2024 KTM RC 8C First Ride

[Hugh Janus]

KTM’s 2024 RC 8C is a highly focused track weapon. (KTM/)

If you love your trackdays and have $1,000 lying around, you may want to get down to your local KTM dealership extra pronto. That’s because a thousand bucks is the minimum deposit for the revamped and seriously exquisite KTM RC 8C, the most focused and uncompromised production machine built for the racetrack.

Why so focused? As a track-only bike, it was never intended to be homologated for the road. Free of the compromises necessary to build a sportbike for the public highway, the Austrian manufacturer, working in partnership with race specialists Krämer Motorcycles, could focus on one design target only: cutting awesome lap times on track. Every detail, right down to its adjustable steering head angle and special aero wings, exists to make it quicker apex to apex. And, as we shall see, that makes for a ride unlike anything you can experience on a fully homologated, Euro 5+, road-legal sportbike.

Even if track-only scalpels aren’t your bag, this updated version of RC 8C takes on a wider significance since KTM recently revealed outline details of the 990 RC R that will go on sale in 2025. The 990 will be KTM’s first pure road-going sportbike since the withdrawal of the much-loved RC8 and, while the two machines’ engine capacities will differ and many of the RC 8C’s race details will be exchanged for required road equipment, both bikes will share similar power and torque outputs, chassis design, dimensions, and geometry.

Going price for a 2024 KTM RC 8C: $41,499. (KTM/)

We headed to one of the wildest tracks in the world, Portimão in Portugal, for a tryout of not only the most focused production bike in the world but the bike that will underpin KTM’s reentry into the sportbike market.

KTM RC 8C Recap

The first-generation 2021 KTM RC 8C (and Krämer GP2-890R sister bike) featured a version of the eight-valve LC8c parallel twin normally found in the 890 Duke, albeit with a different airbox and exhaust. That original RC 8C made 128 hp and 73.8 lb.-ft. of torque and was 8 horses up on the standard Duke.

2024 Model Technical Details

The 2024 iteration uses the same 890cc power unit with a tune that nudges peak power up to 135 hp and, more importantly, revs to 12,000 rpm instead of 10,500 rpm. Using titanium valves and con-rods, two piston rings per cylinder, and larger 48mm throttle bodies, KTM has essentially lightened the engine internals, upped the compression ratio, and added more fuel to the mix to make it punch harder and rev higher. An extra oil cooler manages the resultant heat and two (full power) throttle maps can be quickly selected on the move.

KTM’s RC 8C was developed in partnership with Krämer Motorcycles. (KTM/)

One press of the race starter button on the right bar, and the compact and sweetly balanced LC8c barks to life. The race switch gear isn’t labeled, so there’s a brief moment of familiarization, while the barely silenced full titanium Akrapovič exhaust drenches the pit lane in racy vibes. Note to trackday riders visiting circuits with noise testing: KTM offers a noise-canceling insert and even a quieter exhaust that drops the measured noise level to 98 decibels.

Once underway, the clutch is now redundant thanks to a standard up-and-down quickshifter and auto-blipper. Cruising down Portimão’s pit lane, a quick look down at the new dash (complete with GPS and datalogger) reveals the settings of the new-for-2024 rider aids. Lean-sensitive traction control has nine levels plus off, and there’s wheelie control, which for my first session was active. On preheated Pirelli race slicks we could attack from the pit lane exit.

On the Track

Immediately you feel the RC 8C’s lightness, plus a clarity and sharpness you won’t find on even the most focused road-going sportbike. The KTM also has a wide spread of torque, and in the softer fuel map the power delivery is reasonably easygoing. It’s not pillow-soft, just forgiving, allowing you to ride that smooth and urgent midrange rather than immediately having to switch on the more manic revs and power.

