IN
THE
WIND
P48
KTM READY TO RACE
MOTO2 IN 2017
K
TM and WP will team up for a full factory team in
the 2017 Moto2 World Championship with rid-
ers Thomas Luthi and current Moto3 championship
leader Brad Binder in a team managed by current
Red Bull KTM Moto3 team manager, Aki Ajo.
In an interview with respected German publica-
tion Speedweek, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer an-
nounced that KTM will be the only manufacturer
with a factory team in each of the three Grand Prix
classes next year, with the much publicized RC16
MotoGP machine to debut at this year's season-
ending Valencia MotoGP. The move to Moto2
also means KTM will have to use the control-spec
Honda CBR600RR engine until the end of the
2018 season, when the Honda contract runs out.
And with Honda now winding down development
of the CBR600RR engine, that leaves the door
open to KTM as a possible choice of engine sup-
plier for the series from 2019 onwards.
"The Moto2 chassis was developed at WP,
where WP is part of our group and work closely
with us, but it is a KTM," Pierer told Speedweek.
And he did not shoot down questions on whether
KTM would be interested in becoming the control
engine supplier from 2019 onwards. "If we are
asked (to be the engine supplier), we will certainly
have an opinion about it. If Dorna CEO Ezpeleta
comes to us, we will talk about it. But currently we
are concentrating on the MotoGP project. For us
this is already quite a challenge." CN
ROLAND SANDS INVOLVED
IN STURGIS ACCIDENT
R
enowned motorcycle customizer Roland Sands was involved
in an accident at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis,
South Dakota on Sunday, August 8.
Sands rode onto the campground stage at around 9:45 p.m.
between performances by Kid Rock and Lita Ford on the brand-
new Indian Scout FTR750 flat track racer. Sands then lost control of the machine, riding off the stage
and into the crowd with four people reported to be injured.
According to the Rapid City Journal, the four were treated by on-site medical staff and later taken to a
hospital, although the extent of their injuries and their identities have not been released.
Reports from the scene were that rain had been falling at the Chip, although this is not believed to
have been a contributing factor to the crash.
"He's super experienced, and well known as an experienced bike builder and racer," Buffalo Chip
spokeswoman Nyla Griffith said of Sands. "It was just a horrible accident."
A YouTube video of the event was quickly posted online. CLICK HERE to view. CN
The Moto2 project
will give KTM the
largest presence in the
MotoGP paddock.
