V-twins are not for everyone. Notoriously difficult to get well fuelled, expensive to maintain and often delivering brutal amounts of power, it's easy to be overawed by a twin especially if you've jumped straight off an inline four. Coming in differing configurations, the V`s angle can offer a range of characteristics. Ducati's long held preference is to go with the 90-degree V (or L) for reasons of balance. Aprilia, however, plumped for the 60-degree version to make its engine more compact. The advantage of the former is the balance it offers, the latter needing further refining to get it running tolerably smooth. KTM's lump sits at a 75-degree angle, so snuggly in the middle of the action. It's horses for courses!
KTM’s RC8 is a revelation
Because we're dealing with two heads on the engine, that's where the additional costs come in when it comes to servicing and additional up front costs. And as we're looking at big-bored bikes here, it's difficult to fuel those two whopping cylinders perfectly that often highlights the abruptness of their delivery. If you're after a machine that offers decent economy then you'd best look elsewhere, too.