They are now being tested at the Jerez pre-season tests.
The frames are still made of steel but have a different shape.
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.
Comparison of the frames at Valencia – Photo credit Motor Sport Magazine
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.
KTM RC16 new frame v2 – Photo credit Crash.net
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.
Johann Zarco has been removed from the MotoGP team for the remainder of the season.
Mika Kallio will replace him for the rest of the 2019 season.
Zarco isn’t allowed to race or test for another team until the end of the year.
Johann Zarco has been removed from the MotoGP team for the remainder of the season.
The two-time Moto2 champion had requested to terminate his two-contract with the Austrian manufacturer a year early, which would see him leave at the end of the 2019 season.
Instead, Mika Kallio will return to ride for the factory team for the remainder of the season.
We weren’t told if Zarco insisted on leaving early or whether KTM told him to leave, but the team would surely want to move on quickly to develop the RC16 for the 2020 season. While the factory can still put in new parts for these last few rounds, they may see the rider as the stumbling block. Besides, KTM will also need to secure their secrets and will not let Zarco spill the beans when he joins another team. This is even more critical in case he becomes a test rider.
KTM noted that Zarco is still contractually tied to them until the end of 2019, hence he will not be able to race or test for another team.
Relationship between the two parties melted down after Zarco became more and more frustrated with riding the KTM RC16. His ex-teammate from Tech 3 Yamaha, Hafizh Syahrin also struggled with the KTM and was unceremoniously dumped for next season.
Alvaro Bautista is rumored to return to MotoGP to ride with KTM.
The rumors came to light despite another rumor linking him to Honda in WorldSBK in 2020.
Which way will he go?
Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista is rumored to return to MotoGP to ride with KTM.
Bautista was earlier rumoured to be moving to the Honda’s HRC factory team and remain in WorldSBK 2020. It was also heavily speculated that he will be riding a new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. Honda is expected to unveil the all-new bike at the Tokyo Motor Show this October, and the team will be based in Barcelona.
He had migrated to the WorldSBK for the 2019 season, riding the new Ducati Panigale V4 R for Ducati Corse. However, his form fell by the wayside despite having dominated the field earlier in the season by winning 12 races in a row.
His relationship with the Italian team soured since then. Alvaro then revealed that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season but did not mention where he was going to. His boss, the Ducati Corse Sporting Director, Paolo Ciabatti confirmed that the rider has signed a two-year deal with a “rival manufacturer.”
But now as KTM is searching for a rider to fill the vacancy left by Johann Zarco in the factory Red Bull KTM Racing Team, Bautista’s name came to the fore.
The question was brought up during the Tank Slappers podcast. Motorsport.com Global MotoGP Editor Oriol Puigdemont and Autosport’s Motorcycle Racing Correspondent Lewis Duncan discussed the compelling possibilities.
Please click on the link below to listen to the podcast.
Johann Zarco announces that he will leave KTM at the end of the 2019 MotoGP season.
The announcement was made on his Facebook after the Austrian GP weekend.
There’s no news where he will go since all seats in MotoGP are taken.
The Austrian GP weekend has been full of bombshells, and now Johann Zarco announced that he will leave KTM in 2020.
Zarco made the announcement through his Facebook account. The decision was made after discussions with KTM at the Red Bull Ring, considered to be the factory’s home race.
Although it’s well-known that the two-time Moto2 champion has been struggling the whole season on the KTM RC16, it was still a great surprise to see him leave with such haste, as there is no opening in MotoGP next year. But he must’ve been contemplating on leaving for some time.
Zarco had high-profile falling out with the team since Jerez earlier this year. He was caught calling the bike’s chassis and suspension “sh*t” on “live” TV after returning from a crash. He also had scathing words for the bike during an interview, which prompted a public reprimand from KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer.
Perhaps all these started when Jorge Lorenzo bandied himself for a return to Ducati, at Jack Miller’s expense in the Pramac Ducati squad. KTM stood by to offer Miller a contract should he lose his Pramac seat. That would mean KTM will remove Zarco.
Then Lorenzo turned around and spoke to Repsol Honda boss Alberto Puig that he will continue with his contract through 2020. Consequently, Miller’s place in Pramac was also confirmed.
Now KTM has a vacant slot for next year. Pol Espargaro will continue with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, while Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder will ride for the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing Team.
Only time will tell who KTM will pick and Zarco’s future.
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 hoped that the new swingarm with have the flex characteristics to enable better cornering.
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.
Photo credit Fox Sports Asia
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.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”
It follows Zarco’s outrage by calling the RC16’s frame and delivery “sh*t” in Spain.
But Pierer conceded that the bike needs more work.
The KTM MotoGP saga continues with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer saying, “Johann Zarco is a disappointment.”
Pierer uttered the statement following Zarco’s struggle to achieve better results. The two-time Moto2 champion’s best was 13th in Austin, Texas. He placed 15thin the season opener in Qatar and Argentina, and 14th in the Spanish round last week.
Zarco has said that he couldn’t adapt to the KTM RC16, a bike which he said, “only goes well down the straight and only wants to go straight.” He had also been caught on camera calling the frame and power delivery as “sh*t” in Jerez, Spain. This, coming from one of the nicest MotoGP riders was certainly something.
But his statements didn’t go well with KTM’s management.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told Speedweek, “Johann is a big disappointment and I’m very sorry about that. We hired him so that he and Pol (Espargarò) could push one another but the opposite happened. Espargarò is on his own.”
