I feel like I need to preface this story with a statement: I want KTM to succeed. I want KTM to remain in MotoGP. I love the brand's motorcycles, as they've been some of the most fun I've ever had the pleasure of riding. I still think about the Super Duke R I rode nearly a decade ago, as it made that sort of an impact on my psyche.
And MotoGP without KTM feels a bit hollow, to be frank.
But I also know what the company has been through. I know all the twists and turns and failures it has seen in recent years, with the whole thing nearly going belly up. I know all the financial screwups, as well as what KTM will have to do to dig itself out of the hole of its own creation. And that work, that incredibly difficult task, even with the backing of a new owner like Bajaj with its deep pockets, ain't gonna be a cake walk.
You can't miss the forest for the trees, which is what KTM's MotoGP team seemingly wants us to do, as it goes about testing its brand-new 850cc engine set to make its racing debut in the 2027 season, pretending everything is all hunky-dory. But everything isn't hunky-dory. Honestly, the testing is weird, as last RideApart heard from the folks managing KTM's insolvency hearings, the brand wouldn't be competing in MotoGP past 2026. And when we reached out to Bajaj, the brand declined to state whether KTM would continue or not.
So what's up with this test?
According to multiple sources, during a private testing session, KTM was able to run the team's new 850cc engine ahead of the regulations change that's coming for the 2027 season. The downsizing of the engine displacement is one of a host of massive regulation changes on the way, with the season marking the biggest technical shakeup in decades. But as of right now, there's no confirmation that KTM will be on the grid.
Not only do we have the above statements made by KTM's insolvency managers, and Bajaj's reluctance to comment on the record, but we don't even know if KTM's sister team Tech3 will be its sister team come 2027, as it was just purchased by Formula 1's Guenther Steiner. And that relationship is still very much up in the air, as the former team principal is likely to make some changes to the team itself. There's also the rumor that Suzuki and BMW want back into the sport, and Steiner's star power, coupled with KTM's woes, could provide those manufacturers and easy in by replacing the beleaguered Austrian outfit.
But more than anything, the test, which was done during the offseason at Jerez by Pol Esparago, feels even more thirsty for attention on KTM's part as it's been heavily rumored that KTM's own grid spots are up for sale. I get that these plans were likely put in motion ahead of the insolvency proceedings, as well as everything else that's occurred in recent months—i.e., selling MV Agusta back to its original owners less than a year after purchasing it—but top-tier racing programs are expensive. You'd think Bajaj's accounts would've shut down anything that was too costly like an engine development program.
Hopefully, however, the engine test means that Bajaj is committing to KTM's racing future. But with the brand pulling out of other series', races that make more sense to KTM's off-road roots and history, it could be just the last gasps of a dying outfit. I hope I'm wrong, though.
