KTM has identified the most difficult phase of the RC16’s cornering: the short transition from braking to turn-in. Pit Beirer, the company’s motorsport director, says the riders struggle at the instant they release the brake and ask the bike to change direction. In his description, rival machines are already pointing toward the direction of the exit while the KTM still needs time to complete the turn.

For Beirer, the consequence appears on corner exit. If the bike is still leaned over when acceleration is needed, the tyre is not positioned to transmit drive effectively. The result is lost drive and possible wheelspin. He stresses that this is not simply an engine-power deficit: the motorcycle is in the wrong position to accelerate. Improving turn-in would allow the rider to pick the bike up earlier, place the tyre more effectively and carry more drive onto the exit.

The weakness is particularly relevant given KTM’s 2026 MotoGP campaign. The manufacturer opened the season at the front, with Pedro Acosta winning the Buriram Sprint, and the Spaniard stayed at the top of the standings until the fourth race in Brazil. Aprilia and Ducati have since become the leading forces. Engine-reliability problems have also left KTM third in the constructors’ championship, behind the Italian brands but ahead of Honda and Yamaha.

Acosta is the clear exception within KTM’s line-up. He has scored eight podiums in his final season with the manufacturer, stands fifth in the world championship and remains close to his target of a top-three finish. He is also the only KTM rider inside the championship’s top 11. Beirer says Acosta compensates for the RC16’s weakness through his braking: he attacks the brakes exceptionally hard and still completes the turn. KTM’s data, Beirer adds, sometimes leaves the team wondering how he manages it.