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KTM 990 RC R (2025) - Technical Review

Motorcycle Journalist

Posted:

08.05.2024

Price

£13,499 OTR

Power

126bhp

Weight

195kg (wet)

Overall BikeSocial rating

TBA

Technical Review: 8/5/24 (Ben Purvis)

Upated: 14/10/25 (Michael Mann)

KTM made a conscious decision to step away from the superbike market nearly a decade ago when it discontinued the 1190 RC8 R – citing that ever-more-powerful superbikes were increasing unsuited to real-world riders away from the confines of the racetrack. The new 990 RC R marks something of a return while aiming very clearly at the middleweight segment of the market rather than the superbike segment.

After a 12 month delay, and unless you've been hiding under a rock you'll know why, the bike will finally be available in UK dealerships in November 2025 with a confirmed price tag of £13,499, and it’s clear that the 990 RC R will be an intriguing proposition for sports bike buyers. Described in the press release as a "refined, high-specification and performance-focused Supersport machine that delivers heart-pounding excitement while remaining practical for everyday riding, thanks to its thoughtful ergonomics", owners and manufacturers of the Yamaha R9, Ducati Panigale V2 and Honda CBR600RR, among others, will be eager to see how accurate those claims are.

Pros
  • Finally KTM returns to the sports bike market nearly a decade after the RC8R was dropped

  • High-end suspension

  • MotoGP-inspired styling will appeal to hardcore sports bike fans

Cons
  • 126hp doesn’t seem a lot from 947cc

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Price

KTM’s lead-in to the 990 RC R has been a couple of runs of limited-edition track-only bikes, the RC 8C. First unveiled in 2021 and with a second coming in 2023, those bikes were based on the Kramer GP2-R and built out-of-house by Kramer, with small production runs of 100 for the first-gen and 200 for the second model, each selling out instantly despite vastly expensive price tags - £30,999 for the first run, £34,999 for the second-gen.

KTM announced the bike with minimal information and without a price back in May 2024, with the interim 18 months being somewhat of a rollercoaster. And here we are ain the middle of October with plenty of confirmed spec, including the all-important price tag of £13,499 OTR leaving the firm’s head of global marketing, Riaan Neveling's claims of “This bike offers power and prestige without the exorbitant price tag” as objective.

With uprated suspension, full bodywork and more power than the 990 Duke that it’s based on, it costs only a fraction more than the Duke’s £12,999. But it’s also intended to be used in World Supersport racing under the ‘Next Generation’ ruleset, which places a price limit of €26,400 on the homologated street versions of the race bikes, including the manufacturer’s compulsory racing kit. That’s equivalent to £22,750, and without the racing kit the figure is sure to be substantially lower than that. Given that a Ducati Panigale V2, also aimed at the ‘Next Generation’ race class and making substantially more power in street form than the KTM can muster, is £17,195.

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Engine & Performance

The 990 RC R’s power comes from essentially the same parallel twin engine that drives the current 990 Duke. New in 2024, it’s the second generation of ‘LC8c’ twin – carrying over the same general layout as the previous ‘890’ and ‘790’ versions but completely redesigned with new cases, cylinders and head as well as all-new internals.

With a 70.4mm stroke and 92.5mm bore, the total capacity actually measures 947cc, and while KTM is keeping its cards close to its chest at the moment it doesn’t seem that any major alterations have been made from the Duke-spec engine for the 990 RC R. Peak torque, which is largely defined by the engine’s capacity, is unchanged at 103Nm (76lb-ft), and power rises only slightly from the Duke’s 121.4hp (123PS/90.5kW) to 126hp (128PS/94kW). Peak revs also rise from the Duke’s 9,500rpm to 10,300rpm.

Chances are that at least some of that extra power comes courtesy of the Akrapovič exhaust seen on the prototype shown here, as despite some hand-finished elements at this stage it appears to be a street-legal system with a collector/catalyst mounted below the front edge of the swingarm. The system is near-identical to the exhaust that was seen on prototypes for the 990 Duke, too.

Like the Duke’s version of the engine, the RC R’s motor meets the latest Euro 5+ emissions rules, as required for street use, and we can be sure it will at least match the Duke in terms of riding modes (three for the Duke, with a fourth, optional, track mode that can be unlocked via software).

2025 KTM 990 RC R- Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

As with the engine, the essence of the 990 RC R’s chassis is ported across from the 990 Duke. That’s a huge departure from the RC 8C track bikes, which used their own, Kramer-made tubular steel chassis, but KTM has tweaked the Duke’s frame design for the new sports bike.

The most noticeable visual alteration is an extra bolt that’s fitted through each main frame tube just above the foot pegs. This is part of a redesigned rear suspension system, providing an upper mount for a linkage that runs back to a rocker mounted in the swingarm, the other end of which compresses the rear shock.

KTM also says the frame’s rigidity has been increased to improve feel and stability on track, and that the weight distribution is moved forward compared to the Duke. Surprisingly, though, the rake has been revised to 25 degrees, which is slightly more relaxed than the 24.2 degrees of the 990 Duke.

In terms of suspension, both ends come from WP – of course – and are fully-adjustable. The confirmed front suspensions on the production model is WP Apex 48 which have 130mm travel and are adjustable for compression and rebound, while the 130mm travel rear suspension has a preload adjuster.

