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Who Had the Better AMA Superbike Racing Debut: The KTM 1190 RC8 R or the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS?

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Mid-Ohio is a great destination if you’re looking to do a track day (we’d recommend riding with these guys), and Mid-Ohio is an even better place to leave if you don’t have a motorcycle with you. However, once a year, the Buckeye State redeems itself by playing host to an AMA Pro Racing weekend. The AMA Superbike races at Mid-Ohio were extra special this year, as KTM debuted Chris Fillmore on its factory-backed KTM 1190 RC8 R Superbike, bringing the Austrian company into a more active relationship with the American Motorcyclist Association.

Also making its first racing debut was the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Superbike, the race version of Erik Buell’s latest street machine (or is it the 1190RS the street bike version of Buell’s latest race bike?). However which way you read that development process, this weekend was the first time Geoff May got to flog the EBR 1190RS in anger on a track with other racers present.

The much anticipated bigger horsepower Superbike was supposed to put Erik Buell Racing on an even playing field with the other manufacturers, as the team had previously been cobbled with its 1125cc homologated Buell 1125R, and accordingly the EBR team tent saw it’s fair share of visitors..

With KTM making its first AMA race outing on its otherwise tried and tested RC8 R platform, and Buell banking on several AMA season’s worth of racing experience to launch its previously un-raced 1190RS Superbike, and interesting contrast comes out from AMA Pro Racing’s latest stop at Lexington, Ohio.

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Racing

KTM Enters AMA Pro Superbike with Factory Team

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KTM Motorsports is teaming up with HMC Racing to field a factory-backed KTM effort in the AMA Pro Superbike Road Racing Championship Series (say that three times fast). KTM & HMC will enter in three races on the AMA Pro Racing calendar: Mid-Ohio, VIR, and NJMP, with rider Chris Fillmore at the helm of the KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec. With the team headed by Mitch Hansen of HMC Racing, KTM is trusting old partners with its first official foray into AMA road racing.

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News

Ty Howard Flogs the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R

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KTM-sponsored rider Ty Howard got some track time with the new 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R, and the Texan seems to be very positive about the changes the Austrian company has made to its already potent superbike package. Instead of aiming for more power, KTM’s goal was more rideability (though the Ready to Race brand did manage to squeeze a few more ponies out of the 2011 machine).

Thus, it’s fitting that changes include a new fueling system, new crankshaft, heavier flywheel, and dual-spark ignition. The 2010 KTM 1190 RC8 R is probably our favorite track bike, so we have high hopes for the 2011 edition when we finally get a chance to test one. Check out Ty’s impressions of the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R after the jump.

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Rumors

New KTM Superbike Coming in 2012?

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With the announcements of KTM lopping $3,500 of the KTM 1198 RC8 R’s price tag, thus replacing the RC8 as the base superbike model in its line-up, and the new 2011 KTM RC8 R Race Spec track bike, something appears to be afoot with the Austrian brand. It’s no secret that with the down economy, RC8s (along with just about every other sport bike) haven’t exactly been flying off the dealer floors, which has lead to some speculation that the reduced price on the higher spec model could be purely to help spur sales of the “Ready to Race” awesomebike. We disagree in part.

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Bikes

2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R Price Slashed to $16,499

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KTM must have read our wish list for Christmas (we originally asked for a reduced price and free puppy with every purchase), as not only has the Austrian company improved upon its already impressive KTM 1190 RC8 R v-twin awesomebike, but they’ve considerable slashed the RC8 R’s MSRP. Prices so low, they’re practically giving the bike away, the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R will retail for $16,499 — a nearly $3,500 price reduction from the 2010 model (the RC8 R effectively takes over the price point of the RC8, which has been discontinued for 2011).

Making 175hp (with the right fuel), the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R benefits from a dual spark plug ignition setup that features two different spark plugs for different ignition points. Improving not only performance levels, the new spark plug configuration also gives the RC8 R a 12% fuel economy increase, while decreasing emissions. Also new for 2011 is a new crankshaft and flywheel which have increased masses (100g & 1,000g respectively) to smooth out the power pulses of the RC8 R.

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News

2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R: 175hp…Sorta

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If you’ve heard any loud thuds while visiting A&R the past two weeks, it’s been us falling over ourselves over the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R. For 2011, the new RC8 R gets a number of refinements to its already stout package, and for the spec sheets racers the most drool-worthy stat perhaps is the bike’s modest power boost to 175hp, up from its base of 167hp. There’s a kicker to that power figure though, it comes from switching the base engine map, which is designed for 91 octane (AKI rating, which is what we use here in the USA), to a 93 octane map.

It could seem like we’re splitting hairs here, but unless you live next to a race track where gas stations will often carry the 93 octane rated fuel, you’ll be risking pinging KTM’s beautiful 1195cc motor with the lower-rated fuel, and be relegated to using the 170hp engine map while on the street. We don’t know how RC8 R owners will only handle 170hp on the street, hopefully the photos after the jump will help.

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News

More Photos of the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R

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If you are like us, you were left wanting more when the first images of the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R leaked ahead of its EICMA debut. It is hard to imagine how KTM could improve upon the RC8 R platform, but the Austrian company did so anyways, upping the performance level to 175hp, while adding some hot new color schemes for 2011. If you have the means to afford one, we highly recommend picking up this v-twin monster – it’s simply superb. Check out the 18 photos after the jump, and bring a washcloth.

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Bikes

2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R Leaks Ahead of EICMA

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According to the folks at Hell for Leather, KTM is not only updating the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R with a bevy of eye-catching color schemes (see the drool-worthy gallery after the jump), but has also taken it upon itself to upgrade the Austrian bullet with an additional 7hp or so, bringing the RC8 R’s final total up to 175hp (torque gets a modest increase of 1.5 lbs•ft, totaling in at 93.6 lbs•ft).

Installing a new crankshaft, heavier flywheel, and dual-plug ignition, KTM hopes that the new 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R will not only be more powerful than its predecessor, but also smoother and easier to ride. We found the 2010 KTM 1190 RC8 R to be one of the best bikes we’ve ever ridden on the track (we are partial to v-twins though), so the idea that the 2011 KTM 1190 RC8 R will build upon an already exceptional package tickles our fancy quite a bit.

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