The first thing the RC 200 tells you is where your wrists are. The bars sit low, the pegs sit high, and the bike arranges you into a shape that only really makes sense once you are moving quickly.
KTM does not build soft motorcycles, and this is the entry point to their range in displacement only. The chassis is taut to the point of being unforgiving over bad surfaces. The steering is quick enough that a lazy input gets a sharper response than you asked for. The orange trellis frame sits in plain view, which tells you the styling department was never consulted about subtlety.
Coming off a commuter, this is a machine that stops flattering you. Ride it badly and it lets you know: mid corner corrections feel clumsy, and rough throttle work upsets it. Ride it properly, with weight where it should be and inputs made once rather than three times, and it becomes genuinely quick down a road you know.
That is the value of it. Plenty of small bikes make you feel competent. This one made me actually get better, because it gave honest feedback and no encouragement.
