KTM has been seen testing three new motorcycles: an adventure, a street naked, and a fully-faired sport bike. It’s not new to see KTM testing new motorcycles, as the company has something or the other on test. With fresh funding from Bajaj and the company back on full swing, we can expect to see some interesting motorcycles soon.
Now, back to the motorcycle spied. Initial reports suggested that the new adventure and street naked that was spied were the updated 790 models – 790 Adventure and 790 Duke – while the fully faired version was the new RC 390. But, there seem to be other suggestions.
Are they the new KTM 490 range?
One of the most widely speculated reports is the possibility of them being the 490 range. KTM did have plans, and some models did show up in their earlier presentation, but the company decided to shelve the plan. However, with fresh funding by Bajaj, and competition in the market from BMW (F 450 GS), Aprilia, and other global brands like CFMoto, KTM could have revisited the plans.
Apart from that, the other compelling reason that draws attention to them being the 490 range is the Adventure, which is seen wearing a similar fairing to the 390 Adventure on sale currently. The single disc setup in the front is also a reason to believe that they are not a large capacity twin.
Can they replace the 690?
This is another aspect, the possibility of the KTM 690 range being replaced. The 690 range – Duke, SMC R, and Adventure – are the largest singles KTM builds. With emission norms being tightened, there is a possibility that KTM has chosen to take the twin-cylinder way. KTM has been seen testing a 650 Duke.
The twin-cylinder engine is also very different compared to the 790 or the 890. The engine is new, and that, combined with the single front brake setup, could mean that these could be part of the 490 range rather than the 690 range. Whatever these new KTMs are part of, there is a big surprise in store soon, as KTM will be showcasing some new concepts at EICMA later this year.
