ktm, a manufacturer most known for their off-road bikes, has finally released their first superbike, the rc8. the concept was revealed in 2005 and after 3 years of development have released it to the public, amazingly with very little changes to the original design.
the shape is divisive. either u love it or hate it. i'm not too keen on the sharp angular surfaces, especially the tank and headlight. in fact, it kind of resembles the '08 zx-10 minus the bazooka exhaust can. speaking of, the one design element that i dig is the under-engine exhaust. it really cleans the bike up (hint hint honda, kawasaki, and suzuki).
the engine is a bored-and-stroked variant of the highly acclaimed lc8 v-twin of super duke fame. capacity is 1190 cc. 155 hp. 88.5 lb/ft of torque. this engine is a direct competitor to ducati's 1098r which is 1198 cc and cranks out 180 hp and 100 lb/ft of torque. the rc8 has some serious catching up to do, especially since it's 50 lb heavier.
the chassis is a steel trellis frame a la ducati and suspension duties are carried out by wp (good stuff!).
i welcome a new manufacturer into the sportbike arena. i hope ktm comes out w/ a middleweight contender. but they has some staunch competition coming from the land of rice and spaghetti.
more to come when someone gets to ride this thing...
[UPDATE] sweet promo vid:
1 comments:
SICK LOOKING bike!
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