RideFast July 2020 2

The new KTM 890
Duke R is one of those
Street Bikes that gets
a bit of that MotoGP
technology.
Being on the grid is a marketing
exercise with enormous reach but
there are positive repercussions
to the race team’s work in the
planning meetings in Austria.
“For sure,” Risse concurs. “We
are working with the KTM
STREET guys and production
management in R&D for areas
like aerodynamics, chassis
stiffness and electronics. Not only
in terms of single development
items but also approaches and
analysis: understanding certain
effects which can then transfer
into another solution of a part or
idea that maybe doesn’t look the
same [on the two bikes]. There
are things that can be gained…
but, often, it isn’t that straight
forward.” What about an example?
“Chassis stiffness,” he answers.
“On one hand how do you go about
obtaining the stiffness and on the
other why do want that stiffness?
What problems happen because
of a change? Then there are the
production processes, especially
with production bikes and the
translation to MotoGP. It can join
forces in some areas.”
Risse then talks about one
manufacturing technique that has
already had a positive impact for
the offroad production models
and should spread. “Innovative
technologies like [3D] printing
is an interesting field where you
see more and more parts on the
motorcycle coming out of a printer;
I think that is something that will
come into production bikes more
frequently. It’s the future, and I
think we are a little bit ahead in this
way. The need for prototype parts
makes it very attractive for racing.”
So far 2020 has stuttered for
MotoGP, as with most sport on
a global level, and paused the
momentum both teams had
made during competitive preseason
tests. When, and if, KTM
can continue racing then their
onslaught on the premier class will
still rush ahead.
132 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JULY 2020
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JULY 2020 133