KTM tested numerous parts during the official test day which took place last Monday at the Catalunya circuit, including two notable technical developments. The first was an entirely different prototype to the current KTM, which we already saw at the Qatar test earlier this year with Dani Pedrosa on the handlebars. The second was the aerodynamic fairing which Iker Lecuona tested very briefly on track.
This prototype, completely redesigned by the KTM technical teams, was seen during the official test in Qatar, and it was back on track during an official MotoGP test session. There are a lot of new things about this machine.
This prototype was tested only by the Factory KTM team this Monday. It is a completely redesigned machine, because compared to the current version, we note a new chassis, a redesigned swingarm, an exhaust with a completely revised design and a revisited rear loop.
Let's focus first on the chassis. The swingarm's pivot area is the biggest sign that it's new. The shape of the chassis does not taper forward as much under the swingarm pivot as on the current chassis, giving the impression that the engine mount bolt has been moved back slightly, although this is difficult to confirm on this photo.
The other advantage are the two smaller holes which are directly above and below the swingarm pivot. These two holes have been moved from where they are on the current chassis, which is visible below.
These aren't the biggest changes visible, but it's a pretty significant change, particularly if the engine mount bolts have been moved slightly, as it appears the KTM engineers have done.
This is the new swingarm and it's a very different shape than what they currently use. But above all, we observe an element that until now was almost invisible but known to everyone, because it is currently the subject of debate. Between the green part of the fairing and the "spoon", the gray metal box is the hydraulic device allowing you to activate the rear Holeshot Device and modify the height of the KTM's chassis. On the side, the stroke sensor helps monitor whether it is engaged or not.
Here we find the old version of the swingarm, where the differences are obvious: the shape, first of all, but also on the new one the large hole at the bottom is not present either.
The last big visual change is the new rear buckle with the shell integrating the saddle. The exhaust is now integrated into the rear fairing and is no longer as visible as before, where it was positioned below the fairing.
In this photo, we find the exhaust that equips the KTMs currently on the track for the 2020 season.
Here is the aerodynamic fairing that Iker Lecuona very briefly tested this Monday. In addition to the fins positioned just in front of the pilot's boots, we note that the fairing has multiple small holes.
In the past, MotoGP prototypes already had these kinds of holes in the fairing, but engineers abandoned the idea a long time ago. This made it possible to reduce vibrations on the motorcycle and the rider and also to limit the effect of a crosswind on the motorcycle. KTM engineers are no doubt planning to use the holes in the fairing to do something similar.
Since the appearance of wings in MotoGP, aerodynamic work has had its place in MotoGP. The fins create turbulence around them which can cause vibrations in the motorcycle and the rider, and in particular cause small head tremors.
We also observe the presence of two sets of additional fins, which are further back on the fairing than what we find on current MotoGP prototypes.
Ducati works a lot on aerodynamics, particularly in the wind tunnel, and the new wings developed by the Italian brand caused a lot of talk at the start of the year. Indeed, the wings of the Ducati GP21 are supposed to explore ground effect and help turn. It seems that other manufacturers are exploring this idea.
Regarding the new KTM prototype, Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder remained discreet regarding the evolutions of the bike, their strong points and their weak points, but the Portuguese rider was clear that the objective of the new bike is to allow the use of softer front tires.
This is one of the areas where KTM struggles, to get the feeling they want and need to ride fast they have to use the hard front tire, which doesn't work on all tracks.
Photos: Dorna Sports
