KTM 790 Adventure R

KTM used the EICMA show in Italy overnight to unveil their hotly anticipated KTM 790 Adventure R prototype.

Utilising the new 105 horsepower LC8c parallel twin from the soon to be released KTM 790 Duke, the Austrian firm has the parotid glands of adventure oozing in anticipation of what will for sure be a new production model for Mattighofen in the near future.

For many that future can’t come soon enough! Our best guess would be that KTM are intending for a full release of the model sometime late next year.

KTM have not published any weight figures for the prototype but the production ready 790 Duke is claimed to tip the scaled at 169kg dry, which suggests the 790 Adventure R will be a credible weapon in the dirt.

With its high dashboard tower, single seat, tiny LED lights and low-slung fuel tanks, the KTM 790 ADVENTURE R is clearly inspired by the KTM Rally machines that dominate competition the world over.

KTM 790 Adventure R prototype sits behind the full-monty KTM 450 Rally race machine in this shot from EICMA

The LC8c punches hard from inside its lightweight and extremely rugged chassis, complete with top-quality WP Suspension components front and rear. Naturally, a production version of this would come with the very best electronic rider assistance package too.

KTM’s Hans Trunkenpolz

“We aimed to design the most performance-focused mid-weight travel enduro of its class, with the dynamism of much bigger engine machines, by giving it a leading power-to-weight ratio. The KTM 790 ADVENTURE R prototype is built from a pure offroad obsession. KTM is the market leader in the dirt; our heritage in this field is something no other motorcycle brand can easily copy and this is another exciting indication of the future.”

New KTM 450 Rally

As a clear example of the relentless push that drives the KTM motorsport division forward and not leaning on past successes, KTM also presented an entirely new generation KTM 450 RALLY in a bid to claim a seventeenth consecutive Rally Dakar victory.

Representing two years of intense development and debuted at the OiLibya Rallye Maroc in October, the bike is faster and lighter while being more agile and stable.

Wrapped in new bodywork and housed in a bespoke, freshly developed chassis is a new 450cc single cylinder engine. Controlled by a new engine management system and a revised throttle body, the result is better peak performance and improved throttle response.