AUSTRIA’S bike maker broke an interesting record recently, and it didn’t have to go near a race track to do it! It happened when its new KTM RC 8 C track-only sports bike sold out in just two minutes, bagging KTM nearly £8 million in the process!
The 899cc, 126bhp machine was developed to offer riders a MotoGP experience that is as close to riding one of the firm’s race bikes as you can get. Weighing in at around 160kg, and capable of speeds approaching 160mph, the machine was limited to just 200 examples and went on sale on the 27th of October at 2pm UK time. And just 120 seconds later, the game was up, and those that hadn’t already bagged one of the uber-exclusive bikes were left out in the cold, as all of them sold in just two minutes.
It's the second version of the RC 8 C, with the 2021 being the first edition of the Kramer-built machine. When that bike went on sale just 100 were made available, taking an impressive 4m32s to sell out. That in-house record was eclipsed by the 2023 machine's sales, as demand quite literally outstripped supply.
Changes from the 2021 to 2023 model are mainly beneath the skin, although they must take some of the credit for its sales success. The updates include new engine internals, higher compression, and revised electronics.
Dealers already cashing in on KTM RC 8 C success
As is the way with the world though, if there is a buck to be made, the scalpers will be there to make it, and some are doing just that. We found one KTM RC 8 C for sale on the internet, listed as a 2022 – although we’ll assume that means it’s a 2021 model – for sale from a dealership for a whopping £45,000. If that is the case, it’s around £15,000 more than the list price, and even if it’s a 2023 model, that’s still £10k in someone’s pocket for basically having a fast broadband connection!
Stunning as the KTM is, sadly it is sold out, and unless you have some deep pockets, you’ll likely never ride one. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a drool over it yourself though. KTM UK have today confirmed that one will be on stand at Motorcycle Live (starting 19th November), so get yourself over to the orange stand and drool over something you’ll probably never own.
