Reprinted from another [cough] forum...
I had a superb Saturday...
I rode up to the KTM Centre at Hemel Hempstead to get a connector sorted under warranty (thanks Mark) with Jess, my Buell/LC4 riding mate, and while we were there, Jason offered us an RC8 and an SM990 for a couple of hours while my bike was being sorted. The weather was perfect and a long route to the Ace Cafe for breakfast and back beckoned...
The RC8... What a bike!!!
I'm not a fan of sportsbikes at all, but the RC8 was comfortable and roomy and although the clip ons were lower than I'd have liked I could see about 12-15mm of upwards adjustment was available, but within a couple of miles I was happy being pitched over the front wheel, and didn't suffer any discomfort at all.
The engine is stunning - truly - just linear, solid, predictable power - like a Superduke that just revs on an on. It didn't really matter what gear you were in - true of all the LC8s - but even more so of the 1190 variant.
The handling was completely predictable and it was easy to choose any line, or change line mid move, and every roundabout and curve was pure pleasure. The suspension gave superb feedback, but then there's those brakes!!! Ohmigod. I slammed on the brakes after nearly missing a speed camera, squealing the front tyres from 90 down to 40 in zero time, and swear the rear wheel came off the road. I definitely braked dangerously hard, but the bike's chassis let me get away with it, and what should have been a crash on a semi-locking front wheel was just a yeeeha inducing moment.
All in all, it was a real pleasure, but what surprised me even more was how well the 990 SM kept up.
The 990...
The 990 is a noticeably better bike than the 950 (sorry guys) in terms of the engine, seating position and possibly the handling geometry too. The brakes were as awesome as the RC8 and with the wide bars it was actually even easier to turn and pick a line. My co-rider, Jess, was with me at every turn. All in all a superb bit of kit - but jesus it's a heavy bike after the RC8 and the Superduke. I felt like I was hauling a sack of cement off the sidestand. Was my 950 SM really that heavy? Anyway, it wasn't felt on the road at all - just when wheeling it around the car park.
My overall verdict was that the RC8 appears every inch as good as the journos and pundits say, and the sense of quality and specialness is matched by peerless performance and stunning, useable power, but having said that the 990 is an almost equally impressive bit of kit, extremely versatile and a huge hoot to ride.
However, my most satisfying moment was getting back onto my Superduke. In terms of riding position and geometry it sits exactly between the RC8 and the SM (as it should) and really gave me the best of both worlds, with all the power and drive of the 990 SM, and knowledge that I could probably stay with the RC8 off the long straights better than the SM, but also knowing I'd have more fun in the ubertwisties and thru town with SM-width bars and more upright riding position.
KTM really do have some of the most exciting bikes out there.
So, would I like an RC8?... Well, no. I'd like a Superduke with the 1190 engine actually... When is the Venom coming out?
Thanks again to Mark, Jason & Luke for looking after me and Jess so well, especially when we didn't even spend a penny and came back an hour late. Sorry.
I had a superb Saturday...
I rode up to the KTM Centre at Hemel Hempstead to get a connector sorted under warranty (thanks Mark) with Jess, my Buell/LC4 riding mate, and while we were there, Jason offered us an RC8 and an SM990 for a couple of hours while my bike was being sorted. The weather was perfect and a long route to the Ace Cafe for breakfast and back beckoned...
The RC8... What a bike!!!
I'm not a fan of sportsbikes at all, but the RC8 was comfortable and roomy and although the clip ons were lower than I'd have liked I could see about 12-15mm of upwards adjustment was available, but within a couple of miles I was happy being pitched over the front wheel, and didn't suffer any discomfort at all.
The engine is stunning - truly - just linear, solid, predictable power - like a Superduke that just revs on an on. It didn't really matter what gear you were in - true of all the LC8s - but even more so of the 1190 variant.
The handling was completely predictable and it was easy to choose any line, or change line mid move, and every roundabout and curve was pure pleasure. The suspension gave superb feedback, but then there's those brakes!!! Ohmigod. I slammed on the brakes after nearly missing a speed camera, squealing the front tyres from 90 down to 40 in zero time, and swear the rear wheel came off the road. I definitely braked dangerously hard, but the bike's chassis let me get away with it, and what should have been a crash on a semi-locking front wheel was just a yeeeha inducing moment.
All in all, it was a real pleasure, but what surprised me even more was how well the 990 SM kept up.
The 990...
The 990 is a noticeably better bike than the 950 (sorry guys) in terms of the engine, seating position and possibly the handling geometry too. The brakes were as awesome as the RC8 and with the wide bars it was actually even easier to turn and pick a line. My co-rider, Jess, was with me at every turn. All in all a superb bit of kit - but jesus it's a heavy bike after the RC8 and the Superduke. I felt like I was hauling a sack of cement off the sidestand. Was my 950 SM really that heavy? Anyway, it wasn't felt on the road at all - just when wheeling it around the car park.
My overall verdict was that the RC8 appears every inch as good as the journos and pundits say, and the sense of quality and specialness is matched by peerless performance and stunning, useable power, but having said that the 990 is an almost equally impressive bit of kit, extremely versatile and a huge hoot to ride.
However, my most satisfying moment was getting back onto my Superduke. In terms of riding position and geometry it sits exactly between the RC8 and the SM (as it should) and really gave me the best of both worlds, with all the power and drive of the 990 SM, and knowledge that I could probably stay with the RC8 off the long straights better than the SM, but also knowing I'd have more fun in the ubertwisties and thru town with SM-width bars and more upright riding position.
KTM really do have some of the most exciting bikes out there.
So, would I like an RC8?... Well, no. I'd like a Superduke with the 1190 engine actually... When is the Venom coming out?
Thanks again to Mark, Jason & Luke for looking after me and Jess so well, especially when we didn't even spend a penny and came back an hour late. Sorry.