KTM 390 Adventure’s Rally variant spied ahead of launch

KTM just unveiled the 2022 Adventure 390 globally but it seems like they are also working on a rally version also. The new variant was recently spied in India. It gets some upgrades over the regular 390 Adventure which makes it look like a hardcore version of the motorcycle.

From the spy shots, we can see that the motorcycle’s design is inspired by the Dakar spec motorcycles. There is a windscreen that is taller than the stock one and it extends to the front forks also.

Because of this, the TFT screen and the handlebar is also set higher. The tall handlebar should be easier to reach when the rider is riding while standing on the footpegs.

The headlamp is also mounted higher and the motorcycle is running on knobby tyres. From the picture, we can see that there are two test mules. One of the motorcycle is running on the stock exhaust that we get on the regular 390 Adventure while the other one is running on a different exhaust that looks similar to the ones found on Husqvarna motorcycles. KTM might offer this exhaust as an accessory.

Also read: Meet “Kush”, a custom built, track-ready KTM RC390 from Rajputana Customs

Interestingly, when KTM was testing the 390 Adventure before it debuted at 2019 EICMA, there were different designs of the motorcycle. One of them was very similar to the Dakar styled motorcycle that has been spied now. Despite being the rally spec version, the test mule was not running on spoked wheels which is surprising because as we know for off-roading, spoked wheels are better than alloy wheels.

The rest of the motorcycle is similar to the current 390 Adventure. It has the same suspension setup, same brakes and even the side panels are carried over. The engine will still be the same 373 cc, single-cylinder engine that is liquid cooled. It produces 43 bhp of max power and 37 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The motorcycle also comes with a bi-directional quickshifter which is offered as KTM PowerPart accessory in the foreign markets.

One gripe that people have from this engine is the lack of low-end torque. Because of this the rider needs to rev the engine and work the gearbox to extract the engine’s power. This is not ideal while off-roading. We hope that KTM manages to fix this by retuning the engine. Many people are already using after-market sprockets to fix this issue.

The Rally spec KTM 390 Adventure will be a good upgrade for people who are enjoying the Hero XPulse with Rally Kit and now want to upgrade something more powerful. The KTM 390 Adventure currently competes against the BMW G310 GS and the less powerful but more capable Royal Enfield Himalayan. We expect the new variant to launch sometime next year.

KTM unveiled 2022 390 Adventure

The 2022 390 Adventure has been unveiled globally. It now comes with two traction control modes. There is Street and Off-road. The new modes let the rear tyre slip before the traction control kicks in. Now, the traction control mode will not get reset in case of a brief stall or a fall.

There are new 10 spoke alloy wheels that replace 12 spoke ones. KTM says that the new alloy wheels are stiffer than the previous ones. There are also some new paint schemes on offer.

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