If you’ve missed yesterday’s MotoGP round in the Czech Republic, it was one hell of a race as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) delivers KTM’s first-ever win in MotoGP. In his rookie season (and only his third race), Binder also set the record for the first South African rider to win a premier class race. (more…)
If you have a lot of money and don’t know what to spend it all on, we want to be your friends and advise you on buying one of two units of the 2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP bikes currently being offered by KTM Motorsports. That’s right, MotoGP prototype machine for sale, folks! (more…)
KTM is ready for some serious MotoGP 2020 podium contention with the official unveiling of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 liveries. Fighting for the top spot will be Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder on the factory squad as well as Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona on the satellite outfit. (more…)
You may have heard of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team rider Pol Espargaro singing praises about the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike’s new frame.
He even went as far as setting the same lap time as reigning world champion Marc Marquez at one point. He then thanked test rider Dani Pedrosa for his input.
The first new frame was tested at the first 2020 pre-season test at Valencia last week. It still features steel as the material but in rectangular form instead of the usual tube-shape KTM had been using since the first RC16.
Now there’s a second frame at the Jerez tests, painted black presumably to hide its shape.
“The black frame is the newest one, maybe not the biggest improvement, but it’s already a small step better (than the orange frame,” said Espargaro.
“We have an advantage over the others because our metal tube chassis is much faster (to make) than the others. This is going to be helpful to us,” he revealed.
Indeed, that’s true as the aluminium beam frames in MotoGP are machined from billet(!), instead of being cast or extruded. This main section which includes the headstock and spars are then welded to the uprights.
On the other hand, steel beams are extruded then welded together. In fact, the team could cut and weld different sections with much ease compared to welding aluminium frames.
Overall, the team is seeking to create a bike that’s better in terms of turning, traction and stability. As Espargaro said of the old frame, “The best part about our bike is the front. On the brakes the bike is stable, and we can go deep in braking. Normally the problems we have is from the back of the bike, low grip and low turning (difficult to turn).”
Pedrosa also took to the track during the test sessions. Hopefully we’ll get to see him again in Malaysia.
Hafizh Syahrin will be the next recipient of the carbon fibre swingarm for his KTM RC16. The change will take place at the German MotoGP round in Sachsenring.
It’s no secret that Hafizh is finding it difficult to adapt to the KTM after his Tech 3 team switched over from Yamaha to the Austrian manufacturer. Hafizh is not alone in his suffering, though. His ex-teammate and two-time Moto2 champion Johann Zarco is also facing a difficult prospect.
However, the carbon swingarm seems to yield better results for the other three KTM riders, namely, Pol Espargaro, Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira. Oliveira, Hafizh’s Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teammate had gone well in the early parts of this season, but has now dropped down the order. He finished just ahead of Hafizh in succession in the past number of races. Hafizh, meanwhile, has finished in the points twice thus far.
The carbon fibre swingarm is both strong and light at the same time. More importantly, however, is the amount of tuned flexure especially when the bike is leaned over into corners. A bike’s suspension works best when it’s straight up, but its performance starts to drop off until about 45 degrees off vertical. MotoGP riders, on the other hand, constantly lean more than 50 degrees. Something has to give in order to absorb the bumps in midcorner. Engineers will need to “tune” the frame and chassis for this. It is believed that the RC16’s steel-lattice framework is too stiff, hence riders like Hafizh and Johann find it difficult to turn the bike.
Let’s hope to see Hafizh improve on his results throughout the year.
Dani Pedrosa will begin his MotoGP testing duties for KTM in June.
Pedrosa signed on as KTM’s test rider after retiring from the Repsol Honda factory team and active racing after last season. The Austrian manufacturer had hoped for his input on improving the RC16 MotoGP bike. Alas, Pedrosa broke his collarbone which required surgery and stem-cell treatement. After an all too long recovery period for KTM, Pedrosa rode an RC16 at Mugello to gauge his recovery.
The news was conveyed by KTM MotoGP technical chief Mike Leitner.
We imagine this piece of news will be happily greeted by KTM, given the lack of better results by the new manufacturer’s new riders in MotoGP.
Two-time Moto2 champion and 2017 Rookie of the Year Johann Zarco has suffered to no end as he couldn’t gel with the bike. His frustrations got the better of him until he was caught calling the bike’s chassis and electronics “sh*t” during the Spanish GP. He was later chastised by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer.