The other KTM rider pushing Espargarò was new signing Miguel Oliveira in the Red Bull Tech 3 KTM Racing team, instead. Apart from struggling in Jerez to finish 18th ahead of his teammate Hafizh Syahrin, Oliveira had come home in 17th, 11th and 14th, respectively. KTM was so impressed that they’ve extended Oliveira’s contract through 2020.
Photo credit Autosport
In addition to struggling with a completely new bike, Zarco had to contend with his manager and mentor (and friend) Laurent Falon switching camps to Honda. Falon had kept Honda’s offer a secret from Zarco and team through 2018.
“When an athlete at this level doesn’t have everything under control, then he has a problem. They told me that he was already very rude in the garage in Texas and the situation worsened in Jerez. But I want to say that we will do all we can to improve this year. We’ve already got the new materials, following his indications, and he’ll be joined by Jean-Michel Bayle,” added Pierer.
But Pierer was quick to add that KTM is not seeking to end Zarco’s contract. The French rider was signed also through 2020.
“We still have 15 races to run this year. Going from Yamaha to the KTM requires adaptation and that takes time. There are two different kinds of bikes in MotoGP: Yamaha and Suzuki with the inline 4-cylinders and Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia with the V4. With the latter, you have to ride a certain way. You need to be bold and throw the bike down into the corners, you can’t go easy. Consider how, post Stoner, it took Ducati from 2010 to 2016 to find someone else who could win with their bike.”
On the other hand, Pierer didn’t deny that the RC16 needs more development. He revealed that the bike needs to lose another 4 to 5 kilograms and that the electronics are still an issue.
But what Pierer didn’t mention was the KTM RC16’s chassis architecture, which uses a steel-lattice frame and WP suspension. All MotoGP bikes use Öhlins suspension and aluminium frames. Ducati had suffered with the carbon monocoque for many years (including with Valentino Rossi) before swallowing their pride and reverting to an aluminium frame. It may not make a difference to you and I who ride on the streets and in the occasional track days, but it does for riders who push their bikes to the limits.
Why not change riding styles then? Both Zarco and Syahrin are suffering with turning into corners. Syahrin, Espargarò and Oliveira have all stated that one needs to be “aggressive” with the bike, echoing Zarco’s call.
Zarco has stated before that changing his smooth riding style will result in the team having with too much inconsistent data, especially while developing a new riding style. Setting up a bike is based on how the bike reacts to the rider’s inputs, after all. The best rider to illustrate this was Jorge Lorenzo who also rides with the “traditional” smooth style. He had suffered to no end during his first year with Ducati before the team solved his woes for his second year.
Changing a riding style, especially one that had brought past successes is not easy. The last thing a rider needs to concern himself about is his riding style in the heat of competition. It is the team’s job to provide the rider a bike that he doesn’t have to worry about, to allow him to concentrate on his race strategies i.e. lap times vs. tyre degradation, him vs. his opponents, etc.
The KTM factory had better come up with some solutions fast because all the new riders are at their mercy, rather than the other around.
Johann Zarco said he was exhausted from fighting his bike in the Argentina MotoGP.
He couldn’t ride the KTM RC16 the way he wanted to.
He finished 15th and Hafizh Syahrin in 16th in the race.
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.
Photo credit Fox Sports Asia
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.
KTM has launched all their MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams for 2019.
There will be two teams in MotoGP, but both are using the same bikes.
They are Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing.
KTM launched their MotoGP teams tonight. They are known as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing teams, respectively.
The “all-in” event also included KTM teams, bikes and riders from Moto2 and Moto3 classes. Additionally, KTM is represented by two teams on factory machinery.
In one corner is the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, with Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco as riders. This team’s KTM RC16 uses the traditional Red Bull KTM livery.
In the other corner is the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 Racing team, with our boy Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira as riders. Their KTM RC16 are finished in a new orange, blue and silver livery. Hafizh promised during the special press conference and meet the fans session during the Sepang Winter Test, that the new livery will be replicated on a special edition KTM RC390 in Malaysia.
Both teams will contest on the factory KTM RC16, as the manufacturer is eager to collect twice the data in half the time in developing the bike. Although it still needs much development as Zarco said, Europe’s largest motorcycle maker could not shake their excitement.
After all, KTM’s morale and determination took a huge boost when Pol Espargaro put the bike on the podium for the first time last season in Valencia. Meanwhile, the retention of veteran KTM test rider Mika Kallio and signing of Dani Pedrosa as the new test rider will keep the program rolling at a high pace. Unfortunately, Pedrosa broke his collarbone and is out for three more months. However, KTM are allowed concessions for testing and development under MotoGP rules. Making full use of this leeway, KTM brought out several engines with different specs at Sepang.
The new bikes will hit the track from 20th February. Until then, let’s just enjoy the photos of the RC16 from both camps. All photos are from KTM and published in MotoGP.com.
Hafizh Syahrin bersama KTM telah bersedia untuk menyahut cabaran MotoGP 2019. Dengan sesi ‘winter test’ yang akan bermula tidak lama lagi, ia merupakan satu langkah bersejarah bukan sahaja untuk pelumba MotoGP pertama dari Malaysia malah untuk KTM juga di dalam musim ketiga mereka berlumba di kelas tertinggi. (more…)
