KTM 390 Adventure spied in India
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© Rishaad Mody KTM 390 Adventure spied in India |
The KTM 390 Adventure was one of the great teases of 2018. After the collective hopes of a nation were let down when there was no sign of the bike at the 2018 EICMA show in Milan, we shut down any expectations of seeing more of this machine till 2019. But with just one week of the year remaining, spy images have emerged that show the all new motorcycle testing in India!
For starters, the bike spotted doesn't look too far from production ready. This is fitting, going by the usual standard of seeing early prototype KTMs first emerge in Europe and then later stage development and fine tuning test mules running in India. Clearly, the 390 Adventure is now in the latter stages of development.
Visually, the bike appears quite similar to the test prototype that was spied in Europe a few months ago. The front end gets the trademark LED headlamp split down the middle by an aluminum structure that also functions as a heat sink. Whether this is the exact same lamp as the one on the current-gen 390 Duke remains to be confirmed, but it does appear that way. The light resides is a larger housing, above which lies a fairly sizeable windscreen that should provide good wind protection, but without blocking it all out entirely either. The front mudguard appears to neatly cover the fork seal area, which should protect it against dirt and dust.
While we can't be certain just yet, it is highly likely that this bike is running on a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear. That means tubeless tyres. The tread pattern is quite blocky and it appears to be an-off type tyre, but we aren't quite sure of the make and model just yet.
What is clearly different is the entire rear bolt-on subframe that is longer and less raked upwards than the Duke. The pillion seat appears spacious and the rider sear curves upwards into the fuel tank, which should help make it easier for the rider to slide their weight forward when required off-road. The footpegs are set in a lower and less aggressive setting than the Duke and they run rubber tops over toothy metal pegs underneath - another nod to some off-road aspirations after the shape of the rider seat. While it does look similar, the swingarm could be longer for this application. Finally, there are two sizeable grab rails on either side, but nothing in the form of a luggage rack - this may be sold as an accessory.
As for the engine, it is quite certainly going to be the same 373.2cc motor in the 390 Duke that makes 44hp and 37Nm, although it may be tuned differently for this application, at least in terms of final drive gearing, if nothing else. What does look different is the exhaust system which is larger than the one on the Duke or RC 390.
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© Rishaad Mody KTM 390 Adventure spied in India |
For now, we can tell you to expect a road-biased ADV, but one that that will still have the chops to take on a fair bit of mucking around in the dirt as well. It is a KTM after all, and their products are generally more focused than the competition. The wait has formally begun.
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