There’s a lot of interest in the KTM Supersport – will the race kit be ready in time?

The Supersport World Championship is set to introduce revised technical regulations for 2027, which will result in a ten per cent reduction in power, meaning that engines in the middle displacement category will in future produce only around 130 PS. KTM and Team Freudenberg, who have been working all year to make the 990 RC R race-ready for 2027, have therefore had to adapt the development of the engine and its electronics, and have been set back by months as a result of this new direction.

As things stand, it is difficult to assess whether the 947 ccm twin-cylinder engine will be World Championship-compliant and ready for action by 2027. This is because the World Championship begins on the penultimate weekend of February in Australia, whilst the European season usually gets underway at the end of March in Portugal.

Realistically speaking, the Freudenberg team and KTM have just over three months until the end of November to prepare everything and then have it homologated. December and at least the first half of January are the winter break, before the kit is sent Down Under. In the new year, testing before the start of the season will only be possible in late January or early February at circuits such as Jerez or Portimão in the southernmost part of Europe.

One thing is certain: there will be no KTM works team

In September, KTM will decide to what extent the factory will be involved in Supersport. One thing is certain: we will not see a factory team from Mattighofen in the Supersport World Championship; such appearances are reserved for the MotoGP paddock and off-road racing.

However, there is interest amongst the Austrians in seeing the 990 RC R in racing action with the Freudenberg team. It is also a fact that enquiries have been received from teams in the Supersport World Championship who are considering switching to KTM.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: Aprilia comeback? The truth is: Aprilia never went away!

Four weeks ago, Aprilia headed into the summer break from Germany with a badly injured Marco Bezzecchi. The response came from the heart of British motor racing: ‘Together we are strong!’

Thomas Kuttruf

Read more

Given the current state of development, team principal Carsten Freudenberg expects his team to compete in the Euro Moto in 2027, as it cannot be said with certainty whether the World Championship kit will be ready by the end of the year. Should this come to pass, current test rider Jonas Folger is the preferred candidate for the role of regular rider in the German Championship.

Promoter Liberty is keen to attract additional manufacturers

However, it is also conceivable that a new manufacturer might not join the World Championship until the European round – or even midway through the season. This is because promoter Liberty recognises the importance of every participating brand and is prepared to make compromises during negotiations.

This year, we have eight motorcycle brands in the Supersport World Championship: Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, QJ Motor, Triumph, Yamaha and ZX Moto – with very different levels of factory involvement. KTM would be the ninth manufacturer.