There is an insert available for the exhaust when decibel limits are imposed. (KTM/)

Exiting Portimão’s last turn in fourth gear, however, you dab down on the seamless race-pattern quickshifter into fifth before crossing the start-finish line and grabbing top. This is where you feel the difference of the new, higher-revving engine and its extra serving of power. The new bike is more willing to rev than the old; you can hold on to the gears longer, rev the engine harder—and on open sections of track the new RC 8C is noticeably faster. It’s not a crazy blur of arm-stretching power like a 200-plus horsepower Ducati Panigale or BMW M 1000 RR, but with only 313 pounds to accelerate, it’s certainly lively.

Both engine maps feel similar once the throttle is beyond 30 percent open; it’s the initial pickup that changes, and the second map is sharper in this regard. The new over-rev facility and the map’s aggressive delivery allow you to push for lap times, driving harder between apexes as you hold onto gears longer.

The LC8c unit is slim, light, and above all, flexible. Usable drive lower down and through the midrange makes it easy to ride when you are learning a track or riding tired at the end of a trackday. And its free-revving top-end fizz delivers in spades when you’re hunting down those superbikes or chasing a lap time.

Chassis Wizardry

Harnessing all this urgency is a Marcus Krämer–inspired, multi-adjustable chassis that’s race-ready from the crate. The fuel tank is where you’d expect to find the rear subframe and an airbox where there’d normally be a fuel tank. Almost every part of the chassis is adjustable to optimize and personalize either chassis geometry or rider fit, including the steering head angle and fork offset, as well as the high-end WP Apex Pro suspension. Both seat height and ride height can be changed, along with the bar position and even the brake lever bite point.

Nearly every bit of the 2024 KTM RC 8C is adjustable. (KTM/)

A “Ready to Race” spec also includes Brembo Stylema calipers and 290mm discs, which have a smaller diameter than that of many road bikes as they only have to stop 313 pounds and are among the strongest brakes I have ever used. Lightweight forged-aluminum Dymag wheels and Pirelli slicks are standard along with lightweight fiberglass bodywork—used instead of carbon fiber because it’s cheaper to replace.

You might expect a bike that weighs the same as a road-legal 125 commuter is going to be tiny, but it isn’t. It’s light but also spacious. The adjustable bars are wide and racy but not radical. There is enough room between the pegs and the seat to stop knees seizing. The screen is tall enough to get in behind and the whole cockpit is roomier than a conventional supersport 600′s and perhaps even roomier than some superbikes.

KTM’s RC 8C has a fairly roomy cockpit considering its mass. (KTM/)

Crucially, the RC 8C is 66.1 pounds lighter than the race-ready Yamaha GYTR R6 and 112 pounds lighter than a road-legal Panigale V2—and on the move you immediately feel that lightness. Those undersized discs and light Dymag rims minimize both unsprung mass and steering inertia and help make the bike flickable in a way no road machine can match. Until you recalibrate to its lightning rate of turn it’s all too easy to turn too early to the apex.

Handling is quick on the RC 8C but also stable. (KTM/)

But don’t be fooled into thinking the RC 8C is a flighty beast because it’s as stable in high-speed corners as much heavier sportbikes I’ve ridden at Portimão—and far more accurate. Those distinctive aero wings probably contribute, as does the adjustable Hyperpro steering damper, and despite my best efforts to destabilize the RC with my clumsily shifting bodyweight, I couldn’t provoke a moment of protest from the unflappable chassis.

Electronic Aids

The first-generation RC 8C didn’t come with rider aids but now lean-sensitive traction control is standard. There’s a wet setting optimized to wet tires, and another setting designed specifically for slick rubber, while you also have the option to turn off the TC entirely.

With only 135 hp on tap and a chassis that feeds you with so much feel and grip, TC is a bonus rather than an essential. For the final session of our test, though, I switched it on and enjoyed tailoring its intervention level to the changing needs of wearing tires and how I wanted to ride.

For club and national racers, the adjustability of the chassis and the electronics will be invaluable; for simply enjoying the RC 8C on a sunny trackday, however, it’s far less critical as the rider is given such forensic feel. There’s no vagueness or moments of uncertainty. The bike tells you exactly what the tires are doing.

The anti-wheelie control is either on or off, and around the undulations of Portimão it is a helpful tool. The combination of torque and lightness means the front Dymag wants to lift over the track’s roller-coaster crests. With TC on, the system intervenes in a soft and tapered manner, controlling the power just so.

