KTM confirms MotoGP participation in 2017

  • Sep 19, 2014
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KTM's head of motorsport has confirmed that the Austrian bikemaker will be on the MotoGP grid in the 2017 season

Pit Beirer, head of motorsport KTM

Speaking to Motogp.com, Pit Beirer, KTM's head of motorsport, has confirmed that the Austrian bikemaker will make its premiere class debut in the 2017 season.  With this confirmation KTM becomes the third global two-wheeler manufacturer to enter MotoGP after Italian outfit Aprilia and Japanese two-wheeler giant Suzuki. KTM had initially suggested that it will enter Moto2 category before progressing to MotoGP but later dropped the plan to enter Moto2. 

KTM has ruled the roost in Moto3 category but the task on their hands in is a difficult one as they don’t have much prior expertise of racing in the premiere class except for a short and unsuccessful stint with Team Roberts in 2005. Speaking about the motorcycle, Beirer said that it will be powered by a V4 motor, emply tubular steel frame and WP suspension. KTM will start testing the prototype MotoGP machine from end of 2015. This announcement means that the 2017 edition of the premiere class will have six official manufacturers – Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia and KTM.

KTM MotoGP bike

Confirming KTM’s decision, Pit Beirer said, "I can absolutely confirm that we have had a board decision at home at KTM that we could make the big step into this class. We had plans to go first to Moto2 somehow and grow maybe in smaller steps, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to build a KTM with a Honda engine inside so it would never be a real KTM. So we decided to make the big jump and go into MotoGP. We are already very busy with this and we are trying everything to get ready for 2017."

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