Word is out that KTM’s got a new bun in the oven – and from the looks of it, we’ll be seeing a machine to grace the space right next to the 890 Duke.
Let’s talk about it.
The report from MCN tells us a few tidbits – mainly, that the bike’s styling is very reminiscent of the highly anticipated RC 8C – and why wouldn’t it be when the RC 8C was met with such wild excitement that all 100 examples of the machine sold out in just four minutes and 32 seconds?
We have another clue, and it’s connected to what’s next on the docket for KTM.
“…mechanically, it takes its components from the next-generation parallel twin Duke, which is expected to be a ‘990’, with a slight capacity increase over the current model.”
“Maybe it’s not a naked,” you muse.
“Will we finally get to see a supersport from KTM fit to scream its battle cry on the good streets of America?”
Fat chance…not unless somebody higher up turns a complete 180.
The rub is in the wording of KTM’s CEO himself, recalled in a Ducati Forum a handful of years back when Stefan Pierer is pressed for the possibility of a homologated version of the R16.
“I would say it’s still state of the art, and there is nothing else like it. It’s a classic Superbike. But with the increase in safety concerns, I’m afraid bikes like this don’t belong on the street, only on a closed course,” finishes Pierer in an article from TheRideAdvice.
The mystery bike is seen in the spy shots (these via an article from Motorradoneline) with carbon air intakes on Brembo Stylema front brakes and WP Apex Pro forks, with “separate compression and rebound thumbwheels…matched by a direct-action, remote reservoir shock and Apex Pro steering damper to further the sporty credentials.”
There’s more.
The frame doesn’t sport the expected trellis from the RC 8C. Rather, it’s more similar to that of the 890 Duke, with a ‘banana curve’ swingarm to make way for the obligatory Akrapovic exhaust.
We get a bit more of a sporty function with the fuel tank tucked under the seat, though no luxurious self-supporting tank is to be seen; rather, the prototype shows off “a plastic tank with aluminium side plates forming a subframe.”
Bottom line? KTM may not have attended this year’s EICMA, but they’re certainly keeping the flames nice and hot in the chop shop.
We will keep you updated on anything else that comes our way; in the meantime, be sure to check out other news from KTM, as well as the new “EICMA2021” category that we’ve curated so you can catch up on everything coming down the pipeline from Milan proper.
Drop a comment below, we love to hear from you – and as always, stay safe on the twisties.
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