It looks like KTM wants to get into the sports bike segment. Back in the early 2010s, the Austrian bike maker had brought the RC8R, but its replacement never came in. Now, test mules of what appears to be a new pre-production large-displacement bike from KTM has been spotted testing.
KTM provides the track-only RC8C along with smaller RC 125 and RC 390, which are road-legal. The 390s are raced in the WorldSSP300. That said, team orange doesn’t have as much representation in motorsports as they would like.
KTM has maintained that higher-power sports bikes are not needed. However, given the market trends and consumer demands, it looks like KTM would enter the higher-power bike segment with a middle-weight offering. This could be the new RC.
We can see that the bike looks to be in the early stages of prototyping. It is far from production ready. It gets a single headlight fixed in the front fairing, which is quite a departure from the split-headlight design of other stable mates. Otherwise, the bike is unmistakably a KTM from the aggressive lines we usually associate with the Austrian bike maker. Even the rear subframe, made from aluminium, is exposed.
According to the spy shots, the new bike could get a two-cylinder, one-litre engine. This could be a larger version of the existing 889cc engine that is offered with the KTM 890 Duke and KTM 890 Adventure.
The bike will also retain the steel frame architecture and get equipped with Brembo brakes. The WP suspension could come from the Apex range. The bike also gets a full-colour TFT display which appears to be bigger than the one offered with the 890 Duke.
In terms of power, the engine could develop slightly more power than the 890 siblings. This could mean a 135-140 HP power output. The exact details are not yet known.
Judging by the appearance, the bike could see the light of the day by late 2023 or early 2024. It will head against the likes of the Ducati Panigale V2, Triumph Street Triple RS and the MV Agusta F3 800.
Also Read – KTM displays 890 Adventure R at India Bike Week 2022