Team Orange has announced they will race in MotoGP in the next few years.
Several internet sites are reporting KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer told German mag Speedweek that his company plans to enter the world’s premier motorcycle racing series by 2017 at the latest. Of course, they’ve already been involved in Moto3 racing for some time, with Jack Miller leading the championship aboard one of their machines right now.
Despite the success of Miller, KTM isn’t really a company known for roadracing; however, they have proven time and again in off-road racing, particularly desert racing, that they have a culture of winning. If they enter MotoGP, it could be just the sort of upheaval the series needs to make things more interesting.
Supposedly, if we’re deciphering Speedweek’s German correctly, it seems KTM is interested in MotoGP now because of the series’ cost-cutting changes, such as spec ECUs. Of course, now that there’s big money behind KTM – almost half the company is owned by Indian motorcycle manufacturing giant Bajaj, and they seem very anxious to expand.
I’m more interested in when the RC390 will ship to Canada!
If this turns out to be more than mere rumour, it could be a very interesting twist, indeed.
Huge plus one, Trane.