Lightweight Among Elite

Newcastle Herald

Saturday December 8, 2007

Brent Davison

IT has only been a couple of weeks since Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM pulled off a major coup with the announcement that it would join the elite ranks of the world's superbike makers.

The orange bike revealed at the announcement seemed to indicate that KTM has the walk to match the talk, using as its baseline a prototype exhibited in Tokyo back in 2003.

Enter the 1190 RC8, effectively an all-new design using the latest technology, including an all-new engine, an 1148cc, 75-degree V-twin a second-generation LC8 used for its Adventure, Supermoto and Super Duke machines.

A compact motor, the fuel-injected, liquid-cooled RC8 uses chain-driven, double overhead camshafts on each cylinder to activate the four valves that help develop a hefty 116 kilowatts and 120 Newton metres of torque.

It snuggles into a light but rigid chassis and mates up to a close-ratio, six-speed transmission.

Austria's first-ever superbike features a welded chrome-moly steel pipework chassis that weighs in at a fraction under 7.5 kilograms, claimed by KTM to be about five kilograms lighter than comparable frames.

Suspension for the new KTM biggie features 43mm -diameter inverted front forks and spring preload adjustable over a 10mm range. At the back there is a swing arm supported by a race-standard central strut with adjustable spring pre-load but also adjustment on the compression phase in the low and high-speed range.

To make it stop KTM has gone right to the top with two 320mm Brembo rotors at the front clamped by four-pot calipers and a 220mm rear disc with twin-piston calipers. Wheels are 17x3.5-inch front and 17x6-inch rear with a 120/70 front tyre and 190/55 rubber on the back.

When it comes to weight KTM claims to have the lightest superbike on the market with the 1190 RC8 coming in under 200 kilograms with a full tank of fuel.

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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