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The MotoAmerica Talent Cup, a new race series for riders aged 14 to 21, will replace the MotoAmerica Junior Cup in 2025 and get an all-new spec race bike. That motorcycle could also be a precursor of a consumer track-day bike to come later.
Whereas the current series features production-based machinery, race bike manufacturer Krämer will supply all the motorcycles for the one-make Talent Cup. Why the switch, you wonder? For one, the spec-bike series aligns with other FIM-approved Talent Cups in Britain, Asia, and Northern/Central Europe.
“This is the first time MotoAmerica has created a class for our young riders that’s on the same performance-level bike as other Road to MotoGP Talent Cups worldwide,” explained MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey.
As a part of the Road to MotoGP program, each Talent Cup acts as a feeder class for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. In 2025, MotoAmerica’s Talent Cup will consist of six events. By season’s end, up to five riders will receive an invite to participate in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection process.
While the British, European, and Asian Talent Cups favor Honda’s NSF250R race bike, MotoAamerica partnered with Krämer to develop the lightweight APX-350 MA, powered by a KTM single.
“We believe we have created a machine that will elevate motorsport for American riders and be the tool that readies racers for the Red Bull Rookies Cup, FIM Moto3 World Championship, and beyond,” said CEO of Krämer Motorcycles USA, Jensen Beeler.
While the MotoAmerica Talent Cup opens a new chapter in entry-level pro racing for young riders, it also resembles an earlier chapter. When MotoAmerica launched a feeder-class series in 2016, the second year of MotoAmerica management, it was the KTM RC Cup, with all riders competing on RC 390s. Later, the formula shifted to production-based machines, closer to the Supersport 300 World Championship when that class was developed. Motorcycles such as Kawasaki Ninja 400s, Yamaha YZF-R3s, and KTM RC 390s competed, among others. But in recent years, the class has become almost a spec class by default. In many races, the entire field is now on Kawasaki Ninja 500s. The return to a spec bike and KTM power, but based on a pure race bike, not a production bike, is the latest evolution of the class.
In addition to prepping the APX platform for the Talent Cup series, Krämer is also working to develop a consumer-available variant for release at a later date for riders who want a lightweight dedicated track bike. For now, the APX-350 MA specs provide insights into what such a model may look like.
By the numbers
Like all of Krämer’s models, the APX-350 MA is built on an existing KTM powerplant. In this case, that’s the 350 cc single found in the 350 EXC-F enduro. Krämer doesn’t just plop the engine into its bespoke chassis and call it a day, though. A ram-air intake and sealed airbox improve the thumper’s airways while a 50 mm throttle body replaces the 42 mm stock unit.
Those preparations push the mill to 55 horsepower (at 10,700 rpm) and 27 foot-pounds of torque (at 8,100 rpm). That’s considerably more than the NSF250R’s 47.6 horsepower (at 13,000 rpm) and 20.7 foot-pounds (at 10,500 rpm). However, the 242-pound APX outweighs the 185-pound NSF.
Governing that race-spec single is a Mectronik throttle-by-wire system and MKE7 ECU, which enables riders to adjust the engine braking, throttle maps, and pit lane speed limiter. Teams can even acquire front and rear suspension travel data thanks to pre-wired potentiometers.
A Solo Engineering ECUMASTER ADU5 dash not only features a GPS-powered lap timer but also displays all critical bike information on a color TFT screen. Of course, a bi-directional quickshifter is all but required and Krämer obliges.
When it comes to the chassis, the APX-350 boasts a trellis frame constructed from 25CrMo4 chromoly steel. Krämer claims that it “provides the ideal stiffness and torsional rigidity for racing use.” At the same time, the firm understands that the ideal chassis geometry is track-dependent, so the 350 MA’s swingarm angle, steering-head angle, and triple clamp offset are all adjustable.
The ergonomics are just as versatile, with the bike’s adjustable seat height, rear sets, and clip-ons catering to riders of various sizes. That seems to be the theme with the model, as its WP 6500-based inverted fork and WP monoshock offer full adjustability, too. The braking system completes the chassis with a Brembo master cylinder, single Brembo Stylema caliper, and Moto-Master brake disc up front and a Formula four-piston caliper mated to a 230 mm floating rotor at the rear.
The 2025 APX-350 MA is only available to Talent Cup riders and carries a $22,495 MSRP. Initial shipments are scheduled for February 2025, but in order to receive a unit in time for the 2025 MotoAmerica Talent Cup season, Krämer urges buyers to secure their deposits by November 1, 2024.
| 2025 Krämer APX-350 MA | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $22,495 |
| Engine | 350 cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve, single |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | 55 @ 10,700 rpm |
| Claimed torque | 27 foot-pounds @ 8,100 rpm |
| Frame | Steel tubular |
| Front suspension | WP 43 fork, adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping; 4.7 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | WP shock, adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping; 4.7 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Single Brembo Stylema four-piston caliper, 320 mm disc, no ABS |
| Rear brake | Formula four-piston caliper, 230 mm disc, no ABS |
| Rake, trail | 22.7 degrees (minimum: 21.5 degrees, maximum: 25.2 degrees), 3.5 inches (minimum: 3.4 inches, maximum 4.3 inches) |
| Wheelbase | 51.9 inches |
| Seat height | 32.2 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 3.2 gallons |
| Tires | Dunlop racing slicks, 110/70R17 front, 140/70R17 rear |
| Claimed weight | 242 pounds |
| Available | February 2025 |
| Warranty | None |
| More info | kramermotorcyclesusa.com |
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