KTM became the first MotoGP manufacturer to put the new 2027 engine into service, with Pol Espargaro sharing a video of a private test in Jerez on social media.
Following the first launch of the new 850cc engine on the dyno in October, KTM has now taken another step towards developing a successor to the RC16 for the 2027 regulations.
It’s no secret that manufacturers have shifted significant resources towards the upcoming rules cycle, with current prototypes still leading the way despite the 2026 season still being in the lead.
MotoGP is preparing for one of its biggest technical overhauls in decades, with regulations largely unchanged since the introduction of universal ECUs in 2016. Additionally, 2012 was the last time the manufacturer was required to change engine capacity, as the range moved from the previous 800cc engine to a 1000cc engine.
While all factories are working hard to produce bikes to the new regulations, which also include reduced aerodynamics, a ban on ride height devices and a switch to Pirelli tires, not a single factory is running an 850cc power unit on the track so far.
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KTM, whose long-term future in MotoGP has previously been called into question due to financial woes, has now jumped ahead, showing off an early prototype of its 2027 engine for the first time in a private test.
In a video shared on Instagram, KTM test rider Espargaro showed off a bike equipped with a new engine and Pirelli rubber in Jerez on Thursday.
“Hear that? The engine just started. Our 850cc is fired up and ready to race in 2027,” he wrote.
The post received comments from KTM Racing and Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales, further adding to the credibility of the test.
In early October, KTM announced that it had completed preliminary dyno runs of its 2027 850cc engine concept at its Matthofen headquarters. This is supplemented by a video of the engine starting for the first time.
The announcement also reinforces KTM’s commitment to MotoGP, following Bajaj Auto’s acquisition of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer this summer.
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