Hitting the target: KTM's RC8 does it right

By Grant Parsons

For years, the KTM name has been synonymous with dirt. While the company has inched toward pavement in recent years, the new RC8 superbike is a giant leap across the divide.

In a mere 30 months -- short by new model development standards -- the Austrian company went from green-lighting the RC8 to a production bike. Amazingly, nothing about the bike seems rushed.

The 1,149cc V-twin motor is all-new. The 75-degree cylinder angle is the only thing in common with the company’s proven 990cc V-twin. With four dual-overhead valves driven by two cams per cylinder, two balancer shafts to quell vibes, fuel injection and a 141-pound engine, the liquid-cooled mill is said to produce 155 horsepower and 88.5 pounds-feet of torque.

Those are impressive numbers, and they aim the RC8 at the heart of the performance V-twin sportbike market that, until now, has been the territory of Ducati, Aprilia and Buell. And all you have to do is see the bike in person -- or better, climb aboard, thumb the starter and point the big Katoom at the racetrack -- to realize that the RC8 is no copycat. In terms of style, performance and overall ride experience, it stakes a claim that is unique -- and very addicting.

Walking up to the bike, there’s no mistaking it’s a KTM. If the bright orange plastic doesn’t clue you in, the angular, edge design that has become a company trademark in recent years will. Get in closer, and you realize that the bike itself is impressively compact, which makes sense given its claimed dry weight of 414 pounds. The hornet-like tail section comes stock with an easily removable passenger seat pad for those who like the solo look. The fit and finish is exemplary.

The one place you can tell that KTM has a dirt history is in the impressive Multi-Function Electronic Display, which offers enough info to put an enduro computer to shame: tach, speedo, time, coolant temperature, odometer, trip distance, trip time, average speed, laps to go, top speed, best lap time, race odometer and more.

The bike fires with a throaty growl that’s authoritative without being loud, with exhaust gasses exiting through a compact, underslung exhaust that houses a catalytic converter. The fuel injection takes the worries out of cold-engine starts, and the machine is smooth and fast in the early laps of the first on-track session at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with a well-placed shift light to alert you to the 10,000 rpm redline.

It’s when things start happening quickly, though, that the RC8 impresses. KTM’s engineers have hit it out of the park with handling. The bike trail-brakes into corners cleanly, changes lines mid-corner at will -- on the brakes or off -- and inspires confidence. Such ease of use is great for track-day novices as well as the few who will risk a $19,498 RC8 in competition. It would be a natural for endurance racing, since its high-speed manners don’t wear you out, and the ergos are adjustable.

The V-twin motor is charismatic, and a ton of fun to ride at a moderate pace. Though not equipped with a slipper clutch, the bike employs two throttle valves in the throttle bodies and a small shot of computer-controlled fuel on closed throttle downshifts to mimic the behavior.

The RC8 is one bike that aims for—and hits—the heart of the performance V-twin market. And it does so while starting a bold new heritage of performance streetbikes for the Austrian manufacturer formerly known as a dirtbike company.