The final left-hander at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California is a fast, sweeping transition from the flat, featureless infield to the banked straight below the grandstands. The throttle’s already at full twist when the bike hits the seam separating the two. Immediately after, the shift light on the 2012 KTM RC8 R Race Spec is demanding another gear. Without rolling off, I toe-tap the lever and the KLS quickshifter instantly grabs the next cog. Seconds later the light’s hungry for another and the quickshifter eagerly complies until the rapid succession of upshifts ends with braking then diving down the banking and into the first chicane.
I take a moment to consider the effortless advantage and seamless continuation of power the quickshifter provides compared to its manual shifting counterpart, the RC8 R streetbike I rode in the previous session. Based on 2011 MSRPs, $16,500 for the R vs. $20,000 for the Race Spec (2012 prices TBA), the quickshifter is part of a $3,500 package underlining the company’s “Ready to Race” motto.The KLS quickshifter is only one component on a bike loaded with go-fast equipment that piecemealing together would cost more than the $3,500 KTM is asking. Akropovic Evo 4 Titanium exhaust system, slipper clutch, forged Marchesini aluminum wheels and racing WP suspension don’t come cheap but offer big advantages over the standard RC8’s configuration of stainless steel exhaust, no slipper clutch, cast aluminum wheels and non-racing WP suspension.
The Race Spec RC8 also features a differently-mapped Keihin engine management system, more engine compression, race bodywork, a 520 chain, a racing wiring harness, competition brake pads and a 31-pound weight advantage: claimed 375 lbs vs. 406 lbs, sans fuel. Both models carry 4.4 gallons of go-juice, increasing heft by 26 lbs, bringing total claimed curb weights to 401 lbs and 432 lbs for the Race Spec and R models, respectively.
As the laps accumulate and I acclimate to the performance upgrades, the confidence to push harder increases. With the help of the quickshifter I’m carrying more speed down the front straight, but the combination of racing brake pads and, especially, the WP 4618 race shock and TiAIN coated WP fork, both with modified settings for 2012, maintain the RC8 Race Spec’s composure under hard braking before navigating the chicane at the end of the straight.
Comparatively, the lesser brake pad material and different master cylinder of the R model don’t bite with as much ferocity of the Race Spec brakes, and the R’s WP suspension (unchanged from the factory setting) is overwhelmed by the high-speed braking forces.
Maneuvering in the infield section, where finesse holds sway, the two RC8s are more equally matched. The lesser weight and lighter wheels of the Race Spec bike can be felt during fast right/left transitions, but the advantage is only partly realized because the factory setting of the bars is much narrower than the streetable, comfortable setting of the R model. The wider degree setting of the R model’s bars also lends to better control in fast sweepers. I understand the aerodynamic advantage a narrow setting offers, but the trade-off is reduced leverage during side-to-side transitions as well as reduced support under hard braking. However, a Race Spec owner can adjust the clip-ons to his or her preferred position.
Also detrimental to the Race Spec is its abrupt throttle response in tighter situations requiring smooth power application. KTM claims the ECU on both the R and Race Spec were massaged for 2011 to provide better throttle application (a complaint of the RC8 since its introduction), but there’s an obvious difference in the outcome between the two. Where the R easily maintains a steady, constant throttle through the few long, sweeping corners at the Auto Club Speedway, the Race Spec could be felt surging and even the smallest inputs were met with disconcerting herky-jerkiness.
I take a moment to consider the effortless advantage and seamless continuation of power the quickshifter provides compared to its manual shifting counterpart, the RC8 R streetbike I rode in the previous session. Based on 2011 MSRPs, $16,500 for the R vs. $20,000 for the Race Spec (2012 prices TBA), the quickshifter is part of a $3,500 package underlining the company’s “Ready to Race” motto.The KLS quickshifter is only one component on a bike loaded with go-fast equipment that piecemealing together would cost more than the $3,500 KTM is asking. Akropovic Evo 4 Titanium exhaust system, slipper clutch, forged Marchesini aluminum wheels and racing WP suspension don’t come cheap but offer big advantages over the standard RC8’s configuration of stainless steel exhaust, no slipper clutch, cast aluminum wheels and non-racing WP suspension.
The Race Spec RC8 also features a differently-mapped Keihin engine management system, more engine compression, race bodywork, a 520 chain, a racing wiring harness, competition brake pads and a 31-pound weight advantage: claimed 375 lbs vs. 406 lbs, sans fuel. Both models carry 4.4 gallons of go-juice, increasing heft by 26 lbs, bringing total claimed curb weights to 401 lbs and 432 lbs for the Race Spec and R models, respectively.
As the laps accumulate and I acclimate to the performance upgrades, the confidence to push harder increases. With the help of the quickshifter I’m carrying more speed down the front straight, but the combination of racing brake pads and, especially, the WP 4618 race shock and TiAIN coated WP fork, both with modified settings for 2012, maintain the RC8 Race Spec’s composure under hard braking before navigating the chicane at the end of the straight.
Comparatively, the lesser brake pad material and different master cylinder of the R model don’t bite with as much ferocity of the Race Spec brakes, and the R’s WP suspension (unchanged from the factory setting) is overwhelmed by the high-speed braking forces.
Maneuvering in the infield section, where finesse holds sway, the two RC8s are more equally matched. The lesser weight and lighter wheels of the Race Spec bike can be felt during fast right/left transitions, but the advantage is only partly realized because the factory setting of the bars is much narrower than the streetable, comfortable setting of the R model. The wider degree setting of the R model’s bars also lends to better control in fast sweepers. I understand the aerodynamic advantage a narrow setting offers, but the trade-off is reduced leverage during side-to-side transitions as well as reduced support under hard braking. However, a Race Spec owner can adjust the clip-ons to his or her preferred position.
Also detrimental to the Race Spec is its abrupt throttle response in tighter situations requiring smooth power application. KTM claims the ECU on both the R and Race Spec were massaged for 2011 to provide better throttle application (a complaint of the RC8 since its introduction), but there’s an obvious difference in the outcome between the two. Where the R easily maintains a steady, constant throttle through the few long, sweeping corners at the Auto Club Speedway, the Race Spec could be felt surging and even the smallest inputs were met with disconcerting herky-jerkiness.
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