KTM 790 Adventure Spotted in Testing
Rennie Scaysbrook | December 19, 2016
KTM is hoping the new 790 Adventure will lure riders from larger bikes like the Honda Africa Twin. Photography by BMH Images
The KTM 790 Adventure is coming to a trail near you
The KTM 790 Adventure has been spotted undergoing road testing in Europe. This new machine will use the same 800cc parallel-twin motor that will be found in the firm’s upcoming 790 Duke model – due for release in 2018 – with the Adventure likely to follow one year later.
It’s early days for the Adventure but at first glance we can see the prototype is running what looks to be a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel of what will be an R model, meaning getting almost every brand of hardcore off-road rubber will not be an issue.
The forks will come from KTM’s subsidiary WP and most likely reflect those of the upcoming 1090 Adventure, due for release later this year, and the rear shock will be horizontally mounted, centralizing mass and making this machine easy to work on when you’re out riding in the boondocks.
We can expect the 790 to come with the full plethora of electronics including switchable engine modes, traction control and ABS, but the big weapon in the 790’s arsenal will be the twin gas tanks, giving the machine extremely good mileage and thus allowing you to ride to really, really far away places.
There is expected to be two models – the standard road-going machine and an up-spec R model – but it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing them before the 2019 model year.
The 790’s arrival, as well as the upcoming 390, will give KTM eight bikes in the Adventure category, far outstripping any other manufacturer in the segment. This could be upped to nine bikes if the 390 were to come in R form, but it’s unlikely considering that will be an entry level machine.
