It has been a busy and unsettling time for the most prolific team in MXGP in the past couple weeks. Jeffrey Herlings’ glide to a third MX2 world title entered a mild spiral with the collarbone complication during the summer break; the problem could have happened in any Grand Prix moto as the bone and plate from his crash in Germany last year had been misshaped after the fall two weeks later in Sweden. The weakened collarbone eventually gave way while ‘84’ was riding a 450 in a Dutch Championship fixture. Talk about a sense of déjà vu for Herlings and co. The Dutchman was no doubt an anxious spectator after being told to sit out the Czech Grand Prix but will be hoping for a green light this week to start pummelling the sand. The KTM crew then had to watch Pauls Jonass take what is becoming an annual massive tumble at Loket and an initial scan was thankfully abated by good news early evening at Karlovy Vary.
Aside from injury worries the factory unit have also been active once more on the technical side. A comparison test with 2017 models and in-house modifications to engine set-up between 450 and 350SX-Fs led Tony Cairoli to swoon again over his prized-but-now-neglected championship winning steed. A reunion was on the cards and Claudio De Carli and his crew together with Dirk Gruebel and the technicians in Munderfing had to dust off the data and settings information for a return to 350 power.
Cairoli won MXGP/MX1 for five years between 2010 and 2014 on the 350SX-F; the bike a brainchild of Pit Beirer and Stefan Everts to solve the ‘450 Equation’ (too much power and speed). It was built at considerable cost to KTM and Beirer admitted it was a huge project that gave him sleepless nights if the combination with the diminutive Cairoli did not work. In fact the Sicilian was the only one who really shone on the smaller bike (a decent 2013 campaign for Kevin Strijbs also) that carries less mass and inertia and therefore increased agility and with repercussions on corner speed. Cairoli was also no slouch away from the start gate despite his 100cc disadvantage and his prolificacy for holeshots even forced a situation at the 2014 Grand Prix of Spain where KTM had the FIM measure engine internals to prove that the champion was achieving his speed on a 350 and not a rumoured 400 special.
After five rounds of the 2015 series Cairoli had his head turned by the factory’s new 450SX-F that featured a five-kilo weight loss (this on the production version alone) and had been used to devastating effect by Ryan Dungey in the U.S. to capture a first Supercross crown in the premier class for the Austrians. Cairoli had started 2015 without victory (although a 3rd, 3rd, 2nd from the first four fixtures was not too shabby) and was perhaps ‘on edge’ about the hyped duel with Ryan Villopoto that would never come to pass while Max Nagl (on the KTM engineered Husqvarna FC450) started the season at a furious pace and no doubt gave 222 and his team food for thought. The new chemistry looked potent as Cairoli won first time out in Spain and then again at the next round in Great Britain. The synergy was broken – as was his left arm – in qualification at the following event in Italy. This year and Cairoli again surged to the top of the podium on two occasions after using the two closing rounds of ’15 to test more electronics and other chassis tweaks with a view towards the current campaign. His pre-season injury, nerve damage and a prolonged recovery has not helped Tony’s plight to regain his crown but ultimately his call to go back to the 350 provoked some interest. It was surprising to pick up an ‘about time…’ vibe from reactions on social media to the news.
Many thought Cairoli’s 450 switch was a knee-jerk reaction. Some in the paddock believed it was a mistake, even though those voices were initially quietened at Talavera de la Reina and Matterley Basin. Starting 2016 and something was a little ‘off’. Glenn Coldenhoff has clearly struggled to get the 450SX-F working well for him and Shaun Simpson – such a threat last year on the older 2015 model and then a GP winner on the ’16 factory bike – has also been discouraged. I’d heard whispers of a rear suspension set-up issue that led to some head scratching but there is little doubt that 2016 so far has been KTM’s quietest in the premier class this decade.
Refining the ’17 350SX-F has meant an extra batch of work for the team but according to some within the squad there is a positive vibe that Cairoli is returning to old pastures (with a newer version of the harvester). Speaking to Gruebel the German feels it is a good move. “I never really liked Tony on the 450 anyway,” the affable Team Leader says, “he just looked stiff while on the 350 he always had different lines and was more confident.”
He has a point. At least aesthetically Cairoli has just morphed into the 450 collective whereas there was always something urgent and lively about him in the 350 era that made the 222 standout. “I felt I had to push the limit of the 350 more to stay with the others,” he said last May. “The 350 was perfect and for sure is still good to win but at this time we have a really good 450 that feels very much like a 350. There is much more torque and it will help me around the kind of tracks we have at the moment. On some flat pieces you can put down all the power without risking much.”
Whether it is a search for feeling or for form Cairoli has now made a bold choice. Ironically it came before his least effective track (only one podium since 2012 at Loket) and the Lommel sand where the extra power would be useful – even if he did dominate at the 2012 Motocross of Nations on the same track with the 350. In comparative terms it would be like watching Rossi climbing back on the Yamaha, Despres also on the WR or even Vettel back into a Red Bull car. Cairoli was the giant orange target for five years and against a fleet of factory 450 machinery, that has undoubtedly evolved in terms of hardware/software and power manageability but also without vast gains. For once it is hard to say which manufacturer is enjoying a purple patch when it comes to equipment. HRC seem to have the ideal package for Tim Gajser in terms of starts, speed, usability and reliability but the same potency is not working for Evgeny Bobryshev or Gautier Paulin. Kawasaki have yet to really shine with Clement Desalle on their new KX, Yamaha looked unbeatable with Febvre but 2014 runner-up Jeremy Van Horebeek cannot start and looks half the rider from that memorable term two years ago. Nagl has struggled on the FC450 and both Kevin Strijbos and Ben Townley were despondent at Qatar for the opening round when most of their pre-season testing work appeared to be off the map. And Suzuki had been the most consistent title threat since 2007.
While KTM are braced for an exciting launch and adventure in MotoGP they could use some spark in the sport that is basis for their philosophy and core market success. With Cairoli onboard and leading their MXGP charge for another two seasons – and the challenge of Herlings joining him for 2017 (also on a 350?) as well as the need to secure the Dutchman’s services beyond next season – it is a ripe, exciting and nervy time for the team that were champions in both classes from 2010 to 2014.
Photo by Ray Archer. Read the new issue of OTOR HERE
