READY TO >> RACE
KTM want to make orange shine bright at the pinnacle of twowheeled racing and have readied their MotoGP challenger for the 2017 season. This is the RC16
MOTOR-RACING HAS AN ASSORTMENT OF competitive series ranging from on-road to no-road across continents and segments. KTM are no strangers to the two-wheeled world. Their competitive prowess off road is legendary, but now, after enjoying success in the Moto3 series for years, they’re set to take on the big league.
A 1,000-cc, four-stroke, 90° V4 270-odd-PS monster, the RC16 is the Austrian challenger, adding a bold shade of orange to the grid. The move to Michelin this year and the advent of standard electronics still mean evolution is heavily in progress. Yamaha are strong in the dry. Ducati have near-about 300 PS on straights in the dry and are strong in the wet. Honda have Marquez and his braking antics keeping them alive and well. KTM hope to challenge at the top.
The RC16 did its first public laps at their home GP at the Red Bull Ring. Piloted by Mika Kallio and Alex Hofmann, the RC16 wowed the crowds and every orange flag in the grandstands was flying high and mighty. The duo also managed to get close to the mid-field times during testing in Barcelona.
Here’s looking forward to a great starting grid at the last race of 2016 in Valencia where the RC16 will race as a wild card, and, of course, next year. We, here at Bike India, doubtless hope there will be a road-legal RR version of the RC16 in the years to come. The others certainly have them.