KTM to enter Isle of Man TT Races for the first time!

News | admin | February 25, 2010 at 9:43 am

KTM logo

Iconic Austrian manufacturer KTM, are set to debut at the Isle of Man TT Races with Redline Motorcycles who will be entering one of the flagship KTM RC8R Superbike machines in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT Races.

The man given the task of riding the bright orange bike will be Loughborough’s James Edmeades. The 26-year old is no stranger to the TT having ridden in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 events. The former Virgin R6 Cup rider narrowly missed out on his first 120mph lap in 2007 and has already picked up two bronze replicas from his nine races whilst he also took a strong fifth in last season’s RC8 Super Cup Championship.

In addition to the TT outing, Edmeades will campaign the bike in this year’s British Superbike Evo Championship and he is eagerly looking forward to his return to the Mountain Course. “The opportunity to become the first KTM rider at the Isle of Man TT Races is a tremendous honour for me and after the three great years I enjoyed between 2006 and 2008, I can’t wait to get back on the Island. The KTM RC8R is a superb bike and I’m sure it will perform well around the course with its excellent handling qualities.” He further added, “It will be fantastic to see KTM competing for the first time on the Isle of Man and how appropriate that they will be lining up on the grid with Suzuki who are celebrating their 50th anniversary of racing at the TT. It shows the continued strength and enduring appeal of the TT Races and I hope that KTM will have a long and successful TT history.”

The off-road giants have been increasing their road racing efforts in recent years with 2009 seeing official participation in both the Austrian and German Superbike Championships and it is anticipated that the machine on the Island will mirror those in specification in what will be KTM’s first ever TT appearance.