The KTM RC8-R Build up - COMPLETED PICS !!!

Well I have decided to try something really different and have purchased a KTM RC8..

I have totally stripped it down as it is another rebuild project bike for me. It is my first ever big v-twin, so I am really keen to get it all built up for the track and it's first ride (which will now be after the Winter break I reckon )

Still it will keep me busy for the next few weeks at least..

Here is a picture of it before the strip down.. It is totally stock and had minor damage (not seen in this pic) but very minor, just needs a lot of set up, adjustment and repair for some small things.. then of course then will start all the track mods.. cant wait..

Macca

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KTM RC-8

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Last edited by Maccarocks on Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:42 am, edited 5 times in total.

fun bikes I had a ride of one of these last year - very grunty and light ! you will have a lot of fun on that

Gosling,

I just have to get used to revving it out to only 10.5 instead of 13.5..!!

Cant wait to ride the torque...!!

I have rebuilt a heap of different bikes, got a bit sick of doing Jap bikes so I was looking at something different. Do you remember the 675 I did..? That was awesome as well.. I loved that bike and I was fast on it straight away.. I hope this one will feel just as good.. it certainly feel light..!!

I cant believe the stuff you get on these bikes as standard, WP Forks, Rear Shock, Steering Damper, Brembo Brakes, Marchesini Rims.. just all of these alone add up to a huge amount.. !! These Austrians know how to build a bike..!!

Macca

a good friend of mine had the 950 Super Enduro for a couple of years - he was just really quick on that bike up in the local mountains - it would keep spitting rocks off the back tyre up to 100mph !! insane really, you had to ride 2-300 metres behind so you didn't cop a rock in the chest......he used to go through a rear tyre every 12-1500km. Could chew through one on a weekend if he felt like it......very fast bike.

You do have to change your riding technique heaps - although for a twin, these bikes do rev out pretty well. There is heaps of aftermarket stuff available for these RC8's - but yeh, they have lots of trick stuff as OEM.

Keep up the oil changes and don't skimp on the oil quality - this is the advice my mate got when he picked up his 950.

Gos,

At the moment it is totally stripped down getting ready for the track, but it will look the same as in the pics as I love that colour scheme..

Done pretty much everything I can at this stage (same as all my track bikes really, I dont spare any expense).. waiting on some shorty levers and the pipe to arrive.. will start on the race glass this weekend.. got all the engine covers fitted, got a couple of small things I have to get from KTM, but it will be well and truly finished by the end of the month..

With the oil, I downloaded the service manual.. and they specify (for the road anyway) there is 7,500 k's between services..!! wow, I thought 5000 k's was enought for my bikes.. but of course on the track they get serviced much more often than road bikes... But KTM do also have an excellent filtration system.. basically a 3 way filtration system with a very large filter.. But I am with you on the oil changed.. more often is always the way to go...

Macca

lookin' forward to some pics mate.

hope you liek the sound of wet farts Macca.

Dont worry about getting used to changing at 10500rpm. it will stopp pulling about 8500rpm

hope you liek the sound of wet farts Macca.

Dont worry about getting used to changing at 10500rpm. it will stopp pulling about 8500rpm

And after talking with a mate from another forum would be a good idea to change there. He had nothing but busted gearboxs and head problems from the moment he tracked his. Was a awsome road bike but just did not like track life.

Macca, i want your job.
Nice pick up

Nice...Nearly brought one as a daily ride,All owners and even the dealer had mention you need to change first sprocket -1 ASAP....Why they never changed it in the show room I'll never know.

Enjoy..

Yes I did read about the horror stories re the gearbox and oil leaks etc.. and it definitely has a clunky gearbox for sure, but this one has had the recall done, so it is a bit 'less clunky'. So far this one has no oil leaks, and I have a mate who works at Pro-Cycles, Hornsby, and in their experience, the RC-8's that where ridden sedately around the street where the ones that seemed to develop the oil leaks and had worse gearbox problems.. the ones that where thrashed where better..?? Maybe it was the constant heat running around in the traffic, as that massive muffler / cat / anchor creates a huge amount of heat from the time you hit the start button...

And of course simply keeping well up with the oil changes is a must, even though the book says 7,500k's between an oil change, I would never have stuck to that (if it was my road bike), hell I cant even stick with the 6000k's between services.. I end up doing it even sooner.. Obviously with the track bike it will be done way more often.

I intend to race this one in the Thunderbikes, so it will be well and truly looked after..!! It has only done 14,000 k's.. and as far as the gearing goes, it does seem to be geared very tall.. and it needs a new chain and sprockets anyway, so I will change them over as well.. might do a bit more test riding first... it is supposed to be my Winter project, but I reckon it might get done a bit sooner..

Macca

Good stuff Macca. I'll be interested to see how it turns out. They're not everyone's taste but I like the look of them. Tracked up it should be sensational

OK after a week of solid work on the new project I got about fitting the race glass last weekend..

It turned out to be a huge job as it did not want to fit exact as I would like it, but after making up a few brackets and some rubber spacers I was able to make it fit just right with no tension... So the front half is totally done and ready for paint...!! The ducktail will need a bit more help as it is just too tight, so I will need to seriously modify it (as in cut a bit out and get it re glassed) to make it fit as snug as it should.. bit of a pain in the butt, but it will be worthwhile in the end.

So here are the pics of the build up to date... I skipped all the pulled down pics and went straight to these.. I am still waiting on a set of ASV levers from USA, the JCE Exhaust from UK, a couple of smaller electronic parts from NSW, and finally a rear brake master cylinder and it will be ready to go... Also will be swapping sprockets over re the gearing being way too tall...

SO here is the latest update...


Macca

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I love the look of these, either in road or street trim.

What colour you going with?

Hi Russ,

I also love the look.. I have always wanted to try one too..!! I am sticking with the satin orange and the gloss black with the gloss black in the centre section where the headlight would be as a sort of number board and also gloss black belly pan.. Same as stock, simple but effective look.. Could be racing it in the thunderbikes soon..!!

Macca