KTM is the only manufacturer in MotoGP to use WP suspension elements: Jack Miller had reservations before switching to KTM, but was quickly won over
Apart from Gresini’s Showa experiments in the Honda era, Öhlins has been exclusively equipping MotoGP with suspension elements for the past decade. With KTM’s entry into MotoGP, the monopoly of suspension element manufacturer Öhlins came to an end.
The fact that KTM relied on WP for its suspension elements, a manufacturer inexperienced in MotoGP, was initially viewed critically, as the Austrians already had some conceptual differences to the competition in their project and brought an additional variable into play with WP. However, WP has now established itself in MotoGP.
Jack Miller switched to the KTM factory team last winter after two years as a Ducati factory rider and brought with him a lot of experience from the currently most successful manufacturer in MotoGP. Miller was already familiar with the WP suspension elements from Moto3, when he battled for the title with Aki Ajo’s KTM team in 2014.
But in MotoGP, Miller has been riding exclusively with Öhlins suspension elements since his debut in the 2015 season. The Australian was correspondingly nervous before the change of suspension element manufacturer
“It was one of the things I was unsure about,” admits Miller. “I was very curious to see how the WP suspension elements would work and how I would cope with them. I’ve ridden with Öhlins my whole MotoGP career.”
“Now I’m back on WP suspension and I can say that it’s really fantastic. It felt like it was made for me,” he praises the riding experience with the WP-sprung KTM RC16.
“I love it! It works fantastically. I can’t find fault with anything. The cooperation was absolutely fantastic right from the start,” says the MotoGP race winner happily. “We have impressive technology in the suspension elements. I am convinced that they are without doubt one of the leading suppliers in this field. “
As WP is part of KTM, there is a very good working relationship. “We have built up a very close relationship with the WP engineers, as you can imagine,” confirms Miller. “We are the only ones who use these suspension elements. They try really hard. We work on things that the others in the field don’t work on.”
Miller had a promising start to the 2023 MotoGP season with KTM and was the best KTM rider on several occasions. However, the Australian struggled with a number of setbacks over the course of the season and slipped out of the top 10 in the overall standings. He finished his KTM debut season in eleventh place in the World Championship. Team-mate Brad Binder finished fourth in the riders’ standings
