INTERVIEW
KTM PRESIDENT/CEO STEFAN PIERER PART 2
P82
Zeltweg. So maybe it's a case of
step by step….
Does this mean the end of
Superbike racing for KTM?
When we spoke two years
ago you told me that, on the
contrary, as far as KTM was
concerned, Superbike was the
future.
No, no more Superbike for
KTM. And it's because World Su-
perbike racing, honestly saying,
was destroyed by Dorna after they
took it over. There's no publicity,
no TV or media coverage, and if
you are doing it seriously, it's very
expensive as well. Plus now they
have new regulations.
But the new regulations are
supposed to prevent having
MotoGP bikes with lights in Su-
perbike racing, by returning to
the modified streetbike
concept. That's not suf-
ficient for you to justify
entering the RC8?
No, as soon as the RC16
is available for customers
we will stop with the RC8.
The design is outstanding.
I would say it's still state of
the art, and there is noth-
ing else like it. It's a classic
Superbike. But with the in-
crease in safety concerns,
I'm afraid bikes like this
don't belong on the street,
only on a closed course.
And is your objective in
the short term for 2015 to
regain the Moto3 World
Championships from Honda?
Yes, for sure. In 2014 we col-
lected 15 world titles, including
retaining the Manufacturers road
racing title in Moto3, which if you
ask Honda, same as us they will
say it's the most important one.
Riders title is more visible, but
industrially speaking it's clear the
Manufacturers is the best. We
were hoping to get both, but it
didn't work out—that's racing.
So now we plan to do better
next season, although without
Jack Miller. The saying goes that
to finish first you must first finish,
and he crashed three times, so
he came up short. Though maybe
you could say he crashed twice,
but crashed once when [Alex]
Marquez hit him at Aragon. But
he did an outstanding job, and
we were very happy with him.
He's a good marketing guy, very
popular, and for us Australia is
"NO, NO
MORE
SUPERBIKE
FOR KTM.
AND IT'S
BECAUSE
WORLD
SUPERBIKE
RACING,
HONESTLY
SAYING,
WAS
DESTROYED
BY DORNA
AFTER THEY
TOOK IT
OVER."
Stefan Pierer (left) and KTM's engine
designer Kurt Trieb (right) with the
Moto3 engine.
