KTM 390 Adventure Spied Testing
Rennie Scaysbrook | December 19, 2016
KTM’s new 390 Adventure will be gunning for its old foe, BMW, and their new G 310 GS. Photography by BMH Images
The KTM 390 Adventure takes its first baby steps
The KTM 390 Adventure is coming, with its entry into what has become a hotly contested category spotted testing.
The small ADV sector has been ignored for years by the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers. And with the release of the BMW G 310 GS, Kawasaki Versys-X 300 and the Suzuki V-Strom 250 (which we in the U.S. don’t get), KTM is going full steam ahead with development of a bike that in our opinion, should have been released a long time ago.
The new 390 Adventure will use the 390 Duke and RC model as its base, utilizing a similar chassis but with different wheels, suspension and a beefier swingarm. The photo above shows a very rough prototype with exposed frame welds and all black bodywork. But the styling is pretty developed, with aesthetics mimicking those of the firm’s Dakar racers.
The engine is likely to be the same as the 390 Duke. It’s also likely the 390 Adventure will come with traction control and ABS.
The 390 was originally released in 2013, but we didn’t see the bike until last year, so you can be KTM will have been plugging away at least as long as BMW has with the recently released G 310 GS. There’s no word yet on if the 390 will come in the company’s standard model and an up-spec R model. It’s likely this bike will be released as a 2019 model, but we might be seeing it early in 2018. Next year’s EICMA show in Milan will be one to watch!
