The revisions KTM advertise all revolve around ride and power
delivery - suspension front and rear improved 30% in damping
efficiency and still from WP thankfully, a twin spark plug head
for each of the 2 cylinders to allow better combustion, improved
fuel injectors, more BHP and a couple of kgs lighter, by all
accounts.
When first seeing the 2011 model it looks nicer than the 2008,
purely because it has better paint design, still plenty of orange,
but better looking overall.
The instrument layout has not changed and neither has the vibration
above 7K revs, it really does let you know you are alive, everything
buzzes with vibration, but I can't say if it's worse, or better,
I just know it vibrates. Perhaps shudders is a better word,
this is not Beach Boys stuff.
The mirrors still have a mind of their own and alter as you
ride along, but you can't see much more than your elbows even
when they aren't vibrating. Your hands still hit the mirrors
when on full lock ... all in all it still has a bit of sorting
to be done, I just hope KTM can be bothered to do this. The
seat is still wafer thin and hard, not totally uncomfortable
for back roads but motorways would be a big mistake.
It still has a several nice touches like the filler cap skirt
to stop fuel splashing onto the tank, and an all too easily
hit lap time button on the left clip on that offers a few different
options of on screen display, too many to list in fact.
The
gear box is still good, or was once I adjusted the gear lever…..the
dealer had dropped the pegs as I requested, but hadn't adjusted
the gear lever and it was hitting the side stand on downward
changes, so I adjusted it myself.
The fairing still offers very good protection and is easy to
get behind to stop any high speed buffeting, best I've experienced
on a sports bike to date. And overall, it's still a V twin,
good or bad? It really depends on what floats your boat.
But this is a V Twin that is stoking to ride. I always did
like the power of the old one, and the new one is no disappointment,
offering loads of low down grunt, (rare on performance V twins
these days), and a good top end too, hitting an indicated 161
mph very quickly with more to go. Who really needs more on the
road?
Well there is a bit more. Apparently there's an adjuster buried
somewhere in the electronic dash that lets you mod the timing
when you put 98 ron juice in the tank, giving a few more bhp.
It's supposed to raise it from 170 to 175. Oooer ...
Other
areas where I noticed improvements were the steering, incredible
compared to the old version, allowing good corner entry and
direction change if needed with a flick of the bars.
The suspension over bumps, when riding slow, is harsh, but
as you pick up speed the high speed compression works well and
allows the forks and shock to soak things up, offering good
compression and rebound damping whilst offering minimal suspension
travel but doing the job well.
I did a few of our usual bumpy back roads and it didn't get
out of shape, it all seemed quite composed. The tyres are good
too, my first experience of Dunlop Sportsmarts, very nice indeed.
So what is this R version? The original R was very track biased
and although this one keeps that it is now a much better road
bike, and I can see more usability in it than before. There
is just one thing that makes me hesitate - where do you put
your luggage? Tankbags are not my bag and plastic tanks don't
aid this option anyway. I'm sure I was once told KTM would be
making some sort of rack for the RC8, but I've yet to see it.
I'm sure if I wanted an RC8R badly enough I would find a way
of getting the Kriega US20 strapped on the back. Somehow.
Some times laters ...
In fact I did want one badly enough, so now I will have to
experiment with luggage options. The US20 should strap on OK
as KTM supply a pillion podule which looks to hold the Kriega
strappage system securely. Not sure there are many other options
but I am inventive so watch this space.
So far Arsey8 ownership has been pleasurable. I have modded
the footrests to their lowest position, the seat to its highest
and brought the bars up and back to their most comfy setting.
The bike now offers a pleasantly spacious ergo and seems to
give my knee a rest. On a 300 mile runabout on a mix of A roads
and back roads at the weekend the bike proved a handy tool and
the only part of me which suffered badly was my bottom - the
ArseyAche is well named. That saddle 'padding' could do with
a bit of added bounce so I shall be looking into options on
that.
My sore arse notwithstanding, I have got to meet some interesting
people - the RC does attract admirers who want to know what
I think of it. I'm not used to this celebrity status, having
owned a long sequence of Fireblades, but I shall do my best
to uphold the principles of KTM ownership, whatever they are.
