KTM Duke 390 based ADV motorcycle: New spyshots surface

KTM is putting together a brand new adventure motorcycle based on the Duke 390. The bike has been spied testing  extensively in Europe, and now in India. The latest spyshots show the KTM Duke 390 based ADV motorcycle kitted out with luggage panniers. It’s clear that KTM is going the whole hog in building a proper adventure tourer that goes much beyond mere looks.

Spyshots courtesy ZigWheels

The motorcycle will be launched in India later this year. It’s likely to be priced slightly more than the KTM Duke  390, which starts at Rs. 2.43 lakhs, ex-showroom India. However, the Duke 390 based ADV bike is expected to sit under  Rs. 3 lakhs in terms of pricing, making it a lot more affordable than competition – read the BMW G 310 GS and the  Kawasaki Versys 300.

It’ll be much more expensive than the Royal Enfield Himalayan 400, which remains the most affordable adventure bike in India, with a price tag of under Rs. 2 lakhs for the dual channel ABS version. This year, another affordable ADV bike will be launched in India, in the form of the Hero XPulse 200. With a price tag of under Rs. 1 lakh, the Hero
XPulse will be the cheapest ADV bike in the country.

Coming back to the KTM ADV motorcycle, it will have upside down front forks and monoshock rear suspension. The  suspension is expected to get much longer travel than that on the Duke 390, and it’s also likely to be softer so that  it can handle a wide range of surfaces, both on and off the road. The emphasis is expected to be on comfort rather  than sharp handling, like other adventure touring motorcycles.

As for ergonomics, even this is expected to be oriented towards comfort. A higher set handlebar, footpegs whose geometry is not very aggressive and a tall flyscreen to deflect wind blast are the various apsects of the adventure  motorcycle from KTM. Plenty of luggage mounting points will be available, with the seat also being firm enough for  many hours in the saddle.

As for the engine, the 373cc, liquid cooled single from the Duke 390 is expected to be borrowed. A new state of tune, which will be slightly softer than that on the Duke 390 is expected. While the 44 Bhp-37 Nm outputs may remain the same, the way in which the motor puts out the power could vary. As for electronics, only dual channel ABS that’s switchable will be main electronic aid on the motorcycle.

The gearbox will be the same 6 speed unit with a slipper clutch as standard but with revised gear ratios to keep the  engine in the meat of the torque band in the low and mid rpms. What remains to be seen is whether KTM offers spoked rims with tubeless tyres on the new motorcycle or if the brand adopts the alloy rim-tubeless tyre approach. Spoked rims with tube-type tyres is unlikely on the motorcycle though. Watch this space for more spyshots and other information about this motorcycle.