2010 KTM 1190 RC8R Review

I've fallen in lust with enough Ducatis over the years that I'm skeptical about competition from any other European V-Twin sportbike contender. How could any company compete with Ducati's legendary race history and artful, sensuous styling?

Well, KTM, long known only for its highly capable off-road bikes, is doing it by being different – mostly. One look at the 2010 KTM 1190 RC8R is all it takes to know that it wasn't designed by an Italian. KTM is based in Austria (as is designer Gerald Kiska who has worked with KTM since 1991) just a day ride over Stelvio Pass from Italy, but there's no mistaking KTM's non-Italian Teutonic design language. Perhaps the distinctive design of the RC8R is the result of Austria’s location snuggled between Italy and Germany: the cold, engineering-driven German influence blended with the romance of Latin Europe.
Opinions about the beauty of the KTM RC8R vary wildly, but no one will ever call it boring or uninspired.

Opinions about the beauty of the KTM RC8R vary wildly, but no one will ever call it boring or uninspired.

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.

“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.
KTM’s compact LC8 V-Twin is used as a stressed member to augment the large-tube chromoly steel frame.

KTM’s compact LC8 V-Twin is used as a stressed member to augment the large-tube chromoly steel frame.

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.

Adjustment Attitude

We’ve whined for years about the lack of ergonomic adjustments on motorcycles, a one-size-fits-all philosophy. Over the past couple of years, we’ve been lauding recently added features such as adjustable seat heights (BMW, Honda ST1300,Yamaha FJR, FZ6R) and foot controls (Suzuki GSX-R, Yamaha R1).

Well, KTM has one-upped them all with the variety of ways to custom fit an RC8R to its riders. Here’s a list of components to adjust.

Front brake lever: Nearly ubiquitous, so no major bonus points there.

Clutch lever: Surprisingly still unavailable on many modern motorcycles.

Handlebars: The conversion from almost sport-tour-y to racebike is accomplished with four bolts and fewer minutes.

Seat: Not just the seat but the entire subframe, altering seat height from 31.7 to 32.5 inches in mere minutes.

Footpegs: Lots of legroom when set in their lowest position yet still difficult to drag. Virtually unlimited ground clearance when in their high position.

Shifter: Adjustable for length (3 positions), leverage and GP-shift conversion.

Brake pedal: Nub adjustable for length in 3 positions.

Rear ride height: An eccentric allows simple adjustment over a 12mm range.

Gauges: Separate displays for street or track, most available via a pair of toggles on the left clip-on. The Road setting has displays for tripmeters, clock, fuel mileage, miles to empty (best- and worst-case scenarios), trip time and ambient temps. The track setting has displays for lap timers, top speed, max rpm and race duration.

By Kevin Duke, Dec. 23, 2009, Photography by Alfonse Palaima