New 125cc project launched by Bartol

Harald Bartol’s experience and expertise in the world of motorcycling is vast, not least his knowledge of the two-stroke format having designed 125cc engines and also been the Technical Director for KTM. Now, Bartol is producing his own 125cc bike before the end of the two-stroke era.

British youngster Danny Kent, who was runner-up in this year’s Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and also participated in the 2008 MotoGP Academy, has been the rider chosen to assist with the bike’s development with the latest round of the CEV Buckler (Spanish National Championship) in Albacete the most recent testing ground selected by Bartol.

This coming weekend Kent rides as a 125cc substitute for Lambretta in the Grand Prix of Japan and the 16 year-old has proven the potential of the machine being developed by Bartol, which is of a similar design to the machine run by KTM in the World Championship last season before the Austrian manufacturer withdrew from the competition at the end of the campaign.

Impressing on board the bike at Albacete Kent set the fourth fastest lap of the race and Bartol’s new project will continue its development with a private test in Spain, before participating in the final two rounds of the 2010 CEV Buckler at Valencia and Jerez. Dependant on the technical outcome and results of those two weekends Bartol has not ruled out participating in the last season of the current 125cc two-stroke category.