Watch and be inspired
The 170,000-plus fans who came through the gates of the Red Bull Ring last year on the Motorrad Grand Prix weekend generated an incredible atmosphere. As a huge MotoGP fan himself, Fabio Wibmer was obviously not going to miss out on this spectacular event at Spielberg. But for an exceptionally talented practitioner of two-wheeled riding like him, the role of spectator is never going to be enough – he wanted to find out whether he, as a non-racer, could learn to ride a MotoGP bike in the shortest possible time.
With five-time GP winner Gustl Auinger and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing test rider Dani Pedrosa as his mentors, Wibmer took on the MotoGP challenge at the Red Bull Ring. The 29-year-old from East Tyrol was first given an induction course on an Ohvale MiniGP bike at the Driving Center. From the mini version, he graduated to a KTM RC 8C and then to a Moto2 machine. “I watched him closely, and it was perfect. I’m impressed,” said Dani Pedrosa, 31-time GP winner and MotoGP championship runner-up.
The bikes at a glance:
- KTM RC16 MotoGP: 280+ hp and 360km/h top speed
- KTM Moto2: 130+ hp and 290km/h+ top speed
- KTM RC 8C: 135 hp and 245 km/h+ top speed
- Ohvale MiniGP: 12 hp
Riding the KTM RC16 was an absolute dream come true for Wibmer. “I’m aware that very few people get the chance to ride a machine like this,” said Wibmer, visibly impressed. “The most fascinating aspect is the way you can lean into the corners and discover what angles are possible. Although I was still a long way off achieving the lean angles of a MotoGP pro, it still felt like I was already at the limit in some places.”
Wibmer is one of the most gifted sports personalities on the planet. Whether he’s urban freeriding at breakneck speed down the steep and narrow streets of Valparaiso in Chile or backflipping down the Streif, the world’s toughest ski run, Fabio Wibmer masters every descent, no matter how challenging, uses everything that crosses his path and incorporates tricks where others would have long since put on the brakes. The exploits of the two-wheeled virtuoso have been followed by well over 7.8 million admirers on YouTube. The currently most-watched clip has over 263 million views.
For Wibmer, there are clear parallels between a MotoGP bike and the trial bike he is seen riding in his spectacular videos. “Of course, if you break it down, the sports are very different. But if you make a rough comparison, factors such as balance, bike control, handling, the general feel for two wheels plus handlebars all play a role.” These parallels helped him to acclimatise himself to the KTM bikes more quickly.
MotoGP festival at Spielberg
In just a few weeks, the world’s top riders will be back in the Steiermark region of Austria. On the weekend of 16th – 18th August, you will be soaking up the motorsport entertainment and the festival atmosphere in the MotoGP Bike City. There will be double the racing action, with the sprint event on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
All information at a glance
Now it's your turn
You don’t have to be called Fabio Wibmer to ride cool bikes at the Red Bull Ring. On our Ohvale MiniGP bikes you can playfully push yourself to the limit and internalize the movement patterns required on large bikes. Even though you’re on a minibike, you’ll feel like a big rider in MotoGP. With the Ohvale MiniGP bikes you can really cut into the curves and test your limits. This riding experience requires full physical effort from you, but that’s what makes the riding experience so special.
To the Ohvale MiniGP Riding Experiences
After the experience at Ohvale in the Driving Center you are ready for the KTM Moto2 bikes, five of which are in our car park. Under the guidance of our experienced instructors, you will feel for yourself how the 130 hp race bikes feel. You will quickly notice the difference between a “normal motorcycle” and one that comes from the racing series. The chassis components are great, the bike does exactly what you want. There is no shaking or wobbling. You experience the absolute racing feeling.
