MotoGP’s Fastest Race Bike Can Be Yours, But At A Serious Price

It is not every day that a MotoGP race bike comes up for auction. So when we saw KTM‘s MotoGP machine up for grabs, we had to fill you in. This is not your ideal MotoGP bike, either, as it is the current MotoGP speed record holder. With a crazy V4 engine and heavy aerodynamic usage, the machine you see here breached the 220 miles per hour mark. How can you take it home, you ask? Simple, by spending a massive sum of money.

This The Current Top Speed Record-Holding Bike In MotoGP

This is the same race bike that climbed up the podium six times in a single year (2023) in the hands of Brad Binder. The most impactful achievement of this KTM race bike is Brad Binder hitting a top speed of 227.4 mph in the 2023 MotoGP season, making it the top speed record holder in MotoGP. This was achieved on the Mugello circuit.

Much of the credit goes to the prototype 1,000cc V4 engine that screams to 18,500 RPM. Power is said to be in the 290-horsepower ballpark. The sophisticated engine features a pneumatic valve train. Other notable features include variable advanced CDI ignition, ride-by-wire, wheelie control, and quickshifter, to name a few. Lubrication is handled by a dry sump system, and the ECU is a specialized Magneti Marelli unified unit.

And There’s No Shortage Of Cool Features Here

Everything on this KTM race bike is God-tier. Suspension duties are courtesy of top-spec WP suspension at both ends, and stopping power is by Brembo. It flaunts 17-inch front and rear forged magnesium Marchesini rims wrapped with super slicks. Power is transmitted to the rear wheel via a 6-speed seamless-shift sequential manual gearbox with a final chain drive. The RC16 racebike is extremely light, at just 346 pounds. This is mainly due to lightweight materials like a tubular steel trellis main frame, a carbon fiber swing arm, and carbon fiber bodywork.

This Half-A-Million Dollar Racebike Has A Catch, Though

The Buyer Will Have To Make A Sacrifice

This MotoGP race bike will be auctioned via RM Sotheby’s, and bidding is already underway. The base value is set between $390,000 and $500,000. Because of its rarity and the insane amount of technology features stuffed into it, we will not be surprised if the bidding breaches the $1 million mark. Here is the link to the official listing.

However, the fine print on the auction site states that while the bike is fully functional and ready to be ridden, it is being offered as a display piece only. RM Sotheby’s states the reason:

Due to the specialized nature of modern MotoGP motorcycles – including pneumatic valve actuation and a mandatory unified ECU – independent private operation is not possible.

We are pretty sure that this bike will mostly end up with someone who would like to preserve it immaculately rather than rip it open on a racetrack. But if someone was wild enough to do the latter, this is a bummer. The motorcycle will be started and showcased to the buyer after the bidding ends, though. Any potential track use and service option can be discussed separately with KTM Factory Racing. Also, once the deal is done, it will be handed over to the lucky buyer at KTM Factory Racing (KTM Racing GmbH) in Munderfing, Austria.

KTM RC16 MotoGP Specs