Ktm Rc8 R
KTM RC8 R
ROUNDUP
QUICKRIDE
More potent performance stuffed into a better-handling chassis
THOSE WAITING FOR MORE Austrian superbike sizzle can rejoice. KTM's spiced-up RC8 R V-Twin is coming to America and will cost only $500 more than the base model did in 2009. At $19,998, the R undercuts Ducati’s 1198 S by $1800, thanks to a recent restructuring of KTM’s U.S. retail pricing, which also sees the MSRP of the standard RC8 drop by $3000.
Dollars and cents aside, I rode the new R model at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in early November and was impressed by the bike.
To take full advantage of current World Superbike rules (should KTM decide to join that series), the R’s liquid-cooled, dohc 75-degree V-Twin was bored 2mm for a displacement of 1195cc; bore and stroke now measure 105.0 x 69.0mm. New lightweight pistons and revised connecting rods are fitted, and the cylinder heads have been reworked and now feature 42mm titanium intake and 34mm steel exhaust valves.
Driving hard uphill out of Laguna’s Turn 6 toward the Corkscrew is where I really noticed the added oomph. Fuel injection was spot-on, but like the ’09 RC8 that Road Test Editor Don Canet and I rode (“Superbike Bookends,” November, 2008), the R has a light throttle return spring and smooth inputs are required to keep the bike composed, especially while cranked over at the apex of a corner. KTM offers more progressive throttle-body cams, but these were not fitted to the press bike.
Significant revisions to the six-speed transmission on both the standard and R models have improved shift action considerably. Gear changes were slick and precise.
Updates to the R chassis provide better stability, the lack of which we complained about on the previous standard model. For example, the 43mm inverted WP fork features firmer valving and rides in CNC-machined triple-clamps with offset reduced from 34 to 28mm, thus increasing trail from 3.6 to 3.8 inches. The shock uses a softer spring and revised damping settings for improved action. A new link allows 12mm of ride-height adjustment.
Laguna has a few bumps but, for the most part, the surface is excellent. An at-the-apex dip in Turn 6 and g loading at the bottom of the Corkscrew were good tests for the suspension, but I never messed with the clickers all day.
Radial-mount Brembo Monobloc calipers squeeze 320mm discs that are 0.5mm thicker than those fitted to the RC8. Modulation and power are excellent without feeling like overkill. Forged aluminum Marchesini wheels reduce rotating unsprung mass by 2 pounds and improve high-speed handling.
Every aspect of the rider interface—handlebars, brake and clutch levers, footpegs and subframe—is adjustable to suit personal preference. An informative dash with a bright, programmable red shift light stares at the rider from the cockpit. Styling is a more consistent combination of finishes, improving the overall look of the bike.
With new pricing, more potent performance and added refinement, the RC8 R is poised to go head-to-head with its European competition in the showroom and at the racetrack.
—Blake Conner
“Driving hard uphill out of Laguna’s Turn 6 toward the Corkscrew is where I really noticed the added oomph.”
