Team Owner Hansen Wants A RC8
Mitch Hansen was drooling to get his hands on a new KTM 1190 RC8. He told everyone within earshot (at the last race of the season) that the superbike pumps out 155 horsepower and weighs 440 pounds with a full tank of gas.
He also indicated that a RC8-R will be built, which will have higher specification parts and act as the homologation motorcycle for KTM’s World Superbike race machines. Does that mean that HMC Racing will be in the AMA Superbike paddock in a year or so? Hansen didn’t comment but was wearing a face-wide grin.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer unveiled the RC8 at the Milan Motorcycle Show on November 6, 2007, and said,
The RC8 is the perfect embodiment of the collective know-how and the sporting passion of our development teams. In addition, they have proven that KTM is capable of pushing through its own model strategy and in doing so, being absolutely true to our clear brand philosophy, also on the road.
In other words, the bike is bad to the bone.
The 1150cc RC8 engine will also appear in a semi-naked version called the Venom for 2009
