2017 EICMA: KTM 790 Adventure R Concept Breaks Cover

Earlier, we had brought to you spy shots of the KTM 790 Adventure R. Not only us enthusiasts, but KTM’s rivals were also waiting its unveil with bated breath ever since. And now that it has been officially unveiled, albeit in just concept form, we can probably say that the wait was well worth it.

Starting off with the looks, the bike is aimed at bridging the gap between adventure and long-distance touring motorcycles. It also pays homage to KTM’s legacy in off-road racing events like the Dakar, enduro and motocross. It gets raised front fenders while the front cowl has a minimalistic wind deflector which just covers the LCD instrument panel and is not much of a wind protector. The slim single-seat unit on the KTM 790 Adventure R is reminiscent of purpose-built dirt bikes. Just like all ADVs, the KTM also has provision for storage and addition of panniers to the rear sub-frame. 

The dual-purpose KTM 790 Adventure R shares its platform with the Duke 790 and uses the same 799cc LC8c parallel-twin engine which also does duty on the 2018 790 Duke. KTM has not revealed any performance figures but we expect them to be similar to the 790 Duke. On the 790 Duke, the same motor churns out 105PS of power @9,500 rpm and 86NM of peak torque @8,000 rpm. The latter is expected to be slightly tweaked though, to favour touring and adventure riding. Transmission duties are to be taken care of by a 6-speed unit with the possibility of a PASC slipper clutch. 

KTM says that the 790 Adventure R has been finished with inputs from its design and development partner agency KISKA with clear references to their KTM 450 Rally. So, it sits on 21-inch front and 19-inch rear knobby tyres with the customary steel spoked wheels. The WP suspension components have a long travel range to shine during heavy off-roading. The braking system consists of dual rotors up front and single ones at the rear with ABS and multiple riding modes.

KTM has said that they will launch the 790 Adventure next year, without specifying which markets it will be available in. To save you from hoping unrealistically, let us tell you that it won’t arrive on Indian shores. At least, not anytime soon.

Recommended Read: 2017 EICMA: The Ultimate Roundup