When the rules for the Moto3 class, due to replace the 125cc two-stroke class from 2012 onwards, were announced, the entry of existing motocross and supermoto manufacturers seemed only a question of time. The new class is to feature 250cc, single cylinder four-stroke engines, with a maximum bore of 81mm and rev limited to 14,000 rpm, and all of the current companies building motocross bikes have an engine which - with a little modification - would fit that bill.
The biggest - by reputation, at least - of the MX bike builders is surely KTM, and when Moto3 was announced, the gaze of the press immediately turned on Mattighofen, KTM's Austrian base. Rumors emerged as early as October that KTM was considering an entry, and now GPOne.com is reporting that the decision has been made, and that KTM's Moto3 project is already underway. According to GPOne.com, the technical details of the Moto3 engine are yet to be finalized, but given that the rules were only published in full at Valencia, with the details of the spec ECU issued just a couple of days ago, it is hardly surprising that KTM wanted to wait before starting work.
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