Just had a spin through your album Damodici just to check out what may be the best looking sports bike ever? Please find a bit of time to explain good and bad points (if any) of this fine machine.
2008 model not the R version.... is crap!!!!!!!!!!!!! the newer 1s had better engine fueling etc! I had 1... you cant ride it in town crazy bad! slow! i only got around 155mph max doesnt wheelie that great (long wheel base) doesnt sound that great when on bike, loads of vibration, dash is abit werid but cool,fuel guage god that was strange, no rear storage at all, for a general bike i wouldnt get 1 again unless was newer 1 or a R Prob great on track Bike looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everyone loves it, great brakes and suspenion, you can adjust just about everything you can think of to suit you! Loads cool trick parts you can buy, esp if you like orange I had mine around a month.. was a love hate thing
Strange, three of my mates have them and love em, think the newest is a ten plate. I'm sure there's something you can do to them to smooth out the throttle response? Either way, they do looks the nuts, everywhere we go there's crowds of people around them.
I looked after one in 2009 Bsb support races "2009 Bsb rc8 supercup" wanted to hate the bike from the start but over the year I came to love it, we came 4th in the championship. For thanks they loaned me the old RC8r and I would still say one of the best bikes I have ever rode on the road! Awsome bike! Corners like on rails even two up we could ride knee slides down full lean with one hand! My girls not afraid! Had no problem with wheelies neither ....LOL love it! But then I know them inside out, I can pull and rebuild the engine and rebuild in 12 hours. Not many superbikes are that easy to work on single handed.
My friend has one, he bought the R after smashing his wrist up. The riding position helps take the weight off the wrist. He wasnt keen on throttle response at first so changed to the quick action you get with the bike and had it remapped. It is now brilliant. Handles superbly. The only issue he has is that he cannot get an aftermarkrt exhaust other than the acropovic for £1200. So Arthur if you have any contacts for a good can PM me.
Yeah the akra is big bucks! There are a number of systems around he should check out the ktmforum they have been talked about many many times before...ask damo! LOL.... Let me tell you this the rc8 full system is LOUD! Low down fueling was an issue but as you say It's easy fixed, the new r model is somewhat cut down from the old one with cast wheels etc etc but with twin spark heads and many more mods to make it a better bike however there is nothing wrong with the old r model at all and imo is a nicer bike. The dash is the only thing I did not like but loved everything else most of all the riding position like you say upright but easy to get low and in a sports bike position at will.
Got a JCexhaust on my rc8,sounds deeper and better than the acropovic and its a lot cheaper.if you join ktm rc8 forum you get approx £100 off the exhaust.cost me £650.http:J C Exhausts Products www.jcexhausts.co.uk
Do you have a link to the best forums to use please. I just had a look and could only find ktm uk forum.
Oh dear.... nothing sounds better than the Akrapovic matey, its simply the best sounding exhuast on any bike ive owned.
The RC8? Bad points? Well, in the main.....and i dont mean to generalise (but we've seen plenty of em on the KTM forum) the majority of people who hate them do so because they fell in love with the looks, bought one and simply dont get on with Vtwins. They started riding Jap 4's, never ridden anything else and suddenly think becuase a bike feels different its crap....or because they cant ride it its crap The same happens to people who buy ducatis on a whim, it takes a technique adjustment i assume.... I dont know cos i did things the other way round. It really is that simple imo, you see i came from a Ducati back ground, even owned the more recent variants such as the 848 etc and the RC felt smoother to me than the Ducatis, from the day of my test i rode Vtwins.... Jap bikes are so much easier to ride if im honest, that dosnt make em bad, it just makes em different. Mine is a newer model though so its 'slightly' better fueled as standard and ive added a simple progressive throttle housing and stealth rear sprocket, sorts everything. Handles brilliantly, really tall bike so great for big lads like me and with the Akra on song its sounds phenominal..... it makes me smile just thinking about how it sounds when you shut the throttle off coming in to a bend, flames fire out the exhaust from unburnt fuel, and the thing just roars Oh... and the titanium headers glow purple.... im sure Arthurs got a vid of one havnt you mate? So.... to summarise, the older versions are the 'problem kids'.... not all of them but some, but everytime i look at mine i just love it..... to me its one of the best styled bikes ever, its not trying to be anything else, its just the RC8 I do love my blade though...... i just love em both for different things
Mmm, all I know is two of our Akras fell apart! But them boys ride HARD so hard my rider was grinding the mid fairing away on full lean...! Got to say one of the few bikes that made stuff fall of the racking in the workshop..lol
to be fair mate if you like the JCE thats fine, personally i prefer the Akra but then again i didnt pay £2200 for it either
General Question,Are there issues like super dear to have serviced or have belts like the Ducati has (or had) ?