2021-08-03 13:04:35
MotoMatters.comKTM's Sebastian Risse: On 3D Printing, New Chassis, Dealing With Tires, And The Frustration Of Ride Height Devices
KTM has seen not one, but two remarkable turnarounds in recent years. First, there was the huge step in performance between 2019 and 2020, after the Austrian factory introduced a radically different chassis, switching from circular section tubes to oval section for their steel chassis. That saw KTM go from fighting for the spots just outside the top five to winning three races and consistently battling for the podium.
So it came as a surprise at the opening races of the 2021 season that the KTM riders were suddenly struggling again, Miguel Oliveira finishing tenth in the first race at Qatar, teammate Brad Binder ending up eighth at the second race at Losail. KTM found themselves heavily penalized by a change in the front tire allocation, with a switch to more asymmetric tires.
That required a review of their current development direction, and after another revision to the chassis, and a change of fuel supplier, Miguel Oliveira was back on the podium at Mugello. The improvements were confirmed when the Portuguese rider won the next race at Barcelona.
Before the race at Assen, I spoke to Sebastian Risse, as Technical Coordinator, the man in charge of KTM's MotoGP project. In the interview, Risse explained how they had changed the KTM RC16 to achieve these remarkable turnarounds. In our extended conversation, we covered 3D printing, chassis stiffness, building a more versatile MotoGP bike, and dealing with changing tire allocations. Risse also explained his dislike of the current round of holeshot and ride-height devices, and gave his views on aerodynamics. A fascinating insight into the process of developing a MotoGP machine.
Q:Obviously, you made a big step from 2019 to 2020. Can you talk about that change? What do you think was the big change from 2019 to 2020?
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