KTM Planning Track-Only Production Version of RC16 MotoGP Prototype

Michael Accardi
by Michael Accardi

From the inauguration of KTM’s new RC16 MotoGP project the brand made clear it would eventually sell a track-only, customer-spec model somewhere in the six-figure range.

Now, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer, has teased out more details about the “Ready to Race” RC16 to Germany’s Speedweek.

Mika Kallio raced the KTM RC16 at Valencia as a wild card.

Pierer says KTM intends to build at least 100 consumer-spec RC16s, while promising to keep the machine as close to it’s screaming MotoGP monster as possible. The bikes will share a 1000cc, 90-degree V4 engine, however the consumer version will be derated to 240 hp in the name of reliability, a short throw from the race bike’s 270 hp.

“We want to be as close to the MotoGP bikes as possible,” said Perier.

Despite being one of the most premium track-day bikes ever made, KTM will try to keep pricing in a sensible range when the RC16 debuts for layman consumption in 2018. Perier has promised pricing will undercut Honda’s €188,000 MotoGP derived RC213V-S.

Bradley Smith will race for KTM for the RC16’s first full season alongside Pol Espargaro.

“I definitely want to get a much lower price for this production racer than Honda offers. I would like to see that we are heading towards 100,000 or 120,000 euros. Affordable driving is our philosophy. ”

Regardless, the sound is worth the price of admission alone…

Michael Accardi
Michael Accardi

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  • East South East South on Dec 09, 2016

    they should keep the pneumatic valves. the owner who are rich enough will probably be okay with the inconvenience of constant adjustment maintenance.

  • SteveSweetz SteveSweetz on Dec 13, 2016

    An important detail lost from the original German article in this reposting is that this bike will not (and is not intended to) be road legal. This will be a track only bike that a limited number of (rich) consumers can buy - so it's not quite the same thing as the RC213V-S which was severely neutered to be road legal (unless you paid even more to import the race kit).

    • Kevin Duke Kevin Duke on Dec 14, 2016

      It's only lost from the original article if you didn't read the headline or the first sentence. :)

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