If you’ve never seen a sidecar race, you’d be amazed at how different it is from motorcycle racing. Not only do you have some entirely different physics at work with the third wheel, you also have a passenger sprawled over the chassis behind the rider, sticking his body out to either side at lean angles that would make Marc Marquez break a sweat. Check out the video after the jump to see for yourself.

Take a look under the fairing of a sidecar racer and you’ll see how radically different it is from most other forms of motorcycle racing. KTM’s official blog posted a feature on German IDM racers Josef Sattler and Stefan Trautner who are racing the 2013 season in a sidecar powered by a V-Twin engine from a KTM RC8 R. The post offers a rare look at the chassis and engine of their sidecar racer. Continue Reading »

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released an updated list of motorcycles homologated for the 2013 Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock racing season. Notable additions include the new BMW S1000RR HP4, the MV Agusta F3 and the Superbike-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

To qualify a production-based racebike for FIM homologations, manufacturers have to meet certain production thresholds. Manufacturers must first produce 125 units ahead of a homologation inspection. After that, manufacturers have to produce a minimum of 500 units by June 30 and 1000 units by December 31 of the current year, and a minimum of 2000 units by the December 31 of the following year.

Production counts include both ABS and non-ABS versions of the same model, and at least 250 units of each version have to be produced. Production models must also be available for sale in either the U.S., Europe or Japan by the end of April of the current year to qualify. Continue Reading »

KTM announced it will race a full factory entry in three rounds of the 2011 AMA Superbike Championship.

The Austrian manufacturer is teaming up with HMC Racing and racer Chris Fillmore to enter the series with the KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec.

HMC Racing owner Mitch Hansen and KTM have worked together in the past, winning ten national Supermoto titles together. Hansen also played  a major role in the U.S. Red Bull Rookies Cup which featured  KTM racebikes. Fillmore raced for two seasons on the HMC KTM Supermoto team, finishing second overall in the 2008 championship.

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