motorcycle turn light_Track Day With the KTM RC8

Track Day With the KTM RC8 and KTM 990 Super Duke

The KTM RC8
Fastrack Riders and KTM teamed up to hold a KTM demo day at Auto Club Speedway where KTM staff were on hand to sign up riders who wanted to ride their impressive line-up of motorcycles.  All the goodies were there: The KTM 1190 cc RC8; the 990 Super Duke; the 990 Super Duke R; the 690 Duke and the 690 Supermoto.

motorcycle turn light news,My day consisted of three on-track sessions; two on the RC8 and one on the 990 Super Duke.  First order of duty would be a ride on the new RC8 as this was a highly anticipated ride for me.  Since viewing the first pictures of this bike on the internet I have been foaming at the mouth to get a ride on one.

The distinct styling of the RC8 really sets it apart from other sportbikes on the market and it's a look that I immediately took a liking to.  If the styling of the bike doesn't float your boat, here are a few things that might; an 1148 cc V-twin cranking out 155 bhp at 10,000 RPM and 120 Nm of torque @ 8,000 rpm.

Suspension is provided by WP Suspension front and rear and they also supply an adjustable steering damper as standard equipment.  Front suspension has adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping while the rear has preload, compression (high and low speed) and rebound damping.  Wheels are five-spoke alloy Marchesini 3.50 x 17" and 6.00 x 17".

The RC8 also comes equipped with premium Brembo components.  On the front are 320 mm floating discs with radially bolted, four-piston monoblock calipers while the rear has a 220 mm disc and dual-piston fixed caliper.

Stopping power was never a question but I prefer something with a little less initial bite.  The Brembos come on so hard initially it took me some time to get a feel for how much pressure to put on the brake lever.  Once deep into the braking they had a more progressive feel with ample bite.

KTM makes the RC8 frame out of chrome molybdenum steel and it weighs less than 16.5 pounds.  The swingarm is made of anodized cast and sheet metal and the linkage system in the rear allows for 7 mm of ride height adjustment.  The RC8 also has adjustable foot pegs and as a whole the level of adjustability on the RC8 is definitely greater than any current sportbike I have ridden.

The speedo on the RC8 is down right swanky and a wide variety of information can be accessed in either road or racing mode via a menu button on the handlebars.  KTM has managed to throw in a clock, trip, digital tach and speedo as well as an on board lap timer plus a few other things too.

The KTM RC8 comes with some very unique and brand-name components and I was curious to see if the bike worked as a package or if it was nothing more than a mediocre motorcycle with some high-priced goodies.

I have heard some good things about the suspension out of the Netherlands but this was my first time riding on WP suspension and I must say I came away impressed.  In fact, it was probably the highlight of the RC8.

The WP rear mono shock did a great job of putting the power down.  There was no squat from the rear when accelerating out of Auto Club Speedway's many flat, hard accelerating corners. T here was some rear-wheel spin going on but it was mostly due to the Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa street tires.  Even when the rear was spinning it was very controlled thanks to the good feedback and feel; no quick step-outs or surprises here.

Turn-in on the KTM was also top notch as the bike tipped in quickly and without too much effort.  Once it was on it's side it was very confidence inspiring and felt extremely balanced and planted.

There are a few serious cracks in the pavement leading onto the banking at Fontana which can upset the bike while at full lean angle.  The RC8 went over the rough patches like they didn't exist -- I couldn't help but thinking I wish I could get my racebike to feel that good over the rugged pavement I could shave some serious time.

Just as the rear had good feel, the front never had me guessing.  Running on street tires, I was pushing the front in some of Fontana's flat corners.  But the excellent feel from the WP front-end meant I was able to ride it to the limit through typically heavy track day traffic without the fear of causing a bowling ball effect while making inside passes on slower riders.  The front always felt very planted and it allowed me to charge hard on the brakes with complete confidence.

The RC8 weighs in at a competitive 440 lbs fully wet, feels very slim and light between the legs, and was precise and flickable while making quick transitions coming off the banking through the switchbacks.  It was very composed through the bumpy fast chicane leading to the back straight; a critical part of the track for a fast lap time.