Wheelie control is either on or off, nothing in between. (KTM/)

The RC 8C is one of those rare bikes that builds your confidence with every lap. It helps you push harder and feel what the tires are doing in relative safety. I made a slight change to the rear shock’s setting via the remote preload as I’m a little on the heavy side, but otherwise I wouldn’t want to touch anything. I should also add that I don’t think I’ve ever braked so late for Portimão’s turn one—the braking power is phenomenal.

As you’d expect from a $41,499 motorcycle, the level of finish is high and quality components are used throughout. The 5-inch TFT display comes with an integrated data recording and GPS function. Live lap times are displayed, meaning you can see if you are down or up on sectors as you ride your real-life video game. Speed, lines, lap times, throttle, and other engine data can be logged and later analyzed.

What helps make the RC 8C special is a level of attention to detail you normally only find on a well-sorted racebike. Oil and fuel drain screws, for example, are lockwired, as are the oil filter and even the caliper bolts, and there’s a covering of crash protection on the spindles, frame, fuel tank—even the swingarm has small protector plates behind the race pegs so the pegs don’t dig into it in a crash. Rubber steering stops prevent the frame from getting damaged at full lock, a brake lever guard is standard, and even a one-touch rain light is at the back.

Connection between the rider and tires is beyond the realm of mort sportbikes. (KTM/)

A 4.2-gallon fuel tank is at the rear and is accessible via the cap just below where a conventional pillion seat would be. Just over 4 gallons should be enough for a few track sessions, 80 to 90 miles, and for those who want to go racing there’s a clever drain plug at the bottom of the tank, which allows you to drain the fuel completely and therefore measure the precise amount of fuel before each race.

Verdict

The RC 8C stops, turns, and goes like a factory-built racebike because it is a factory-built racebike, one we would be happy to race right out of the box. The steering is blissfully light and accurate, you can get on the power incredibly early, and the corner speeds and lean angles it can carry are breathtaking.

Thankfully, it doesn’t require the skills of a MotoGP rider. It’s easy to ride, has forgiving chassis, an easy power delivery, and an abundance of helpful midrange torque. There’s now extra safety from the new lean-sensitive rider aids, and the relatively roomy riding position means it can accommodate a variety of sizes. Racers, meanwhile, will welcome the increase in rpm and performance, especially on fast tracks where the old bike struggled a little. They will be able to dive deep into the multi-adjustable chassis to create a bike that meets their specific demands.

The attention to detail on KTM’s RC 8C is undeniable. (KTM/)

Its price tag means the RC 8C is for the extremely committed, and a limited production run will make securing one for your garage a challenge in itself. But with the road-going 990 RC R due next year, the RC 8C gives us an indication of what to expect from the KTM’s first sportbike for many years. And we cannot wait.

2024 KTM RC 8C Specs

MSRP:	$41,499
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled parallel twin; 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	889cc
Bore x Stroke:	90.7 x 68.8mm
Compression Ratio:	14.0:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:	135 hp @ 11,000 rpm
Claimed Torque:	72.3 lb.-ft. @ 8,250 rpm
Fuel System:	Electronic fuel injection w/ 48mm throttle bodies, ride-by-wire
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate, anti-hopping slipper; mechanically operated
Engine Management/Ignition:	Bosch EMS
Frame:	Chromoly steel trellis
Front Suspension:	WP Apex Pro 43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	WP Apex Pro shock, fully adjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Front Brake:	Brembo Stylema radial-mount 4-piston calipers, 290mm discs
Rear Brake:	Brembo 2-piston caliper, 230mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Dymag forged aluminum; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 6.0 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Pirelli Diablo Superbike slicks; 120/70-17 / 180/60-17
Rake/Trail:	23.3°/3.9 in.
Wheelbase:	55.1 in.
Ground Clearance:	7.5 in.
Seat Height:	32.3 in.
Fuel Capacity:	4.2 gal.
Claimed Dry Weight:	313 lb.
Contact:	ktm.com

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