KTM RC 890 Spotted Testing In Europe

This will be the biggest road-legal supersport from the Austrian manufacturer after the RC 8

• Uses the same 889cc parallel-twin motor from 890 Duke.
• Could be KTM’s entry ticket to the World Supersport Championship.
• Global debut unlikely before 2023.
  

A couple of months after the limited-edition KTM RC 8C made its debut, the track-only bike’s road-legal avatar has been spotted testing for the first time. The bike looks like it’s in early stages of testing, so before you get your hopes high, we are unlikely to see the upcoming KTM RC 890 before 2023.

The spy shots show that the bike is extensively based on the KTM 890 Duke, with the same chassis, including the aluminum swingarm. However, the test mule seemed to sport a reinforced monoshock linkage. Furthermore, we even spied a bigger radiator on the faired motorcycle than on its naked sibling.

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KTM is likely to use the same LC8 889cc parallel-twin engine that belts out 115PS and 92Nm on the 890 Duke, and pushes 121PS and 99Nm on the 890 Duke R. We reckon that the RC 890 might put out more performance than the naked siblings, but the numbers will be lower than the RC 8C’s.

The fairing on the test mule seems to be lifted straight off the KTM RC 8C but is void of the winglets, and instead gets indicators and twin projectors plonked in the central air vent. Though this may not be the final design, we really hope KTM will do a lot more in the aesthetic department than what we see here, but that might not be the case.

Elements like the air vent for the brakes, indicators with integrated taillight, and the Kramer/ RC 8C-derived fairings are a clear indicator of KTM’s ‘race on Sunday, ride on Monday’ philosophy. In fact, the KTM RC 890 will be one of the most important bikes in recent times for the Austrian manufacturer.

The recent changes in the Supersport World Championship’s regulation have opened up the opportunities for new players in the competition. With the new engine formats allowed, the likes of the Ducati Panigale V2 and the MV Agusta F3 800 RR will enter the championship, and it only makes sense for KTM to use this opportunity, given the resources and the experience garnered from the MotoGP.

Will the KTM RC 890 make its debut in India? It is likely that KTM may bring in the bike in limited numbers, just like the bikemaker did with the 790 Duke.

Source: Motorrad