In 2027, new regulations will come to MotoGP, bringing with them new engines with 850 cubic centimeters of displacement. As a new generation of engines, manufacturers may choose to radically change their current concepts or stick with them.
KTM, like the vast majority of manufacturers in the field, currently uses a V4 engine. However, it’s not out of the question for them to consider a different concept: ‘It makes sense to look at other designs of the four cylinders as well. I would not rule out an inline-four engine either’, said technical director Sebastian Risse to SPEEDWEEK.com.
The decision has already been made, but for now, the engineer kept it under wraps: ‘What I can say is that we have already decided on the engine concept, but today I cannot reveal what it is. One thing is certain, the Austrians currently have a very competitive engine. […]. It is also a fact that Kurt Trieb, a competent and experienced competition engine designer, is leading the project. Trieb, who was also jointly responsible for the initial design of BMW’s new Superbike engine, with the inline-four. […]. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next RC16 no longer used the V configuration’.
Risse added: ‘Even the very high effort is not an argument against a new design in an inline because, in any case, the new regulations mean that manufacturers will start with a completely new bike’.