Exclusive: Tech 3 unveil Moto2 contender

This is the first look at the Tech 3 Moto2 contender that will contest the new four-stroke world championship in 2010.

The French team will release this picture of its prototype Moto2 bike in Australia tomorrow ahead of Sunday’s Phillip Island MotoGP clash.

But not before MCN was given an exclusive first look at the new bike, which currently houses a standard production Honda CBR600RR engine.

With the bike nearing completion, Tech 3 plans to give the bike its first public viewing at the season’s final race in Valencia next month.

As yet the bike has no official designation but it has been designed and built at the team’s French headquarters, with the expertise and experience of Colin Edwards’ MotoGP chief engineer Guy Coulon and James Toseland’s data specialist Nicolas Goyon heavily influential in the project.

Team boss Herve Poncharal is currently locked in negotiations with several riders with current Gresini Honda MotoGP rider Toni Elias a leading target.

Alex de Angelis, Yuki Takahashi, Mattia Pasini, Niccolo Canepa, have all been linked with a Moto2 move with Tech 3, as have British duo Scott Redding and Bradley Smith.

Tech 3 plan to begin shakedown testing in December, with official testing for the new 600cc class not starting until early March in Valencia when Honda delivers the final version of the tuned CBR600RR motor that will be used in the new class.