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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R

We told KTM when we rode the 1198 RC8 R that it was the perfect bike for the track. Agile steering, gobs of v-twin power, sure-footed suspension…there really wasn’t anything more we could ask from the Austrian manufacturer (except maybe a price reduction and a free puppy with every purchase). Someone at KTM must have agreed with our sentiments, because the Ready to Race firm has taken that mantra to the next level with the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track, it’s ready to race incarnation of the KTM 1198 RC8 R.

We leaked photos of the bike earlier this weekend, but now we have the juicy hi-res goodness that you’ve been waiting for. FIM Superstock legal, the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track makes 180hp with the included Akrapovic EVO exhaust system (up 13hp from the road-legal 1198 RC8 R). The 1198 RC8 R Track also includes a new air filter, a thinner head gasket, and a revised engine map for race use, which help make additional power for race usage.

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R

Obviously everything street-related has been removed from the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track, making the bike even lighter than the svelte road version. The wiring harness has been re-worked with dismantling in-mind, which every track day enthusiast will enjoy while wrenching from the pits. Choked full with other goodies from the KTM racing catalog (footpegs, pads, seat, rear-stand, etc), the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track could command a healthy price tag, but with European pricing starting somewhere between €17,000 and €18,000, pricing here in the States could be as low as $17,000.