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As soon as a manufacturer makes a top-tier, track-only bike, the number of potential buyers drops down to somewhere in the hundreds in the United States. Making a track-only model is a risk, and somewhat of a headache for the manufacturer when it comes to stocking parts and fielding phone calls for service or possible warranty issues.
When I say track-only, I mean something that was never intended for street use and is virtually impossible to make street-legal. Such is the case with the KTM RC 8C. I only paid casual attention when it was released, but had it in the back of my mind that I'd like to ride one at some point. This July, while doing some schools at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington, one of our students was gracious enough to let me take his out for a few laps. My thoughts on the bike can be summed up with one phrase: "just one more lap." There are a few reasons for that.
When it comes to riding motorcycles, I think we crave two different things: the familiar and the novel. The familiar is good because the experience fits and feels like it should and quickly falls off the rider's radar, leaving attention for the ride, the road ahead. In contrast, we also crave the novel: a bike with very different power, handling, and ergonomics. This makes the bike itself the experience, not just the road. The RC 8C definitely falls in the category of novel.
This is not an entirely new motorcycle, though. The predecessor appeared as the Kramer GP2 890 R in 2020. Markus Kramer is a former KTM engineer with close ties to the Austrian factory. He started a boutique brand of track-only bikes utilizing KTM powerplants in 2013. KTM actually tapped Kramer to do the majority of the production of the RC 8C, which is why it comes with the Kramer decal on the lower fairing. The bike is in fact assembled at Kramer in Germany, not Austria.
What's it like to ride? To begin with, it evoked memories of riding 125 cc and 250 cc GP bikes in the days of my youth. That was mainly due to its light weight and narrow width. The first time I rode a Yamaha TZ250, I was struck by how I could feel everything. The connections with the road surface, the motor, and the brakes were very direct. The RC 8C retains that character, which is both a blessing and a curse. The brakes, steering and throttle have excellent feel and response, which means it complies with your every wish, but it also complies with any erroneous input with the same eagerness. This is something you'd expect, given its 308-pound dry weight. After one lap to understand the level of responsiveness, I got to work seeing how much I could push it — while keeping in mind I was on a student's privately owned $40,000 track bike.
Running into corners hard on the front end had no perceptible effect on the bike. Instant compliance. Driving out of the corners it tended to track out slightly wide, which made sense as the suspension was noticeably soft in the rear. Lacking the time to tinker with the suspension, I rode around that issue and kept saying to myself: "one more lap." I was initially planning on five laps, but kept craving another.
Mid corner the bike is on rails while still being light and responsive. I think I ran about a dozen laps, still wanting more. The following day, I sheepishly approached the owner asking if I could have another go because "I need a few more laps to completely form an opinion." He knew I just wanted more fun time and was happy to oblige.
Riding the RC 8C reminds me how far rider aids have come with the average street bike. Your typical liter or middleweight sport bike is very forgiving and will cover up many rider errors, such as minor handlebar and small throttle hesitations. The KTM lays them bare. That's another reason why I kept wanting one more lap. I'd notice a small technique flaw and want to return to the same corner the next lap and redeem myself. The RC 8C won't instantly make you a better rider, but it will clearly expose your strengths and weaknesses.
The 128-horsepower parallel-twin engine is an upgraded version of the well known and versatile KTM 890 powerplant. The motor is not particularly remarkable, but I'd say it's just enough to have a ton of fun while staying out of trouble. I found it important to plan the gearing and shift points. While nothing like a two-stroke, I still had to plan to keep the bike in its powerband and take care not to lug it or hit the rev limiter. Otherwise, significant time would be lost on the spot.
The bottom line is that the RC 8C is an expensive, exotic, confidence-inspiring, and fun bike that leaves you wanting more — more fun and more time to perfect your technique. As I understand, all 100 examples have been sold but you can still buy basically the same motorcycle under the Kramer badge as the GP2 890 R.
It's obvious this bike is "not for everyone," due to price, not being street-legal, etc. But for a microscopic segment of the market, it's the perfect bike.
| KTM RC 8C | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $38,999 |
| Engine | 889 cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, parallel twin |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | 128 |
| Frame | Tubular steel |
| Front suspension | 43 mm WP APEX PRO 7543 fork adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping; 4.72 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | WP APEX PRO shock, adjustable for preload and both high-speed and low-speed compression and rebound damping; 4.72 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers, 290 mm discs, Brembo 19RCS CORSA CORTA adjustable radial master cylinder |
| Rear brake | Brembo two-piston caliper, 230 mm disc |
| Rake, trail | 23.3 degrees, 3.9 inches |
| Wheelbase | 55.1 inches |
| Seat height | 32.3 inches |
| Tires | Pirelli SC1 race slicks |
| Claimed weight | 309 pounds |
| Available | Sold out |
| More info | ktm.com |
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