One of the mo🎶st obvious technical changes to emerge during the post-season MotoGP tests at Valencia and Jerez was the nওew KTM frame.

Unique in using a tubular steel chassis rather than the twin-spar aluminium designs of its rivals, KTM's latest frame ꦕseems to blend the two approaches by use of rectangular-shaped steel side beams.

Test rider and 31-time MotoGP winner Dani Pedrosa has helped d♏evelop the new frame, two versions of which were available for factory star Pol Espargaro to try at Valencia and then Jerez.

The first version of the frame was painted orange, with a black second evolution delivered at🌸 the same ti⭕me.

"I’m super-happy to have a second chassis like that right away," s🍸aid Espargaro, who spent much of the Jerez test on the latest frame:

"[The black frame is] the newest one, maybe not the biggest improvement, but it's already a small step better [than the orangeꦰ].

"I have also done quite good lap times with the old bike, but this is just the beginning of this [beam] chassis. For sure it's not🤪 going to be the last one.

"We need to study what we are do🐽ing better and worse and then just make it better and ⛄better.

"I♕n that way, we have an advantage over the others because with our metal tube chassis we are much faster [manufacturing] than the others. This is going to be so helpful for us."

The first 'orange' version of the KTM beam frame.

The speed with which KTM can build a new chassis saw a reputed 17 different versions delivered to the race team during 201♋8.

"It felt like a thousand chassis!" Espargaro smiled. "This year everything has calmed down quite a lot because we are not i♊n the same position as the first or second year, so this year maybe we tested two or three chassis.

"Which is a lot for a factory like us, but not as much as at the beginning and we need to do it to improve. The good point is that every time 🍨we test it goes better."

Espargaro said they still needed to refine the settings forও the ne♐w-style chassis,

"The new bike has a lot of positive things and some n🅘egative, such as front [corner] entry. That’s why I crashed. It's no♒rmal when the bike is so new. You need to work on settings."

Th🦹at Monday spill also wrecked the latest RC16 fairi👍ng: "We did quite a good step here with the aerodynamics, we tested a new package that is very good, but I destroyed it! But we got good info."

Despite the acc🔴ident, Espargaro maintains that "the best part of our bike is the front, on the brakes the bike is stable and we can go deep in braking. Normally the problems we have come from the back of the bike, low grip and low turning."

It is those areas that the beam chassis is desi꧒gned to address. So far it has proven to be better in "turning, traction and stability".

Last season's 2019 KTM RC16.

Since KTM, like Aprilia, is currently exempt from the engine-freeze regulations, there is also not so much pressure to define the 2020 engine over the𓆏 winter.

"We tested one [engine upgrade] in Valencia which was very good, super consistent on the lap time and also on the straight, top speed," Espargaro said. "But we need to wa🧜it until Malaysia [to try it again], because KTM needs to check everything."

With rookie team-mate Brad Binder learning the 𝔉MotoGP ropes on the 2019 bike, Pedrosa has been on hand to help with the 2020 prototype. However, the Spaniard was forced to miss the opening day at Jerez due to sickness.

Pedrosa's absence didn't change much for Espa♈rgaro on day one since: "My schedule is super busy anyway, so it doesn't change much because I cannot test any more things than now!

"But for sure for the company it's not good to have one rider less, the other t🌼wo riders are fast but still learning. It would be better with Dani, but sometimes t🍃his happens."

Pedrosa returned to c🐈omplete eleven laps bef🅷ore the rain arrived on day two.

The Sepang shakedown test, for which the KTM race riders are eligible due to the concession rules, takes place on Februarꦉy 2-4 fol🀅lowed by the official test from 7-9.

Espargaro ﷽is set to ride for all but one of those days: "We will have five days in Malaysia which will be a long test."

Although unable to repeat last year's wet podium, Espargaro scored 100 points - double the amount of his previous best at KTM - on the way to eleventh in the world championsh♓ip.