While sportsbike sales may be on the floor, high-end limited edition machines still seem to be holding up, or at least that’s what KTM are hoping with the announcement of their latest RC 8C track bike.
The Austrian company have been making the RC 8C in small numbers for a few years now, having announced the first version back in 2021. This will be the third iteration of the model and, as before, they’ll be making just 100 units available for sale. The RC 8C is not only a very special motorcycle – ownership also gets you into an exclusive club which includes a VIP handover event at the Portimão circuit in Portugal. At £36,999 it’s not cheap, however KTM has had no troubles selling them out in the past.
The bike itself remains a featherweight racer built around KTM’s parallel twin engine, a modified version of the powerplant found in the latest 990 Duke, with a claimed 133bhp pushing just 145kg. There’s no official word on whether there have been any internal modifications to get the 10 extra horses from the 947cc parallel twin, however it does feature a race exhaust system from Akrapovič and a new airbox design.
Although there are no major race series currently accommodating the RC 8C, the specification is not far off what you’d find on a Moto2 race bike. Indeed the machine has been developed in conjunction with Krämer Motorcycles, who have raced their own machine to some success in the British GP2 race series, which runs at British superbike race meetings alongside the British Supersport category.
The hand-built machines are dripping in the best race-developed components KTM can throw at them. The 25CrMo4 steel tubular frame is developed specifically for the 8C, as is the carbon fibre bodywork – which is heavily inspired by the fairings found on the company’s RC16 MotoGP racers, including the massive aerodynamic wings.
Suspension comes from KTM’s subsidiary company, WP, and has the top tier APEX PRO 7543 closed cartridge forks up front. The 43mm units are fully adjustable and designed exclusively for track use, and they work in conjunction with the equally high-spec APEX PRO 7746 rear shock absorber.
Braking comes from Brembo, with the MotoGP style 19RCS CORSA CORTA radial master brake cylinder linked to the Stylema front brake calipers, which in turn stop the fully floating 290 mm brake discs. A Brembo two-piston caliper is used at the rear, with aluminium disc and titanium screws specified in the name of saving weight.
Confirming the 8C’s position as a bona fide race bike, it comes with trick features like quick release body panels, including the fuel tank, lightweight wheels from Dymag and Pirelli slick racing tyres. It’s even got race style onboard datalogging, with the 5” TFT AIM dashboard featuring built in GPS functionality, which allows riders to record and analyse their riding.
Sound like the bike for you? Well, you’ll have to be quick. KTM has an online ordering system, which opens later this month (March 20, to be precise) so head over to ktm.com with your credit card in hand.
If you are successful in securing one, KTM will do one heck of a handover for you. They’re hiring the iconic Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit in Portugal (aka Portimão), although the bike is pitched as being ‘Ready to Race’ to attend the event you will also have to purchase the additional (and mysterious) ‘race parts package’. As well as enjoying a very special track day, KTM’s engineers will help you set the bike up while the team’s factory riders will take you around for some hot laps in a KTM X-BOW sports car. They’ll be laying on a bit of a spread too, and say that the Portimão event will also see an exclusive preview of what we can only assume is a future KTM product.
