Final Details of MotoAmerica KTM RC390 Cup Released

AMA and MotoAmerica, in conjunction with KTM Motosports have finally released the details for the brand new national junior competition that will run alongside many of the MotoAmerica races for 2015. There aren’t too many surprises in the details as it appears that the MotoAmerica KTM RC390 Cup will closely mimic the series that’s starting in the UK this year as well.

A couple of major points to look note are that the bikes will not be street legal. No mechanical modifications will be allowed to the bikes and any servicing to the engine will only be permitted by KTM’s trackside partner HMC Racing. The specifications of the series and the bikes are as follows:

 

• The RC Cup Series is for riders between the ages of 14 and 22.


• All participants must hold an AMA Superstock Limited license.


• The 2015 KTM RC 390 Cup racebikes are designed for competition (not street-legal) and have been prepared by KTM with more than 40 PowerParts and other enhancements to increase performance.


• Features include:
  
  • Fully adjustable WP Racing Fork
  
  
  • Fully adjustable WP Racing Rear Shock with high/low speed compression and rebound damping, adjustable preload and adjustable shock length
  
  
  • Titanium Akrapovic Exhaust
  
  
  • Racing Windshield, Tail Fairing and Belly Pan
  
  
  • RC8 R-style Throttle Assembly
  
  
  • CNC-machined Racing Foldable Levers
  
  
  • CNC-machined Racing Rear Sets
  
  


• Each KTM RC Cup racebike has been dyno-tested and tuned to 38 hp. To maintain competitive parity, the engine is sealed and may only be serviced by KTM’s trackside partner HMC Racing.


• Street-legal RC 390s will not qualify for participation in the MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Series. They will, however, be allowed in regional club events.


• KTM HMC will provide the following services: a semi-truck offering hospitality for participants; technicians; and parts for purchase via a trackside service program.


• KTM HMC technicians will provide a safety check prior to each race and help MotoAmerica regulate validity of all machines to maintain parity throughout the series.


• KTM HMC Superbike racer Chris Fillmore will attend each event and offer guidance to participants.


• KTM will offer a contingency platform with the following payout structure:
  
  • 1st – $500
  
  
  • 2nd – $400
  
  
  • 3rd – $300
  
  
  • 4th – $200
  
  
  • 5th – $100
  
  


• RC Cup racebikes will be priced at $9,999. Pre-ordering runs from January 19 to February 15, with delivery to dealers mid-April.


• To order a KTM RC Cup racebike, a rider must visit a participating KTM dealership, provide a refundable $1,000 deposit and a copy of his or her AMA Road Racing Superstock Limited license or license application.


• KTM RC Cup racebikes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The cost for a machine is $9,999 so while it’s not as cheap as it could be (or perhaps many were hoping for), it needs to be remembered that this will be a national series for young riders looking to get a start in the sport and motorsport has never been a cheap pursuit.

That said, we’re wondering perhaps if it would have been better to follow Australia’s example with their FXNinja 300 series that began last year. Using a street legal Ninja 300 as the basis for the series, participants are allowed limited modifications (no change to engines, replacement shocks allowed, minor changes to forks allowed) which helps keep costs down. As the bikes can be street legal, it’s easy for entrants to find crashed Ninja 300’s written off for insurance purposes and save thousands of dollars on the machine alone.

Also released was the schedule for the KTM RC390 series which is as follows:

May 29-31: Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
June 12-14: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.
June 26-28: Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
July 17-19: Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (World Superbike support race; one race only)
Sept. 11-13: New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.

For those keen on entering, bikes will be available in limited quantities for pre-order from January 19th to February 15th and will be delivered to dealers in mid-April. To request a KTM RC Cup Racebike, a rider will need to visit a participating KTM dealership, provide a refundable $1,000 deposit and provide a copy of their AMA Road Racing Superstock Limited license or license application.

 

 

Final Details of MotoAmerica KTM RC390 Cup Released