First of the Moto3s revealed

HONDA has launched the final version of its customer Moto3 bike – the €23,600 NSF250R – while KTM has revealed it has not one but two Moto3 projects on the go.

Honda's bike, based on the chassis of the NSR125 with a new 250cc four-stroke single replacing the old 125cc two-stroke, makes a claimed 47bhp and weighs just 84kg complete with fluids, so it can meet the 148kg minimum weight for the class even with a 10-stone rider on board.

Although a 250 single, the engine uses a different bore and stroke to the newly-released CBR250R (at 76mm x 55mm, the CBR has a longer stroke and smaller bore than the 78mm x 52.2mm NSF), although it does share the idea of an off-set cylinder bore centre, allowing the piston to get more downward leverage on the crankshaft during the power stroke.

Revealed in the iconic red, white and blue HRC colours, similar to the stunning Fireblades of the Honda TT Legends team at this year's Isle of Man TT and reminiscent of the RC30, the NSF is available to all customer teams who can stump up the €23,600 (£21,000) asking price.

KTM hasn't actually revealed its bike yet, but has announced that it's got two projects under way. First is a full in-house factory effort, designed by Wolfgang Felber and being built at the firm's motorsports department in Mattighofen. As a back-up it's also teamed up with Moto2 championship leaders Kalex, proving them with an exclusive engine deal to allow Kalex to offer its own, KTM-powered Moto3 machine.