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KTM’s 790 spawns Adventure concept

Published: 07 November 2017
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KTM boss, Stefan Pierer, confirmed to MCN last year that the new 790 Duke would be closely followed by an Adventure version – and here’s the barely-disguised prototype to prove it. 

With Triumph’s Tiger 800 proving a rampant success (and heavily updated or 2018,), while BMW also bring two new middleweight GS models, there’s both appetite, and competition to meet head on. And a middleweight Adventure model central in KTM’s heartland. The 790 Adventure prototype looks absolutely beguiling, with typical KTM angular aggression underpinned by Dakar styling that smacks of their rally domination. 

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Using the new 799cc LC8c parallel-twin debuted in the Duke, it closes the gap between KTM’s enduros and their Adventure series; a modern interpretation of their market pre-empting 640 Adventure from 1997. 

KTM say it will be the most “performance-focused mid-weight travel enduro of its class, with a dynamism and power-to-weight ratio normally found in larger displacement bikes.” It’s a 450 Rally for the world traveller. We’ll have two. 

Highlights

KTM 790 Adventure
Engine 799cc parallel-twin
Power 103.3bhp @ 9000rpm (est)
Seat height 850mm (est)
Weight 180kg (est, dry)

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By Richard Newland

Group Editor - With over 40 years of riding experience and 21 years as a bike journalist, Rich has ridden nearly every new bike of the past two decades and many historical models dating back to the 1930s. He is particularly passionate about sportsbikes from the 1990s and early 2000s, and he loves big bikes that handle well and are suited for long-distance travel. Rich enjoys challenging rides, such as a non-stop 1703.5-mile trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back. In his personal collection, Rich owns a 2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2, a 1998 Ducati 996, a 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 ‘Slabby’, a 1998 VFR800FiW, and a 1975 Honda CB750 SOHC Dunstall.