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| Three KTMs on Track |
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The only thing more disorienting than Skip Barber teaching motorcycle roadracing skills is riding big orange KTM sportbikes during the class. The next thing you know we’ll have an African-American president and then Fiat will buy Chrysler.
But change isn’t all bad, you know. KTM Sportmotorcycle has been in the streetbike business big-time since 2006, with the cornerstone of its lineup a lightweight, torquey and fast-revving liquid-cooled V-Twin. We first saw it in the 950 Adventure, which has quickly become a favorite steed ‘round these parts. But how sweet would a sportbike be with that motor? The angular, futuristic-looking RC8 is that machine and KTM will bring 300 into the USA for 2009.  RC8 But it feels like less, especially if you’re used to streetbikes. On a racetrack, the 690 Duke feels feathery light and crazy-fast. The wheelbase is a stretched-out 58 inches, but the big tapered aluminum bar lets you turn the bike faster than you can think. Cornering clearance is no problem, and the motor revs as quickly and freely as an inline-four, although vibration is noticeable as the motor nears its power peak. And yes, it’s fast. Braking performance is superlative, which is almost a shame, as the light weight and easy steering make it easy to carry so much corner speed that you don’t really need to use the stoppers. But when you do, look out: they have incredible power and feel, and the rear brake is tuned like a supermoto’s, locking the back tire with ease to produce loud and fragrant 40-foot darkies in the braking zone. The 690s were less popular with the students than the faster rides, even the 16-year-old kid who should have loved the bad-puppy charms of the little white bikes. “He’s used to Fours,” said his dad, after he saw me smacking the kid with my empty glove screaming, “How could you not like that bike! You’re a teenager!” But it’s not like the other bikes aren’t fun. The 990 Super Duke uses the fearsome and lightweight 75-degree, four-valve, dohc motor you’ve seen in the Adventure model, but fuel-injected and tuned for more top-end power, to the tune of a claimed 118 at 9000 rpm. It goes into another chome-moly tube steel trellis frame, with a lanky and linkage-less WP shock bolted right to a long aluminum swingarm. The front end is a 48mm WP fork, and there are radial-mount Brembos with twin 320mm discs. On track, the bike looks like a supermoto but handles more like a roadracer; stable, forgiving and neutral. I did have trouble achieving the proper body position, as the end of the handlebar would be right in my face in turns. That was quickly forgotten on corner exits: the clattery V-Twin has tons of smooth power, especially at the top of the rev range.  690 Duke I also wanted to try the R version of the Super Duke, finally available here. It gets a different frame with steeper rake, a different tailsection, an extra 12 hp, and all kinds of other touches (like a steering damper) to justify its $15,598 pricetag (on leftover 2008s; there are no 2009s and no word yet on 2010 availability. The standard Super Duke is similarly only available as a 2008 for $14,398). It was much faster and quicker turning, with a more rambunctious nature; keeping the front wheel down is a full-time job on the R.  Super Duke If the Dukes are for fun, the RC8 is for serious track duty. Its motor is bored and stroked to 1148cc. Twin 52mm throttle bodies, 12.5:1 compression and advanced electronics extract a claimed 153 hp at the crank. The motor is contained by a chrome-moly steel trellis frame with aluminum swingarm and subframe. The inverted 43mm front fork and linkage-equipped rear shock are both fully adjustable. Brakes are radial-mount Brembo with suitably soup-plate-sized rotors. It’s equipped with a lap timer (and kudos for having a dedicated “lap” switch to trigger it, right next to the rider’s left thumb), digital dash, and all the instruments you’d expect from a $19,498 sportbike. The RC8’s riding position is all sportbike, although the seat is lower and bars are higher than what you’d find from other Euro twins. It’s actually pretty comfortable, and I found it much easier to get my body into position than the street-oriented Dukes. Steering response wasn’t compromised by the stubby bars, yet it still felt neutral in turns and stable at high speeds. The suspension neatly absorbed Laguna’s few bumps and divots not yet ironed out by the FIM’s hatchetmen.  Super Duke R The motor is the star of the show on this bike. It’s smooth, revvy and very powerful, more like a very flexible (and fast) middleweight four than a horny, thundering V-Twin. With the throttle wide open, the bike feels like it can go any speed and do anything. But none of these orange bikes are for the unskilled or reckless. KTM’s slogan is “Ready to Race,” which means that even though these bikes have turn signals and license-plate brackets, they are set up for the racetrack, with all the plusses (like great suspension, brakes and power) and minuses (like heart-stopping pricetags and maintenance requirements a little more intense than Japanese sportbikes) that entails. They were perfect for learning at Laguna, and they’ll reward skilled riders street or track. |