Stopping power are courtesy of Brembo's four-piston HyPure caliper brakes while the prototype shots are shown on Pirelli slicks, but the road bikes will come on Michelin rubber.

The bike’s weight has now been confirmed as 184kg without fuel (compared to the Duke’s 179kg) and 195kg with fuel.

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Comfort & Economy

KTM puts great stake in the ergonomics of the 990 RC R – which bodes well for riders when it comes to controlling the bike.

The firm says that it’s done lengthy experiments on the ‘six contact points on the tank’ to improve the rider experience both in corners and when tucking-in on the straights, making it comfortable and reducing the pressure on the rider’s hands that comes from the forward-hunched riding position.

The footpegs are adjustable over a wide range of positions, and that’s not just something for the prototype stage of the bike’s development as KTM confirms adjustability will be carried over to the production bikes. There’s no indication yet that there will be any provision for passengers, though.

The race-inspired bodywork has clearly been developed with the RC16 MotoGP bike as its template, with biplane front winglets and intriguing air guides at the front lower edges of the fairing. It also features a GP-style scoop under the belly, just ahead of the rear wheel, to pull air up before it hits the back tyre. Whether that aero will translate into road-going comfort or work only when you’re in a full-race crouch remains to be seen, though.

In terms of economy, what we do know is the tank size of 15.7 litres is larger than the 14.7 litre version used on the 990 Duke which offers a theoretical range of 195-miles at c.60mpg. So while a larger tank on the 990 RC R might offer a larger range, especially with improved aerodynamics, the race-oriented DNA is likely to curb that figure.

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Equipment

KTM is usually near the front of the pack when it comes to electronic equipment on its bikes and there's no shortage on the 990 RC R. An 8.8" TFT touchscreen dash offers access to four riding modes - Rain, Street, Sport and Custom. Four advanced ABS modes are also included as standard - Street. Sport, Supermoto+ and Supermoto ABS. Then there are three optional ride modes as part of the Track Pack which in itself features software enhancements and telemetry showing lean angle and throttle opening rates.

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Rivals

As a machine intended to compete in Supersport racing – the prototypes were supposed to be making wildcard appearances in the European Supersport series in 2024 before production even starts – but those production woes and company restructuring delayed that process until now. Will we see race teams taking a gamble in 2026? Maybe so given the KTM's 'ready to race' claims, plus the forthcoming KTM 990 RC R CUP model due in 2026 which could provide a cost effective base machine to work from, and an accessible spare parts catalogue. So, it’s not hard to see the machines it will be competing against on the track being the same bikes will also provide its toughest competition on the road, so buyers will be comparing against:

Ducati Panigale V2 | Price: £17,195

Read more
Power/Torque

155bhp/77lb-ft

Weight

193kg (wet)

MV Agusta F3 800 RR | Price: £21,700

Read more
Power/Torque

147bhp/65lb-ft

Weight

199kg (wet)

Honda CBR600RR | Price: £10,499

Read more
Power/Torque

119bhp/46.5lb-ft

Weight

193kg (wet)

2025 KTM 990 RC R - Verdict

Just like the rivals above as well as those making their way onto UK shores from Chinese manufacturers, the firm's in charge have one eye on the resurgent Supersport class both on the road and track. Sales of Yamaha's R9 have far outperformed manufacturing capability (either that or it's yet another master marketing stroke to keep the demand high), but will the damage done to KTM's reputation of late be enough to hinder the 990 RC R's initial surge.

Low down torque looks set to overcome any missing top end power figures, just like Ducati's strategy to focus on less weight and more spread of power when it revised the Panigale V2 for 2025.

 

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2025 KTM 990 RC R - Technical Specification

New priceFrom £13,499
Capacity947cc
Bore x Stroke92.5mm x 70.4mm
Engine layoutParallel twin
Engine details8-valve, DOHC, parallel twin, liquid-cooled
Power126bhp (94kW) @ 10,300rpm
Torque76 lb-ft (103Nm) @ 6750 rpm
Transmission6 speed
Average fuel consumptionEst. 60mpg
Tank size15.7 litres
Max range to empty+200 miles
Rider aidsFour ABS modes, four riding modes, 6D IMU
FrameChrome molybdenum steel tube frame, engine as stressed member
Front suspensionWP Apex Open Cartridge 48mm forks
Front suspension adjustmentCompression, rebound and preload
Rear suspensionWP Apex monoshock
Rear suspension adjustmentCompression, rebound, preload
Front brake2 x 320mm discs, Brembo HyPure 4-piston radial calipers
Rear brake1 x 240mm disc, Brembo 1-piston caliper
Front wheel / tyre180/55 R17 Michelin Power Cup 2
Rear wheel / tyre120/70 R17 Michelin Power Cup 2
Dimensions (LxWxH)TBA
Wheelbase1481mm
Seat height845mm
Weight195kg (fully fuelled)
Warranty4-years
ServicingTBC
MCIA Secured RatingNot yet rated
Websitewww.ktm.com

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

  • A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

  • An ignition immobiliser system

  • A vehicle marking system

  • An alarm system

  • A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.

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