MC Tested: Tyga Rearsets

The stock rearsets on my long-term KTM RC390 worked wonderfully on the street, but once I started tracking the bike they proved unsuitable for the job. The squishy rubber pads on the pegs weren't grippy enough for aggressive riding, and the footpegs turned out to be too low for the deep lean angles encountered at the track. Cue the sparks!

There are several rearset kits available for the RC390 from the normal CNC powerhouses, but I decided to give underdog Tyga a try. Tyga is a Thai company that specializes in performance parts for small bikes and its products are distributed in the US of A by Formula390.com. The biggest appeal of the Tyga parts? Price. Just $274 for the set! I spent nearly that much on crash spares for the Vortex rearsets (click here to see the MC Tested review) I ran on my Honda CBR250R racebike. The Vortex parts are pricier because they're made in America and of exceptional quality. The Tyga parts benefit from Thailand's ultra-cheap manufacturing costs and aren't quite as premium, though they're still well made and have a modular design, just like the best brands. And I have to say, I prefer the simple, sleek look of the Tyga rearsets over the more industrial appearance of other kits out there. Oh, and they come with carbon-fiber heel guards. For $274. Nice.

Installing rearsets would normally be really easy, but on the RC390 the rearset brackets are secured by the swingarm pivot bolt. You’ll need to support the bike so that the rear end is unloaded before you remove that bolt—I used a front wheel chock and a scissor jack under the engine. It’s also worth noting that the swingarm bushings on my RC390 were dry as a bone, and lots of owners have reported the same thing. So make sure you grease them upon reassembly.

The RC390 uses a pressure sensor to trigger the brake light, so if you’re running the Tyga rearsets on the street then it’s easy enough to retain brake-light functionality. And if you’re going to keep riding your RC on the street you’ll want to spend the extra $2 for the kit that comes with a bracket for the sidestand.

The mounting brackets are perforated with holes that offer a variety of footpeg positions, from a minimum of 25mm up and 15mm back all the way to 40mm up and 30mm back. The footpegs are aggressively knurled and very grippy, just the way I like them. Other nice features include sealed bearings for the brake and shift levers, and readily available and very affordable spare parts.

After running the Tyga rearsets for several months and a half-dozen track days and race weekends, I'm completely satisfied with them. The only issue I've noticed is that the left heel guard is cracking around the mounting holes. Admittedly, I move around on the bike a lot when I ride and tend to point the heels of my size-12 Alpinestars Supertechs inward when I corner, so my heel guards often take a lot of abuse. I may fab up my own guard from aluminum, but I could also just buy a replacement from Tyga. The part is only $21!

PRICE: $272-$274
CONTACT: Formula390.com

VERDICT: Great perches at a great price. Just what the RC390 needed for its mission as a track bike.