KTM’s latest addition to its bright orange stable is the track-only RC 8C. This limited-production motorcycle is now Team Orange’s largest fully-faired sportbike.
The RC 8C is a lightweight racing prototype with a bespoke chassis. Housed within is the familiar LC8c engine also found in the 890 Duke R. KTM intended this bike as a ‘best of both worlds’ type of machine that’s as close as possible to a factory race bike without the drawbacks of needing special parts and a full race team to maintain it.
Underneath the carbon and Kevlar-reinforced bodywork is a 128hp 889cc DOHC parallel-twin LC8c engine bolted onto a dedicated 25CrMo4 tubular steel frame. This mill breathes through a dedicated airbox and racing air filter, and sings through a race exhaust with an Akrapovic titanium muffler.
Up front is a handbuilt 43mm WP Apex Pro 7543 closed cartridge fork made of lightweight materials. This fork is assembled in the same department that builds and maintains the RC16 MotoGP bike, so maximum track performance is guaranteed. At the rear is a WP Apex Pro 7746 shock with preload adjustment and separate high- and low-speed compression and rebound settings.
Brembo Stylema calipers grab 290mm floating discs mounted on the front end, while a Brembo two-piston unit chomps onto a 230mm floating disc directly mounted onto the rear wheel hub. A Brembo 19RCS Corsa Corta radial master cylinder incorporates solutions adapted from the brake master cylinders used in MotoGP, one of which is the rider-accessible selector for precise bite point adjustment.
Quick-release body panels, the fuel tank, lightweight Dynamag wheels, and Pirelli SC1 race slicks are only some of the details that make the RC 8C’s racing intentions known. Lightweight components bring the bike’s dry weight down to just 140kg, allowing it to achieve a nearly 1:1 power-to-weight ratio.
An AIM MXS 1.2 Race dashboard and data logger with integrated GPS collects and collates data for post-race analysis, and displays information through a five-inch TFT display.
Customers will have the opportunity to join the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing test team at a one-off event limited to only 25 RC 8C owners. This exclusive event gives riders the opportunity to ride with and get tips from Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio at Circuito de Jerez in Spain. Opting for the RC 8C racetrack experience will also net you the racetrack package that includes an extra set of Dynamag wheels, extra brake discs, front and rear paddock stands, tire warmers, and a KTM race carpet.
Only 100 units will be produced for the entire world. Preorders began on July 22, though, so they might be all accounted for by now...
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopBikes.ph. Minor edits have been made.
