Development of the KTM 990 RC R: What Grünwald does differently from Jonas Folger

KTM and the Saxon-based Freudenberg team are working hard to get the new 990 RC R race-ready for 2027. Whether they will enter the Supersport World Championship by then also depends on the Austrian manufacturer’s budget situation – a clearer picture of this should emerge in September.

On 5–6 August, KTM tested at Brüx (Most), with Jonas Folger on the first day and Luca Grünwald on the second. Ever since it was announced that the Supersport World Championship would be subject to new regulations for 2027, with reduced engine power, the manufacturers have been working to adapt to the new circumstances.

“The idea behind this is to reduce costs, which makes sense,” team boss Carsten Freudenberg told SPEEDWEEK.com. “The Ducati and the KTM produce around 125 PS in production form, whilst the Yamaha produces even less. However, some of the current World Championship bikes also have 150 PS or more. The engines are at their performance limit, which causes wear and tear and therefore costs for the teams. If you keep pushing the equipment further and further to the limit, it’s no longer as reliable.”

KTM had to take a new approach

The only downside for KTM in terms of development: because details of the new regulations were only announced late in the day, the path for 2027 had already been set. Now the engine’s tuning, its power curve and the electronic mapping all need to be adjusted.

“Initially, our engine was designed for peak power, so that we could reach around 150 PS,” explained Freudenberg. “Now the situation is that we’re aiming for around 130 PS with maximum torque. Everything has to be tuned to that. We have to start from scratch because we need that peak power at a completely different revs.”

He knows how a motorbike needs to be developed from the ground up so that it works well for all riders.

Carsten Freudenberg on Luca Grünwald

The team boss quickly realised that Jonas Folger and Luca Grünwald have different working methods and strengths, which gives KTM the advantage of a broader range of information.

“Jonas is a rider who’s still in his prime,” says Freudenberg. “He rode the MotoGP bike this year, did the Suzuka Endurance race and rode for us; he’s constantly on the bike. When it comes to pushing the bike to the limit straight away, Jonas is unbeatable. Luca was able to help us by being a very astute development rider. He’s learnt a great deal during the years he’s worked for KTM. He knows how a motorbike needs to be developed at a fundamental level so that it works well for all riders. Luca last rode a motorbike in April, but he could immediately sense where we stand with the bike. He told us what’s interesting for the future – from cornering behaviour and engine response right down to the finer details. That gave us valuable insights. Luca and Jonas get on really well and are constantly exchanging ideas. That’s the only way to drive a project forward – by working together.”