Hafizh Syahrin who nearly captured the 2018 Rookie of the Year is also having a hard time by qualifying and finishing consistently in last place. Syahrin’s Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teammate Miguel Oliveira fared better by finishing a number of races just behind longtime KTM rider Pol Espargaró but found himself finishing just ahead of Syahrin in the last race in France.
Only Espargaró has done reasonably well by crossing the line in 6th at the same French GP.
KTM hopes Pedrosa will provide the necessary input to fast-track the development of the RC16.
KTM secures Miguel Oliveira through the 2020 MotoGP season.
The Portuguese rookies has so far impressed everyone in the 2019 season, including veteran riders on the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike. He will continue to ride for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team next year.
He was riding further up the field in the season opener at Qatar but dropped down to 17that the finish after destroying his tyres. But he learned quickly and fought hard for 9thwith Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia and Pol Espargaro on the factory KTM, before settling for 11th. In Austin, Oliveira finished 14thbehind Johann Zarco on the factory KTM.
Oliveira came oh-so-close to winning the 2018 Moto2 championship, by winning 3 races and standing on the podium a total of 12 times. He would eventually end the season with just 9 points behind Francesco Bagnaia.
His results had him promoted to MotoGP right away, albeit to the Tech3 satellite team. But it didn’t matter, since both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teams share the same factory-spec KTM RC16.
Oliveira is now 16thin the standings, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Ianone, Johann Zarco, Tito Rabat and teammate Hafizh Syahrin.
While we published Hafizh Syahrin’s struggle with the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike, we wondered what his ex-Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Johann Zarco went through.
The two-time Moto2 champion finished 15th in Qatar and obtained the same result in Argentina. Even then, his final placing at Argentina was after Morbidelli took himself and Vinalez out of the race. By the end, Hafizh Syahrin was able to latch on Zarco’s back wheel and finished one spot behind.
On the other hand, long-time KTM MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro and new Red Bull KTM Tech 3 signing Miguel Oliveira took off to fight it out for 10th and 11th.
Zarco had been quite prior to this, but he recently shared his thoughts in an interview with Motorsports.com.
First, he was held up by Jorge Lorenzo who mistakenly his the pitlane speed limiter on the Repsol Honda. Zarco was in 21st place into Turn One. But his race also deteriorated as it went on.
“I almost struggle all the way, from the start. With Lorenzo I don’t know what happened and I had to brake a lot behind him, I was second to last,” he recalled.
“Beginning of the race, the first eight laps I was feeling quite good but not able to overtake my opponents because I cannot control well the bike at the moment.”
“Then more and more I was going in the race it was coming harder and harder to ride the bike. I spent a lot of energy.”
“Difficult to leave this kind of races when everything I would like to do, I can’t. This makes me fight with the bike, and then I am exhausted.”
At that point, the bike started to slide, difficult to brake and turn into corners. Zarco rides the traditional long-arc style, in other words, early braking to carry more mid-corner speed and smooth transitions. Hafizh Syahrin rides in this method, as well.
Is this the key to why both these ex-Yamaha riders are suffering?
However, he is adamant in keeping his riding style, as he believes that it allows KTM to improve. Staying on one style means you don’t have too many variables to work with, making it easier to concentrate on which areas that need improving.
The Austrian factory would surely (and sorely) be missing inputs from test riders Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kalio by now. Both are unfortunately recuperating from their injuries.
Much has been said about KTM and their performance (or lack of) in MotoGP. Most pointed to their use of the steel trellis frame and WP suspension on the RC16, instead of the perennial aluminium spars and Öhlins suspension.
It may seem that the Austrian giant is going nowhere to the casual observer, but truth is, the RC16 is undergoing development at a breakneck pace.
It started out with a “screamer” engine (all cylinders firing in equally spaced sequence) in 2017. But by 2018, it was revised to the “big bang” configuration (all cylinders fired quickly in a short space), together with a counter-rotating crankshaft.
KTM motorsport manager, Pit Beirer told Simon Crafar of MotoGP.com that they’ve come far within the last two years. In fact, the RC16 put in Marc Marquez’s 2017 lap times at a number of tracks last year.
The whole MotoGP class is developing like crazy, every makes steps forward. But if you told me five years ago KTM would make a machine on year after Marquez almost at the same speed, I wouldn’t believe. But we did it.”
When asked if they will stop using the steel trellis frame and WP suspension, “That’s not an option,” said Beirer.
“It’s brought us success in every single discipline, so we will stick to this because we have the widest knowledge around this material we are using.”
Indeed, the frame/WP combination has allowed KTM to be competitive, succeed, even dominate racing series from enduro to Moto2.
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