MotoGP: KTM could have big bang engine ready 'in three months'
KTM engine designer Kurt Trieb has reveale♐d that it w🅘ould take just three months to get a 'big bang' version of the RC16 MotoGP engine ready for use.
The Austrian man🐟ufacturer, s🧔tarting its first full MotoGP season, is the only company running a conventional even-firing 'screamer' after Honda made the 'big bang' switch this winter.
Trieb explained that KTM are continuing to experiment with different amounts of crankshaft inertia, such as changing the weight of the flywheel, to try🀅 and perfect the power delivery.
"If the grip is low and when it comes to getting out of the corners, we have problems," Trieb told Speedweek.com.
"We have tried different crankshaft mome🧸nts of inertia... it has not been successful so far. We will once again work in this direction and look to find a sol🦋ution."
But if solutions are not found, Trieb is considering switching to an uneven firing 'big bang' version of the V4 powerplant, which should help tame a bike that Pol Espargaro described as something of a '🌠wild bull'.
"We ch꧂ose the 'screamer' because it is a simple, light and reliable engine," Trieb said. "I think this was not a bad decision, because we ran smoothly and without any major construction issues.
"Now comes the poꦡint, where of course you take the next step and this ['big bang'] concept has to be considered again.
ཧ"You would need new crankshafts and new camsh🧔afts."
And how long would it take to go from deciding on a 'bi💧g bang' and having꧂ it on track?
"Three months, I guess."
As well new internal components, big bang engines generate greater vibrations and loads, forcing a beefier design. There is also a loss of outright༒ performance, relative to th♔e screamer.
Trieb hinted that a decision on KTM's engine direction could beꦯ made after trying new parts at next month's Jerez post-race test.
Espꦫargaro and Bradley Sm🐻ith finished 16th and 17th in last weekend's Qatar season-opener.
Espargaro was♉ 33.6s from race winner Maverick Vinales and just over four-seconds from scoring a world cham✱pionship point.
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Peter ha𝔍s been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come🎀 and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
