Ktm Rc8
CW FIRST RIDE
KTM RC8
Surprise test at Jerez
MARK CERNICKY
GEARED UP FOR GETTING DOWN, I walked onto the pit lane of Circuit Jerez, home of the Spanish Grand Prix. My objective was to choose the weapon I would use to evaluate Bridgestone’s new BT-016 Battlax high-performance sport tire. The multi-compound rubber was loaded onto the rims of a gamut of sportbikes laid out before me and the rest of the moto-press. My eyes raced across the array of familiar shapes and colors until they fixed on something new, something odd, something orange. KTM’s RC8 superbike, a motorcycle that no one stateside had yet tested.
Yeah, that’s for me! So before anyone else appeared, I balanced my Vermeulen-replica Shoei on the top triple-clamp and cool digital dash (encased in impact-resistant rubber). Dibs, dudes! It was an act I repeated three out of the five test sessions, and again for bonus backto-back lapping with a Ducati 1098S and former MotoGP man Jeremy McWilliams
Besides, a V-Twin’s deliberate, predictable power pulses make a perfect tool for testing the traction limits of Bridgestone’s new tire, right? What would make this 1148cc, 75-degree Austro-Twin any different? Anyway, that was my story and I stuck to it.
Although KTM has been known as primarily a dirtbike-maker, in fact, for the first decade of the company’s 57-year history, roadracing was king. Founder Hans Turkenpolz’s son Eric finished as high as second in national 125cc events.
First shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003, the RC8 announced KTM’s intent to get back to those roots and become a full-line motorcycle company, and has since been going through the refining process. Its second-generation, liquid-cooled, dohc, fourvalve-per-hole motor is made zuper compact by locating some of its essentials between the cylinders of its Vee configuration-the shaft that drives the water pump and cams, for instance, which also performs a counterbalancing act. Claimed atthe-crank horsepower is
160 just before the 10,500-rpm redline.
The lightweight tubular chrome-moly spaceframe comes with a removable aluminum rear subframe. Cast pieces and stamped sheet alloy welded together make up the banana-ish swingarm. An interesting inverted link connects the fully adjustable WP shock; a 43mm WP fork suspends the front end. Wheelbase is 56 inches.
Orange livery is as original as the RC8’s angular, stealthstyle (radar-resistant?) bodywork. Unlike the metalflakeorange fairing panels, the tank is painted in scratch-resistant flat-orange and equipped with damage-reducing sliders on both sides. Axle ends are also equipped with crash sliders. The RC8 doesn’t look as much pretty as it does beautifully purposeful.
The reach to the bars is just that, at least for someone like me who’s 5-foot-8. They’re a ways out there but high enough that you’re not leaning excessively on your wrists. Not sure what to think about the fattest vibration-reducing grips I’ve ever encountered on a stock sportbike.
In “rider triangle” terms-hands, seat, feet-the RC8 is pretty comfortable. Footpegs are adjustable to two positions, and in the rangiest, seat-to-peg relationship is spaced out enough to unkink knees; even so, I didn’t have issues dragging any low-hanging tootsies on tarmac.
Thumb the RC8 to life. Unlike its naked cousin, the 990 Super Duke, which uses 48mm Keihin fuel spritzers, the RC8 is equipped with a set of 52mm throttle bodies as well as a more advanced engine-management system. Also, its underslung exhaust is claimed to reduce the effect of high-up “recyclical weight” on handling-just imagine how much better-handling those poor Ducati 1098s would be without their hoary old underseat plumbing... Style-of-the-month muffler placement aside, catalytic converters didn’t completely clog the Twin’s pulsing tones and the underbelly exhaust totally cleans up the stiletto tailsection’s visuals.
Okay, tires warmed, let’s get down to business. Right off, two issues grabbed my attention. The first was an abrupt pick-up glitch during off/on throttle transition after sustained hard braking. Imagine an LCD lightbar representing throttle opening. As you progressively twist past the first 2 of 10 bars, they wouldn’t light up.. .nothing ’til throttle position 3...then an abrupt snatch of acceleration.
Fanning the clutch out of slow turns could be used as a crutch, but with tires already squirming for sidegrip, paying attention was important.
Once past that initial inefficiency, the RC8’s electronic fuel feeding was appropriately metered. There were no torque spikes to speak of; power built linearly later in the rev range.
This predictable power characteristic makes the RC8 almost as manageable as Ducati’s rider-friendly 848-once you get past that bottom stumble.
My other criticism is, for lack of better words, the “agricultural” shift action from second to third gear; lever throw was long and gear selection notchy under acceleration. I had to be very deliberate to make sure the change happened smoothly.
When I rode the RC8 back-to-back with the 1098S, I liked how smooth and supple the Ducati would pick up the throttle and make gearchanges. But without super-sticky race tires, I had to be careful when cracking open the light-effort twistgrip because the torque curve started earlier in the rev range than on the KTM. As noted, I spent one session swapping between the two Twins with McWilliams for an informal
mini comparo. Unfortunately, whoever set up the suspension on that particular 1098S had an idea of right that was all wrong for me.
On the other hand, the WP suspension on the RC8 worked great.
The bike transitioned side-to-side effortlessly, with super-light, neutral steering. If there’s a thing I’d change to help handling, it’s the shape of the gas tank. Huh? In later sessions, when accelerating hard still leaned over in faster corners, I wanted to move my weight forward, if only a couple inches, but the tank wouldn’t let me.
A few times there was a question of front-end push-the answer was to ride even harder to get the RC8 to finish the turn by sliding the rear. The suspension gave a highly intuitive feel for traction that inspired such antics.
Current involvement in roadrac-
ing with a two-stroke GP effort and domestically with the Red Bull Rookies Cup has kept KTM in touch with pavement. Good thing, because the RC8 is the company’s most important model ever, meant to take on their Italian friends from the other side of the Alps.
Further testing awaits, but if my serendipitous Jerez test is any indication, I’d say Ducati will soon have another Twin to worry about.
