KTM says it will enter MotoGP in 2017

KTM had previously dabbled in the premier class when it supplied engines to Team Roberts, which came to an acrimonious end in 2005.

Since then, it has remained in the feeder categories of the sport and KTM head of motorsport Pit Beirer has announced that, unlike the more traditional route of other manufacturers in MotoGP, it will not be entering a factory team, but will instead build a customer bike akin to that in Moto3.

"We had plans to go first to Moto2 and go maybe in smaller steps," said Beirer.

"But that doesn't make a lot of sense to build a KTM with a Honda engine inside, so it would never be a real KTM.

"So we decided to make the big jump and go into MotoGP. We are already very busy with this and we are trying everything to get ready for 2017."

Its move to MotoGP will come a year after the new regulations take effect and Beirer revealed that the bike would be powered by a V4 engine, with testing due to begin towards the end of next year.

"It will be a real KTM, with the engine concept we are pretty sure it's going to be a V4, but in the end this will still be in a tubular frame.

"It will be built and made in Austria with KTM, so we are not looking for external suppliers to build the bike for us."

"We want to make it a real KTM and go definitely the hard way."

KTM will join Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and the recently announced Aprilia as an official MotoGP manufacturer in 2017.