A closer look at KTM’s factory MotoGP bikes

KTM is definitely ready to race this year PHOTO BY PHILIP PLATZER

KTM may not be as dominant in MotoGP as it is in dirt events, but its teams always put up a good fight. When they win—like with Brad Binder’s nail-biting victory at a rain-soaked Austrian Grand Prix on slick tires—it’s always extraordinary. With teams launching their 2022 campaigns ahead of the first Grand Prix this March, KTM’s two factory racing teams have unveiled the latest liveries on the RC16 race bike.

And while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has always had eye-popping paint, we dare say that Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s brilliant orange-and-black colorway has shades of Year of the Tiger all over it.

With Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner and 2021 Moto2 runner-up Raul Fernandez piloting the bikes, Tech3 is sure to light up some fireworks when the racing starts next month.

You have to be extremely fit and flexible to race this bike. PHOTO BY PHILIP PLATZER

Weighing just 157kg (dry), the RC16 has been in development since 2017 and has garnered five wins, 12 podium spots, and three pole positions. Its 1,000cc, V4 engine punches out 265hp at a heady 18,5000rpm. The frame is of steel hybrid construction with a tubular steel trellis and a carbon-fiber swingarm. With each bike costing several million dollars, you’ll never get a chance to ride one (not that the average rider could conceivably push it to the limits anyway).

For now, let’s just content ourselves with some gorgeous photos of these machines before they burn up the tarmac in March.


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