KTM: No 'radical' new engine for 2021 MotoGP season
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Get MotoGP news in your inbox! By signing up to the newsletter you agree to receive emails from that may occasionally include promotional content Leave this field blank As the final stage in its transition to a non-Concession MotoGP manufacturer, KTM is allowed to change engine design ahead of the new season.That has always been the case for a manufacturer leaving Concession status, not least because each engine must now last longer, but when combined with the special ‘Covid’ technical freeze it puts the Austrian factory in a unique situation compared to Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and Ducati.The four established non-Concession factories are unable to change their engine designs from the start of 2020 until the end of 2021, restricting them to chassis and electronic developments – plus one aerodynamic update – for this season.But any fears that KTM, which smashed through the Concession threshold by winning three MotoGP races last season and took a total of eight podiums, might roll-out a completely new bike were played down by Motorsports Director Pit Beirer.”It’s the same bike concept and not a radical new engine,” Beirer said. “We touched some parts but we didn’t bring a completely new model.”If we would really use the gap in-between the lines [regulations], actually we could build a completely new bike.Related ArticlesaccImages.createImage(); Ducati confirms bike spec, crew chiefs for 2021 ridersaccImages.createImage(); Alcoba ‘speechless’ at Gresini Moto3 colours, di Giannantonio eager to try Kalex”But first of all you need to have also the manpower to do so, and we committed to our colleagues [with the technical freeze] that we’re going to go all together in a useful format and not destroy too much material, and that’s what we did.”So we didn’t plan to make a completely new machine and use this moment to make an advantage.”It’s the same bike concept, but for sure many parts have been touched. There are also a huge amount of parts which are not homologated [by the freeze], which everybody will change and try to improve.Related ArticlesaccImages.createImage(); Poncharal: An Independent team can win MotoGP titleaccImages.createImage(); Yamaha moves 2021 Factory chassis ‘closer to Morbidelli spec'”So it was still a huge development going into the bike. Everything we knew from last year we tried to pack in there, but not with a completely new engine.”If the 2021 MotoGP calendar remains at its planned number of events (at least 19), the non-Concession manufacturers need to complete the season using no more than 7 engine changes.Aprilia, the only manufacturer still with technical Concessions, would be allowed 9 engine changes (and can also modify engine design during this year).”4The shortened (14-round) 2020 season allowed 5 engine changes for riders from non-Concession teams and 7 for those with Concessions.
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