KTM is risking the loss of an important resource of its team of top MotoGP engineers. Rumors have it that Engineer Kurt Trieb is speaking with Honda.
The uncertain future regarding the"Ready to Race" motorsport strategy of KTM's new majority owner, Bajaj, in India is unsettling, not only for KTM Factory Racing's over 100 employess in Munderfing, but also the 40 factory riders, the participating teams, the series promoters such as Dorna, and other partners.
The strained financial situation of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, which experienced a stop in production for six months in the first seven months of 2025 - first due to the exorbitant inventory of 185,000 vehicles, then beause of a shortage of spare parts - is also making competitors covet KTM's best racing engineers and technicians.
A year ago, it was announced that KTM would not renew the contract of MotoGP Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini, who subsequently signed with Aprilia Racing. Following this, the decision was also made to part ways with Red Bull KTM Factory Team Manager Francesco Guidotti, despite a valid contract for 2025.
And, now, another bombshell has dropped at the Dutch TT in Assen. According to research from various sources, it appears that the brilliant German-born engine designer, Kurt Trieb, will also be leaving the factory.
The 63-year-old from Swabia went to KTM from BMW's Formula 1 engine department in 2002 and initially built the 990 cc V4 engine with which KTM planned to enter the new four-stroke MotoGP class as a factory-supplied engine in 2004. When he was off-road specialist for KTM in 2003, he took part in the 125cc two-stroke World Championship for the first time and, in 2004, Casey Stoner secured the first Road Racing GP victory in Sepang for the Austrians.
However, KTM grossly underestimated the financial expenditure of €25 to €30 million Euros for the MotoGP class and, therefore, canceled its MotoGP participation for the following season in July 2003. Yet, the seven completed engines were given to Team Roberts with riders Jeremy McWilliams and Shane Byrne for 2004.
Engineer Kurt Trieb then moved to Noale for a brief interlude with Aprilia. But he then returned and developed the winning 250 cc Moto3 engine for KTM, which defeated the Honda armada in 2012 with Sandro Cortese and in 2013 with Maverick Viñales. At that stage, KTM managed to win 27 Motor races in a row! Honda had won the new four-stroke World Championship for the first time in 2014 with Alex Márquez, after copying Kurt Trieb's bore-to-stroke ratio and Akrapovic's dual exhaust pipe sytem, increasing engine power accordingly.
Kurt Trieb, now 63 years old and long since settled in Upper Austria despite his German origins, then built KTM's victorious motocross factory engines for the 250 cc (MX2) and MXGP (450 cc) classes as a four-stroke specialist.
Trieb's masterpiece, however, was the 1000 cc V4 engine for the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, which was quickly recognized in the scene as powerful and extremely reliable. To this day, Brad Binder holds the absolute MotoGP top speed record at Mugello with 366.1 km/h.
When Binder was a rookie, he also secured KTM's first victory in the premier class in 2020 (in his third MotoGP race in Brno), and he also won in Spielberg in 2021. Miguel Oliveira even brought KTM five MotoGP victories. KTM has now twice finished in second place in the Constructors World Championship, while Pol Espargaró missed third place in the 2020 MotoGP World Championship by just four points.
"Kurt Trieb is the best 'single engine designer' when it comes to motorcycle racing engines," said Tom O'Kane, who met Trieb in 2004 as crew chief for Team Roberts, and then moved to Suzuki and BMW before landing at Yamaha as a MotoGP development engineer.
Tom O'Kane wanted to express his point. Trieb possesses the unique ability to develop a winning racing engine entirely single-handedly while, in Japan, up to 50 engineers are racking their brains over such a project.
According to information from GPOne.com, Kurt Trieb now has an offer from Honda Racing Corporation. He is expected to help eliminate the power deficit of the RC213V engine and, at the same time, contribute his vast knowledge to the development of a competitive 850 cc engine for 2027.
Reports from Austria indicate that Trieb's KTM 850 cc V4 engine is already on the test bench.
For the time being, no one can estimate whether the Indian Rajiv Bajaj will be able to afford the current €60 million Euros racing budget in the future. According to the business plan, 230,000 motorcycles of the KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS brands are to be built in the current fiscal year. However, only 4,200 units will be completed by July 27th. And, due to the seasonal nature of the motorcycle business, not much will be sold in the fall, especially since the profitable off-road business is now also being pursued by Ducati, Triumph, and Fantic.
Since HRC technician Romano Albesiano is primarily trained as an aerodynamics specialist, and HRC is keen in seeking European assistance, due to the increased speed of development since the loss of competitiveness (which was already apparent during the 2020 winter tests) - just think of chassis manufacturer Kalex in 2022 and 2023 - Kurt Trieb is now high on HRC's wish list.
If the HRC Honda Castrol factory team wants to again attract a winning rider like Jorge Martin soon, they have to further upgrade their group of top racing engineers.
Some insiders told us at Assen that the deal between Trieb and HRC has already been sealed. But, so far, no party is ready to confirm any of this speculation. Long-time KTM engine designer Kurt Trieb does not want to comment on the matter at this time. If Trieb has already reached an agreement with HRC, we can assume that he has signed a non-disclosure agreement.
If the reports about Kurt Trieb's departure are confirmed, the KTM rider quartet (Acosta, Binder, Viñales, and Bastianini) would suffer a very bitter setback, because racing engine designers with a similar experience and track record are very few and far between.