MotoGP: KTM to try out new ‘big bang’ motor instead of ‘screamer’ engine at Jerez

KTM is using a revamped version of its MotoGP engine to Jerez this weekend and could end up with the ‘big bang’ lump in the bikes for the premier race on Sunday.

The motor was out at Le Mans earlier this week for some hard laps with Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and test rider Mika Kallio. The idea is that the new motor improves power delivery over the current ‘screamer’ motor.

“The guys took the plane yesterday at 3am to come here after the test at Le Mans,” Espargaro said.

“Since they arrived here, they have been working on the electronics to understand the engine a little bit more. This engine had never been tested.

“If we try it, it will mean that the guys in the workshop and here have done a very good job and they think that we can use it. At Le Mans it was even harder to judge it because the electronics were not adjusted.

“Even if the engine is better, we cannot know now, because it was so young and we need to test. We need to use it, we need to make the guys understand a little bit more this engine and make them try to adjust it as much as possible.

“If we try it, you will hear it.”

Smith added: “It’s quite different. It’s the same engine, it just has a slightly different way of working. Generally it has its goods, but it also has its negatives.

“In terms of lap time, we didn’t really see anything that stood out massively, we wanted to bring it here to reconfirm that over a race weekend.

“The idea is to make it more manageable, to get more speed out of the corners and look after the tyres a little bit more.”