Upcoming KTM 390 Adventure Spotted Testing

A prototype of the much-anticipated KTM 390 Adventure has been spotted testing, which is based on a completely new platform.

Finally, a prototype of the much-awaited KTM 390 Adventure has been spotted testing, confirming that the bike could enter the market within the next 2 years. Since the inception of the KTM 390 Duke, it was speculated that the company had been working on an adventure version of the motorcycle to be introduced in the market in the near future. However, the bike was still a mystery till we saw these clear spy pictures of its prototype being tested by the company. 

The company officials had earlier confirmed that they were not making any adventure motorcycle on the Duke's platform. And if they did make one, it would have been a completely new project. In our previous report, we told you that the company tried to test a tweaked version of the Duke's chassis for the adventure prototype that failed due to inadequate dimensions according to the requirements. Moreover, KTM is popular all over the world for its adventure bikes as they use special enduro-based frames to provide excellent performance in both on-road and off-road conditions, which is not achievable by making some changes in a road-biased frame.

We can easily see in the pictures that the KTM 390 Adventure prototype uses an extensive platform, quite similar to the KTM Enduro bikes. Furthermore, the overall design of the bike also looks like a cross between an adventure and an enduro machine. However, the semi-fairing with a tall windshield at the front confirms the chances of the proper dual-sport KTM 390 Adventure.

The KTM 390 Adventure looks much lighter as compared to its naked and fully-faired siblings, yet it seems strong enough to deal with any terrain condition. The swingarm also looks more stiffened and the bike gets durable spoke wheels, especially the larger 19" one at the front. Other offroading bits of the bike include high-mounted front fender and exhaust, dual-sport tyres, engine bash plate, knuckle guards and much more. The bike also features wave disc brakes from Brembo on both the ends. These type of brakes are generally used in enduro and motocross bikes only. 

The suspension setup is also new and is expected to provide a travel of over 170mm. The setup comprises of inverted front forks and an off-set rear monoshock. Powering the motorcycle will be the same 373cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that powers its other siblings. However, the company is expected to retune it for better torque delivery at lower engine speeds. Expected to deliver around 40PS and 33Nm, the retuned engine could also get a revised 6-speed gearbox with shorter gear ratios.

The KTM 390 Adventure is speculated to be launched by early 2018, following a debut at the 2017 EICMA show. However, it might take another year of development as the bike looks like it is still in the prototype phase right now. Once introduced in the market, the upcoming KTM will challenge the likes of other entry-level ADVs, such as the Kawasaki Versys-X 300, Suzuki V-Strom 250, Royal Enfield Himalayan and the upcoming BMW G 310 GS.

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