The RC250GP is a grand prix racingmotorcycle designed and built by KTM for the Moto3 class, introduced in 2012. It is also used in the Moto3 Junior World Championship. The RC250GP is raced by KTM's factory racing program as well as supplied to numerous customer teams. The motorcycle is one of the most successful machines of the Moto3 era to date, having taken 4 constructors' championships, including a clean sweep in 2013winning every one of the 17 races.
Designation
The motorcycle's name derives from KTM's long-standing usage of the "RC" designation for its sportbikes, beginning with the RC8, RC 390, and RC 125 production models and later also applied to its RC16MotoGP prototype. The "250" relates to the engine displacement as mandated by Moto3 technical regulations. "GP" is short for Grand Prix, specifying the model to usage in grand prix racing, as opposed to its derivative models.
Technical Description
All components of the motorcycle frame and engine are developed in-house by KTM. The frame is a steel tubetrellis design, while the swingarm is of aluminium construction. The 250cc four-strokesingle-cylinder engine is equipped by regulation with a limiter at 13,500 rpm, with maximum torque output beginning at around 10,500 rpm. The engine feeds a 6-gear transmission according to regulations. Suspension components are developed and produced by KTM subsidiary WP Suspension. The Slovenian manufacturer Akrapovič supplies the exhaust system. The braking system is supplied by Brembo and consists of two steel discs controlled by twin-piston calipers on the front wheel and a single disc on the rear wheel. The elliptical shaped air intake is placed on the front fairing, while the duct that connects it to the airbox passes under the steering head. KTM claims a dry weight of the machine of approx. 82 kg though Moto3 regulations set a minimum combined weight of 152 kg for the bike and fully-equipped rider.
Also known as the "Production Racer", KTM build a limited production of track-only bikes between 2013-2016 based on the RC250GP known as the RC250R. It was intended to be a cheaper "entry level" model for private racers. The bike was subsequently entered as a number of one-off wildcard entries by various teams in the 2014 season. The RC250R features a number of differences compared to the RC250GP, including
slightly down-tuned engine producing 37 kW @ 13,000 rpm and maximum torque of 28 Nm @ 11,000 rpm
maximum engine speed is limited to 13,500 rpm
simplified 2-into-1 titanium exhaust from Akrapovič with additional dB-killer
For the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, KTM prepares identical, sealed motorcycles for each rider. The RC250RBR is essentially an RC250R featuring a few upgrades, such as an Akrapovič twin-pipe megaphone exhaust system without dB-killer, similar to the exhaust of the original RC250GP. Previously the engine rev limit was reduced to 13,000 rpm to aid in extending the service life of the engine, but has since been raised to the 13,500 limit of the base RC250R.
Husqvarna FR250GP
KTM purchased Husqvarna Motorcycles from BMW Motorrad in early 2013. As a marketing move by KTM to promote its new brand, Husqvarna entered the Moto3 paddock as a unique manufacturer in the 2014 and 2015 seasons with its FR250GP motorcycle. The FR250GP is however simply a badge-engineered RC250GP. The "FR" designation comes from Husqvarna's series product naming conventions with the "F" signifying a four-stroke model and the "R" likely meaning "race". Husqvarna re-entered Moto3 beginning in 2020.
