of an imaginative leap to see that becoming the 490 Adventure model.
And there’s another clue; all KTM’s model names end with ‘90’ – 390, 890, 990, 1290, 1390 – so calling a model the RC 450 perhaps indicates that it is not intended to be seen in any territory other than China.
Whatever the reasons, we’ll just have to wait to see the 490 KTM models, as and when they appear. In the meantime, there are always the CFMOTO 450 cc models and, as we have found, they are very good and extremely well-priced. It’s also worth noting the emergence of exciting alternatives from China, such as QJMOTOR’s SKR 450 RR, a mini-supersport machine that stands out with its impressive high-power, high-revving inline four-cylinder engine—something rarely seen in this segment.
