New KTM Engine for Future 990 Models

[Hugh Janus]

KTM’s new powerplant retains the LC8c name but has been heavily reworked. (KTM/CFMoto/)

We’ve already seen spy pictures of the future KTM 990 Duke and RC 990 sportbike, but now detailed images of the Austrian firm’s next-generation parallel-twin engine have emerged via design registrations. They show a motor that shares its general layout with the previous LC8c twin but with completely new castings for the block, cylinders, and head.

The redesign adds substance to the wide-held belief that the next-generation LC8c-powered bikes will get a capacity increase and the “990″ designation to match as it approaches the liter mark.

The original LC8c started life as the 799cc “790″ and had a 90cc boost to 889cc for the “890″ version via a bigger bore—up from 88mm to 90.7mm. However, further growth requires more extensive changes. The new engine retains the LC8c name (it means Liquid-Cooled, 8-valve, compact) but has been heavily reworked to give scope for future capacity increases.

Images showing the new engine (left) and equivalent images of the existing LC8c (right) allow easy comparison. (KTM/CFMoto/)

In side-to-side image comparisons, it’s clear that while KTM has been careful to ensure key hardpoints haven’t changed—so the new motor can slot into existing bikes if needed—every major component is new. The crankcases, oil pan, cylinder head, and transmission are all reworked, with visible carryover parts limited to the ride-by-wire throttle bodies, the water pump cover, and the ignition coils.

Seen from the side, it appears that the cylinders are taller than before, suggesting KTM has increased the engine’s stroke to gain more capacity. To counter this growth, there’s a heavily redesigned cylinder head that’s more compact, helping to make the overall height of the engine no greater than before. The cylinder castings have more external bracing than before, perhaps indicating thinner cylinder walls, and the horizontally split engine cases are also redesigned, with the oil sight glass moved from its position in the lower crankcase to a new spot on the clutch cover.

It appears that the cylinders are taller than before, suggesting KTM has increased the engine’s stroke to gain more capacity. (KTM/CFMoto/)

The oil pan is new, with its main bulk moved to the left to leave a much larger space under the right-hand side of the engine. In spy pictures of the next-generation Duke, it’s clear this space is being used to accommodate the catalytic converter, keeping the exhaust as compact as possible. Another move to help reduce overall size of the bikes that the next-generation LC8c engine is fitted to is a redesigned rear of the transmission. The top of the transmission has been cut away, probably to give greater freedom to chassis designers when it comes to the position of the rear shock’s upper mount.

The engine will likely be manufactured in China by the CFMoto-KTM joint venture, and might later appear in CFMoto-branded bikes. (KTM/CFMoto/)

Given that the highest-performance versions of the current 890 engine are good for a claimed 119 hp in road-legal form (the RC 8C manages a claimed 133 hp from the same engine), a 990 version should be easily able to pass the 130 hp mark. An oil cooler that appears both taller and wider than the current version hints at the increased performance. The redesign will also be intended to future-proof the engine, allowing for further capacity and power increases.

The first production bike to get the new LC8c is expected to be the 990 Duke, likely to be launched later this year as a 2024 model. The RC 990 sportbike has also been spied several times but could be a couple of years from production. At the moment, there’s been no sight of a 990 Adventure, but it’s inevitable that such a bike will come hot on the heels of the 990 Duke.

Another side-by-side comparison of the new (left) and current (right) KTM engine. (KTM/CFMoto/)

Like the current LC8c engine, the new one will be manufactured in China by the CFMoto-KTM joint venture in that country, and in years to come it could appear in CFMoto-branded bikes as well as KTMs.

Source

[Pedro]

An LC8 it isn’t 

 

[Marcel le Moose Fondler]

Just now, Pedro said:

An LC8 it isn’t 

 

My thoughts exactly....in no way that's and lc8....it looks like China engineering..

[XTreme]

29 minutes ago, Hugh Janus said:

The engine will likely be manufactured in China by the CFMoto-KTM joint venture, and might later appear in CFMoto-branded bikes.

What could go wrong? 

[boboneleg]

6 minutes ago, Pedro said:

An LC8 it isn’t 

 

My thoughts exactly, how can they call it a LC8 , it's a parallel twin not a V 

[Buckster]