The start of the season for KTM had an air of disaster which foreshadowed the worst for the future. The RC16, so brilliant only a few months earlier, in a 2020 campaign from which they had brought back three victories, seemed to have returned to square one. Certainly, but without the concession points of the regulations and with Michelin tires which no longer suited them. Needless to say, it smelled scorched... And then, in two Grands Prix, everything changed. At Mugello, the Austrians found themselves at the forefront, repeating the feat a week later in Catalonia. Better still, the path to victory was found again. By what miracle? Boss Stefan Pierer reveals it, while drinking whey…
If we look at the journey of KTM Since the start of this season, it is difficult to say that because of the freezing of the regulations, a technical mistake is prohibitive. However, this is what transpires in Honda who has been rowing for a season and a half now, making the RC213V a machine that can be piloted by someone other than a Marc Marquez at the top of its form and its art... To the point that the world's leading manufacturer would not mind going through it the concession points of the regulation to give yourself room to maneuver. As a beginner with limited means and skills…
But at KTM, we were able to review our copy in the middle of the season to better reverse a very bad situation. A tour de force that delights the big boss Stefan Pierer which sees the much-maligned technical choice thus enshrined, with an original production method legitimized. A pure homemade recipe that works… On speedweek, Stefan pierer states: " I must say that the component, which many so-called experts prophesied would never work, namely the tubular steel frame, again proved to be the biggest advantage in this phase. Because we can make five different frames in a week and teams can try them out right away ».
Stefan Pierer: “this tubular steel frame is a strategic asset in line with today’s technologies”
A rapid reaction force that owes everything to 3D: “ Chassis production is now partially carried out with 3D printers. Everything happens “in-house” with us. We have frame production ". the boss ends his demonstration thus: “ This tubular steel frame is the strategic asset linked to today's technologies. We showed it first off-road, then in Moto3. And now we prove it again in MotoGP ».
« Sometimes it's very simple things. For example, if you change a wall thickness from 2 to 1,5 millimeters without changing the frame geometry, you immediately get different bending behavior " precise Stefan pierer, delighted to be able to teach a lesson to detractors and the competition...
