Sharper and lighter than anything that calls itself competition: 123 Nm torque, 170 HP at 10,250 rpm and withs less than 200 kilos fully tanked.
Nonetheless, thanks to innovative solutions and meticulous detail work, we’ve achieved unsurpassed rideability – on the street and on the racetrack, in every situation – of life or riding.
The RC8R’s chiseled design creates a sensation wherever it stops. If an F-117 stealth fighter crashed into a motorcycle factory, the RC8R would be the likely result. Slim and angular, and swaddled with matte-black paint, it looks stealthy, even if its radar-evading qualities are dubious. Although few would describe the black and orange machine as “pretty,” we admire the courage to step outside of the well-worn sportbike design box with its bold origami shape. Opinions vary.
2010 KTM 1190 RC8R
“Angular shapes and bold use of black, white and orange color scheme makes the KTM a clear standout in styling in the liter class, possibly rivaled only by BMW’s new S1000RR,” says MO’s Senior Editor, Pete Brissette.
“They say there’s a fine line separating genius from lunacy, and for the RC8 there’s a fine line between distinctive styling from downright repugnance – you choose,” observes Tom Roderick, MO guest rider and freelance journalist.
Like the Ducati, KTM’s top-line superbike is powered by a liquid-cooled V-Twin, although here, too, it is done a little different. Its cylinders are set at 75 degrees rather than the Duc’s traditional 90-degree Vee for a more compact arrangement. The non-R RC8 makes do with 1148cc and 15 horsepower less than the R’s claimed 170 crankshaft hp made at 10,250 rpm. The R has several high-tech features such as titanium intake valves, a lofty 13.5:1 compression ratio and a low-friction DLC treatment on its camshafts’ finger followers. Peak torque of 90.7 ft-lbs from the Rotax engine is said to arrive at 8000 rpm. We discovered nearly 150 horses pushing the back wheel when we had four-time AMA tuner of the year Carry Andrew strap it to the Hypercycle dyno.
While KTM builds its own frames from large-tube chromoly steel, it sources high-end componentry from world leaders like Brembo and Marchesini across the Dolomite Mountains. Fuel injection comes from Keihin in Japan.
Key Features
- Latest generation LC8 two-cylinder, enlarged oil cooler, optimised gears, displacement: 1195 cc, power: 170 HP (125 kW)
- 7.5 kg lightweight steel trellis frame with modified chassis geometry: caster raised by 6 mm, wheel base shortened
- WP suspension 43 millimetre upsidedown fork, TiAlNi-coated
- WP shock absorber, TiAlNi-coated piston rod
- Forged Marchesini light alloy wheels with a multi-spoke design
- Radially-mounted Brembo four-piston monoblock brake callipers with reinforced 320 millimetre brake discs
- Black-coated, milled triple clamps. Fork, light alloy swing arm, brake callipers and footrest system also black-coated
- Carbon front wheel mudguard
- Adjustable vehicle and seat ergonomics
Anyone who wants a ‘Ready to Race’ 1190 RC8 chooses the extremely powerful, ultralight and extraordinarily refined ‘R’ version. The engineers have used a 2 mm larger bore to increase the displacement to 1195 cc, which, together with the other modifications, has increased the output of the powerful V2 engine to 170 HP. Comprehensive detailed work on the engine has also enabled a more direct response and further optimised rideability. Along with its other benefits, the overhauled chassis impresses through its far greater caster angle, which increases the top speed stability. The numerous high-end components include the front carbon mudguard, the premium-quality, milled triple clamps, the fully adjustable WP chassis components with a frictionreducing coating and the super lightweight, forged Marchesini wheels make the RC8 R not only more playful to handle but also faster. The race winning RC8 R also performs impressively on normal roads.
Tags: brake, brake discs, ducati, f 117 stealth, motorcycle, orange color scheme, s1000rr