RideFast Magazine March 2020

Words: KTM Blog & Adam Wheeler | Pics: KTM Images
HOW DO YOU GET
READY FOR A
MOTOGP
BIKE?
In a matter of a few weeks, Brad Binder will be able to
answer the question that many race fans regularly have:
what does it feel like to pin a MotoGP factory bike?! The
South African chats about three ways in which he’ll get
set for the challenge…
Red Bull KTM MotoGP teams will
field two rookies in 2020: Brad Binder
and Iker Lecuona with the combined
age of 43 years. Binder comes into
the factory squad with a Moto3 world
championship and fifteen Grand Prix
victories in two categories to his name
including five wins in Moto2 last year.
The South African has earned his
MotoGP shot thanks to his results,
attitude and attacking riding style;
something that paddock insiders seem
to think will suit him well on the RC16
and a motorcycle that Pol Espargaró
aggressively throttled to 100 world
championship points in 2019.
Binder first threw his leg over the
KTM Grand Prix bike at the summer
test in the Czech Republic. The laps
he made at the Brno circuit were like
a preview for what he might have in
store for 2020. At the Valencia and
Jerez MotoGP tests in November
the new #33 was able to deepen his
appreciation for the 350kmph missile.
Already an eight season ‘veteran’ of
FIM world championship competition,
Binder, who works between bases in
Dubai and Spain, identified three areas
in which he’s been focussing on to
face the increase of speed, power and
the best racers in the world.
A PHYSICAL PRESENCE
“I had my first taste of MotoGP
at Brno last summer and I realized
straight away that it is a lot harder on
the forearms and also your heart rate
goes a bit harder than in Moto2. I think
generally it is something that will be a
lot more physical but also something
you get used to.”
“I’d like to try and pick up a bit more
muscle, and a bit more power for
the new season can only help. Body
weight is obviously an important
factor in Moto3 and Moto2 but I can
honestly say that I struggle to gain
weight. I think it has a lot to do with
80 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH 2020