Today, and especially after the divorce between KTM and Johann Zarco, it seems fashionable to denigrate the Austrian firm, especially since the results remain mixed for the moment despite the few exploits of Pol Espargaró.
The purpose of this article, however, is not to defend the men in orange but simply to put things in context and, with “Spy Attitude” to back it up, to note that we are very far from remaining inactive in Mattighofen . Ultimately, the RC16 could well end up surprising us… for the better!
A little flashback:
Following a decision taken two years earlier, then two years of private testing, KTM returned to MotoGP in 2017 after having already made a 4° V75 engine in 2004 (See his story here).
Sixth and most recent manufacturer officially entered, the Austrian factory then officially aligned itself in MotoGP with Pol Espargaro et Bradley Smith.
During this period, the first was convincing but suffered numerous injuries while the second proved disappointing, having the greatest difficulty feeling the limit of the front axle of the RC16 equipped with Michelin.
After these first 2 years in the deep end, the year 2019 can be considered as phase 3 of this project, with on the one hand the commitment of Johann zarco to replace Bradley Smith, and on the other hand the integration of the French team Tech3 as a satellite team aiming both to train young hopefuls as well as to bring additional data and undisputed know-how to the factory.
Sadly, Pol Espargaro suffered again physically and the driving style of John Zarco, while fluid, did not allow the envisaged performances to be completely achieved. In addition, the establishment of the Tech3 team weighed a good part of the start of the season on the resources of the racing department of the Austrian factory which, remember, is also still involved in Moto2 and Moto3.
So things are undoubtedly more difficult than everyone involved in this project had anticipated. But KTM, at least until now, shows no sign of discouragement, quite the contrary, and is even accelerating the pace with several human and/or technical measures:
– commitment to Dani Pedrosa as a test pilot,
– abandonment of the Moto2 program to distribute resources in MotoGP and Moto3,
– almost continuous evolution of the RC16.
It is of course this point that we are going to address now, discovering with surprise some interesting elements that have gone completely unnoticed since, unlike the Honda and Yamaha and other Ducati, no one is really interested in this machine...
From the start of its commitment, KTM's strategy was clearly defined: we will tackle the pillars of the category without changing the genes of the Austrian brand. It is therefore with a tubular chassis, WP suspensions and a 4° V90 that Mattighofen intends to compete with the leaders in the category. No question of questioning this choice!
Initially a screamer, the engine has been stalled like a big bang since 2017, like the Honda and the Ducati. Let us simply remind ourselves that, contrary to what has been widely reported in the press, this calibration is not intended to “let the tire rest between two explosions so that it regains grip”, but on the contrary, and in a much more logical way, to smooth the effort curve on the latter. We will try to do an article on the subject this winter…
In any case, this V4 was initially designed in a traditional way, that is to say rotating in the same direction as the wheels. However, it has already been a long time since some of the competition used the advantages of an engine that we will call "counter-rotating", even if the expression is not very appropriate: rotating in the opposite direction of the wheels, the crankshaft then reduces the gyroscopic effects instead of increasing them, and thus makes the motorcycle more maneuverable while countering the tendency to wheelie during acceleration (and to a lesser extent to stoppies when braking).
This point has been corrected since the appearance of the RC16 and required a complete overhaul of the engine at the end of last year, in particular with a mandatory additional intermediate shaft to adapt to the direction of rotation of the wheels (a MotoGP which starts backwards, it doesn't…) and therefore new casings.
This additional shaft now also allows the engine to be started with a small portable starter. Initially focusing on “home DIY”…
...this quickly transformed into a little marvel of compactness to make the competition jealous, which uses systems that are much less manageable and much more bulky...
Note that this starter has two teeth, one, internal, which will engage on the intermediate shaft to start the engine, the other, external, which locks on a part screwed to the casing and allows mechanics not having to counter the very strong reaction torque generated when starting the V4 Big-Bang (those whose drill bit has already stuck in the hole they were making have already had an idea of this effect...) .
To summarize the work done on the engine since the first versions, KTM stalled its engine in Big Bang, reversed its direction of rotation and lowered its maximum speed. Today, KTM therefore has an engine whose architecture is quite similar to that used by Honda and Ducati. It is difficult to estimate the power because the top speeds reached are strongly conditioned by the cornering speeds.
Perhaps (without doubt) KTM still has a small deficit in this area, but the maintenance and development of the Moto3 program can only encourage research in this area (after all, a 1000cc MotoGP engine limited to 81 mm d The bore roughly uses 4 Moto3 engines…).
To be continued with developments 2019 ...
Learn more on the topic:
Ktm MotoGP RC 16: Two intriguing figures…
The designer of the V4 Ktm proves us (apparently) right!
The screaming Ktm MotoGP V4 is over there!
MotoGP: Everything you need to know about the KTM engine
KTM plans to use its Big Bang at Jerez
KTM evaluates a Big-Bang engine. On the track at Le Mans?
KTM MotoGP: So what is the “magic” engine tested by Pol Espargaro during the IRTA tests?
Kurt Trieb (KTM): The V4 is the right choice
