Don’t worry – it’s August 1st, not April 1st. Every once in a while, you’ll see the opportunity to snag a former MotoGP race bike, but there’s typically some sort of caveat, such as it’s a Claiming Rule Team bike and not a factory bike. The last time a factory race team sold a racer was 2012 – Ducati auctioned off the machines that Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner competed on two years prior through RM Sotheby’s for approximately $320,000 each. Well, it’s time to reset the clock, as KTM is offering up two of their RC16s as campaigned in the 2019 season by Pol Espargaro.
Nathan took this photo of one of the bikes when he and I were in Austin for MotoGP last year:
Photo by Nathan May
These bikes were quite competitive – KTM had their best season ever in MotoGP with them thanks to Pol’s 8 top ten finishes as well as a front row qualification at Misano for a total of 100 championship points in the season and a 11th place finish. Want some basic specs? KTM quotes over 265 horsepower out of the 1,000cc V-4 motor, a redline of 18,500rpm, and a top speed of over 211 miles. The whole thing weighs just 346 pounds, and obviously the components are as good as you’ll find anywhere.
Start estimating what you think this will cost…we’ll get to that in a second. The princely sum includes more than the bike – you’ll also get:
– A full set of Pol Espargaro’s race leathers
– A signed Espargaro race helmet
– A VIP MotoGP Event Pack for any 2021 event (subject to circuit accessibility). The experience includes a behind-the-scenes tour, a meet-and-greet with the MotoGP riders and a full set of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team wear
When I bought my KTM 450XC, I got a briefcase that was repeatedly emblazoned with “READY TO RACE.” Here’s your chance to put the KTM slogan to the test!
Ready to see if your guess was correct? Find these incredible machines for sale for 288,000 Euros ($340,000) – but money won’t be enough. You’ll have to email rc16@ktm.com and plead your case, then KTM will decide who’s worthy of their two offerings. Feel free to let me know what the application is like if you go for it…
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Jeff R!