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It has been a decade since the KTM RC8 debuted at the Austrian brand’s answer to the superbike question. Perhaps ahead of its time, the RC8 and its progeny were never strong sellers for KTM, though the bike had its highlights (and struggles).

Now, the “Ready to Race” brand is obviously missing a full-faired superbike in its lineup, despite offering the naked “Beast” that is the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, which is a direct descendent of that RC8 project.

Our point? It’s high time that KTM got back into the superbike game, and while the Austrians have made it clear that they are not interested in revisiting the RC8 thesis, KTM is on the forefront of the electric motorcycle movement.

That brings us to these concept creation by Indian designer Mohit Solanki, who envisions an electric superbike from KTM.

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.

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.

OmniMoto has a great piece on some KTM R&D engineers who built the fabled KTM Supermono during their off-work time. The project, which wass not supported by KTM, centers around a KTM 690 Duke motor and modified Duke/RC8 chassis. With about 80hp coming from the single-cylinder motor and its cloth-on-carburetor airbox, this RC4 wannabe looks very appealing on paper with its 140kg (308lbs) weight.

The entire front section of the motorcycle is off a KTM RC8, sans one brake disc for added weight loss. The Austrian-loyal have been clamoring for some time now for a KTM Supermono, and if it looks and sounds as good as this, we’d like one in our garage as well. Check out OmniMoto’s post for a bevy of photos, and bring Google along if you don’t parlo italiano.

Source: OmniMoto

As a California native, I’ve always wanted to ride around Laguna Seca on a sportbike. However my passion for track riding didn’t manifest itself until I moved away from the Golden State to Pennsylvania, making a Seca track day all but implausible. Having just moved back into California, and the warm weather finally upon us here in the San Francisco area, track days and Seca have been on my mind. So when Michael Czysz, Lead Instructor at the Skip Barber Superbike School (and of MotoCzysz fame) shot me an email asking me if I wanted to ride for two days around the fabled circuit and take Skip Barber’s two-day superbike course, I of course took him up on the offer. With perfect 70°F weather, I made my way to the Californian coast, ready to take on The Corkscrew with the brand new 2010 KTM RC8 motorcycle and with the help of Skip Barber’s instructors.

I’ve always heard how Laguna Seca is a special track, and how technical the course is on a motorcycle (or any vehicle for that matter). Driving into Monterey from Salinas, you get about half the distance between the two cities when the track entrance jumps up on you. Most tracks you can see for miles as you approach them, but Laguna Seca is nestled behind a hillside from the roadway, and sits inside a Monterey County park. This topography not only provides a scenic venue to enjoy when you’re not going full-throttle around the race track, but also accounts for Seca’s 300′ change in elevation as you go through the 11 turns that comprise the circuit.

Driving into the park I can already feel my nerves acting up. I went through eight years of competitive sailing, two Junior Olympics, and three Nationals with this same physiological response. On a typical track day this sensation would subside after my first session, and be greatly reduced after the first full-pace lap, but upon entering into the Skip Barber office the apprehension quickly disappears.

Carbon fiber products manufacturer 666 Road Racing has announced its plans to enter into the 2010 Isle of Man TT Zero event, making them the first announced team to enter the TT Zero event with a Mavizen electric sport bike. Mavizen, as many may remember, is owned by Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTXGP, which was recently ousted by the Isle of Man, which then created the TT Zero racing class for the Isle of Man TT. This announcement is a turn of events as it was previously believed Azhar would not let a Mavizen bike compete in rival series created by the FIM and Isle of Man.

UPDATE: You have to love Photoshop…it looks like the good folks at Mavizen forgot to whipe the original photo thumbnail, click here for an unblurred (albeit small) picture of the new TTX02 that confirms its RC8 lineage.

UPDATE #2: The Mavizen TTX02 has been officially unveiled here.

In one week’s time, Mavizen (a product of Team Agni’s TTXGP race-winning electric motorcycle team) will release what they call the world’s first production electric racing superbike, the TTX02. With a teaser image hitting the TTXGP website today, speculation is already swirling around the company, its bike, and its RC8 look-alike chassis.

Here in the United States, it’s hard to find a KTM RC8, it’s difficult to get your hands on a KTM RC8 R, and it will be down right impossible to land a KTM RC8 R McWilliams Limited Edition without making a flight to Deutschland…but well worth the trip.

KTM is producing only 100 of these limited edition bikes to commemorate the timely announcement that Jeremy McWilliams will be joining the factory KTM team in the German IDM racing series (the German equivalent of AMA Superbike, minus “the show“) as its third factory rider.