Texas Talent Cup Test
High Texas winds on Tuesday didn’t stop the pace from picking up on the final day of the two-day preseason test for MotoAmerica’s Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul at Motorsports Ranch in Cresson as Monday’s fast guy Chase Black and his Chase Black Racing Krämer APX-350 MA got even quicker, topping the time-sheets as the only rider to crack the 1:21 barrier with his 1:20.661.
The Krämer APX-350 MA is the Spec-bike for the 2025 Moto America Talent Cup. The engine is derived from KTM’s 350 EXC-F enduro motorcycle which makes over 55 horsepower. A Mectronik MKE7 race ECU and ride-by-wire system controls an oversized throttle body. This allows for adjustable engine braking control parameters, throttle maps, as well as precise ignition control for the up/down quick-shifter.
The KTM single is housed in a fully-adjustable road race chassis and the whole bike weighs in at 110 kg fuelled and ready to race. The chassis design has the ability to be adjusted at the headstock angle, triple-clamp offset, swingarm angle, seat height, rear-set height, and handlebar angle.
Pricing is set at $22,495 USD which roughly converts to around $35,000 AUD.
Owing to its race-built design, the Krämer APX-350 MA comes pre-wired for potentiometers that can be installed on the front and rear suspension, and is ready to use a number of data-logging solutions. The TFT dash from ECUMASTER displays key bike information and features an integrated GPS-powered lap timer.
The Krämer APX-350 MA rides on WP Suspension and is stopped by a single front Brembo Stylema caliper.
Black threw down the gauntlet fairly late in the final session on Tuesday with his 1:20.661, leaving the rest to give “Chase.” The rider who came the closest to doing just that was also the one who made the biggest improvement in lap times over the course of the two days – MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.
Dreher, who finished fifth in the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with three podiums, gained over two seconds from her Monday best to Tuesday’s 1:21.172 that shot her up to second on the overall results, .511 of a second behind Black.
Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane ended up the fastest of the flat trackers with the young Australian finishing the day in third and just .553 of a second off Black’s best.
Sam Drane was a race winner in the opening round of the 2025 Australian Supersport 300 Championship at Phillip Island last month, and found the Krämer APX-350 MA a significantly faster mount.
Sam Drane
“It’s a really fast bike and it’s good to be learning on,” Drane said of the Krämer APX-350 MA. “It’s really light, so it’s easy to throw around on the track. It’s just a fun bike to ride.”
Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp, the most heralded of the flat trackers with three AFT Singles Championships on his resume and three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts in his corner, was fourth-fastest. Kopp, like the rest of the testers, did his best lap – a 1:21.304 – in the final session on Tuesday.
San Marcos Iron Doors 316 Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia rounded out the top five at the conclusion of the test. Garcia was .995 of a second from Black’s fastest lap.
The eight riders who took part in the test turned a total of 1,206 laps over the two-day test. Krämer, meanwhile, had five employees and a semi at the test to help where needed with the APX-350 MAs.
2025 Krämer APX-350 MA Prototype Technical Specifications
- Engine 349 cc, four-stroke SOHC fouve-valve single, liquid-cooled
- Bore x Stroke 88 x 57.5 mm
- Compression Ratio 13.7:1
- Power 55 hp @ 10,700 RPMA
- Torque 37 Nm @ 8,100 RPM
- Redline 12,500 RPM
- Fuel System Keihin DFI with 50mm Throttle Body
- Ignition Mectronik MKE7 ECU with Ride-by-Wire Throttle
- E-Start Standard
- Electronics Adjustable Engine Brake Control and Throttle Mapping, Integrated Lap Timer, and Data Acquisition Ready
- Transmission 6-Speed
- Clutch Hydraulic
- Frame Type Chromium-Molybdenum Steel-Trellis Frame
- Chassis Adjustment Steering Head Angle, Swingarm Angle, and Triple Clamp Offset
- Ergonomics Adjustable Seat Height, Clip-on Angle, and Rearset Height
- Seat Height 820mm
- Kerb Weight 110 kg
- Fuel Capacity 12 Litres
- Wheelbase 1,356mm
- Steering Damper Adjustable
- Final Drive DID 520 Chain
- Front Suspension WP USD 43mm Forks, Open Cartridge, Adjustable Pre-Load and Damping (Rebound/Compression)
- Rear Suspension WP Monoshock, Adjustable Pre-Load and Damping (Rebound/Compression)
- Front Brakes Single 320mm Floating Rotor, Single Brembo Stylema caliper, Radially Mounted
- Rear Brakes Single 230mm Rotor, Formula Four-Piston Caliper
- Front Wheel 17″ x 3″, Cast Aluminum Wheels
- Rear Wheel 17″ x 4″, Cast Aluminum Wheels
- Body Fiberglass Fairing with Carbon/Kevlar Reinforcement (Unpainted), XPE Plastic Fuel Tank/Seat
- Handlebars CNC Handlebar Clamps with Replaceable Tubes
- Safety Wired Standard
