Sporty – Triple test KTM 990 SMR, Super Duke R and RC8 R: a delicious R of arsouille! – Rise in power …

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Triple test KTM 990 SMR, Super Duke R and RC8 R: a delicious R of arsouille !

Sporty - Triple test KTM 990 SMR, Super Duke R and RC8 R: a delicious R of arsouille! - Rise in power ...

Radical, the road KTM already does not lack spice! However, true to its ready-to-race motto, the Austrian brand offers its 990 Supermoto, Super Duke and RC8 in Racing version: triple test Site on the track of La Ferte Gaucher !

Rise in power…

Let’s remember … At the origin of the Mattighofen brand, Hans Trunkenpolz, a locksmith by trade, decided to distribute DKW motorcycles and to create the largest workshop in Upper Austria. Quickly, the man made a name for himself in the off-road world and from the 60s, KTM engines (Kronreif Trunkenpolz Mattighofen: to your wishes!) Began to make a solid reputation..

Ambitious and dynamic, the Austrian firm accumulates world titles and dominates the rally-raid by securing no less than six consecutive victories during the Paris-Dakar fire. !

But KTM sees further and wishes to get off the beaten (dirt) paths: in 2003, the factory unveils its first road model, the 950 Adventure! Communicating widely around the now famous "Ready To Race" (ready to race), the Austrian manufacturer capitalizes on models with taut, sleek lines and equipped with a demonstrative LC8 twin cylinder. All inserted with a shoehorn in tubular cycle parts above all suspicion !

From the Super Duke, this sporty roadster with a strong temperament, to the expansion of the Supermoto range (990 SM, SM T and SM R), including the remarkable arrival of the RC 8 hypersportive (read our), KTM carves out a place in the contested road segment, with bold designs and total lack of compromise.

Gradually, this daring bet is paying off: the KTM offer manages – despite European and Japanese competition – to attract a growing proportion of bikers. On the strength of its success in speed (GP 125 and 250), the orange brand then decided to increase the sporting potential of its road spearheads by unveiling versions that smack of powder: the Superduke R, the Adventure R, the 690 Enduro R and finally the 990 SM R and RC 8 R…

Less typical Enduro or Rallye-Raid – and in fact perhaps more suited to the wishes of the majority of French motorcyclists -, the 990 SM R, Superduke R and 1190 RC8 R are intended more specifically for swallowers of small virolos, screwdrivers and lovers of beautiful parts.

Recognizable by their magnificent two-tone paints, these three supercharged motorcycles call upon a salivating hardware based on Marchesini forged rims, Brembo brakes and WP (White Power) suspensions with almost unlimited possibilities of adjustments. Thin and smelling the race, these three Katoches nonetheless make their "Racing" distinction pay cash: if the Super Duke R only suffers from an inflation of 1000 € (13,990 €), the SM R goes to 13,170 € (against € 11,690 in the standard version), while the hypersport takes Karrement € 4,100 (€ 20,590 instead of € 16,490) !

To gauge the real added value of this R designation, Site therefore put the 990 SM R, the Superduke R and the 1190 RC8 R to the test on the track as part of the Track’N’Tests day organized on the selective route of La Ferte Gaucher (read)! Ready to try? Triple try !

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