2017 KTM RC16 MotoGP
KTM is officially entering the MotoGP championship
next year, and this is the bike with which it intends to do so.
Revealed over the weekend during
MotoGP's Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the new KTM RC16 is the
result of years of development. The Austrian motorcycle manufacturer first
announced its intent to enter the pinnacle of two-wheeled racing back in 2014,
hitting a milestone when Alex Hoffman took it for its first test ride.
The RC16 has undergone nine more tests
over the nine and a half months since, and is now ready to make its race debut.
That's slated to take place, after four more test sessions, at Valencia in
November, when Mika Kallio will climb on board to contest the final race of the
season. He'll continue serving as test rider, with former Yamaha riders Bradley
Smith and Pol Espargaro set to compete next season.
At that point, KTM will be present in
every level of grand prix motocycle racing, including Moto3, Moto2, and the
top-tier MotoGP championship. There it will have to dice it with the likes of
Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha in the growing (and increasingly
competitive) series.
