KTM

KTM juiced up its 790 Duke platform with a more powerful engine, beefed up electronics, and improved suspension for its 2021 release in the U.S. market. New graphics are available on this new platform that comes with a robust electronics suite to help you keep the thing dirty-side down. It rocks a pricetag that’s a full grand less than the more-racetastic “R” variant for an ever so slightly more-relaxed type of rider.

MY2021 brings with it the return of the KTM 450 SuperMoto to the paddock after a seven-year hiatus, and it looks like just what the doctor ordered if power-drifting, racing, and stunt riding – or any combination thereof – is your thing. It sports the proven 450 engine that comes with a smattering of rider-aid electronics so you can dial in the bike’s personality as you like. Additionally, the frame is adjustable, and the suspension comes off the top shelf to finish off the package.

The value of indoctrination is not lost on KTM, evidenced by the fact that they updated and generally spruced up their entry-level unit, the 390 Duke in 2017, and those improvements carry straight over into the 2020 season. New upside-down stems float the front end along with larger, more powerful brakes to help manage the energy from the 44-horsepower engine and 328-pound dry weight. Ride-by-wire makes an appearance for a bit of tech you normally don’t see at this price point. Add to this a fresh new look and you have a recipe for success.

Austrian manufacturer KTM teases us with a glimpse into its 2020 lineup by releasing the details on the top-shelf 790 Adventure R “Rally” model. KTM’s not-inconsiderable experience with off-road bikes is readily apparent in this special, limited-edition build that takes an already capable machine and pushes it over the top. Far from being the two-wheeled equivalent of a soccer mom’s SUV, the Rally brings true globetrotting ability to the table with a potent powerplant, extended-travel suspension and weight-saving measures that deliver Dakar-worthy performance. This is a preview as the machine is slated for release in the near future, so get ready to place your order with the quickness when that day arrives, because this mid-size racer is bound to sell out fast.

KTM’s RC 390 saw a major revamp ahead of MY2017, and the Austrian giant carries that revised model through into 2020 as the smallest starter-super to be offered in the U.S. market. Don’t be fooled by the small displacement; this is a proper racebike trainer with all the handling performance you’d expect from larger machines.

KTM has proven itself capable of producing competitive dirtbikes and popular streetbikes, and 2019 brought a next-gen Gran Turismo that targets the sport-tour genre for domination. Sure, the previous model set a pretty high standard, especially if you like your sport-tour machines heavy on the sport, but our Austrian friends managed to raise the bar even more with a handful of improvements in the 1290 Super Duke GT. Comfort and convenience were updated along with the instrumentation, all with even more race-tacular tendencies due to the revised V-Twin powerplant and improved electronic aids.

KTM hit 2019 with a new platform for adventure fans: the 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R. The factory credits its own customer base with the design of this new adventuresome duo, as they’re both based on direct feedback from same. As a result, they come off the showroom floor with a definite head start in the comfort and rideability departments.

The battle of the flyweights rages on as KTM stays in the fray with its race-tastic 125 Duke. KTM takes much the same tack as the competition and builds its entry-level ride to resemble the machines it has to offer further up the licensing chain. The angular Duke bodywork and exposed Trellis frame set the stage for the key player, the 11 kW powerplant that keeps the 125 Duke within the A1 performance envelope and turns it into a weapon in the fight for the zenith of the nadir, ie, the entry-level masses yearning to breathe free. KTM has established quite a name for itself as the King of Thumpers with a proven off-road record, but today I’m going to take a look and see how the littlest Duke stacks up against the rest of the 125 cc streetbike field.

KTM souped up its SuperMoto-tastic 690 SMC R for a 2019 return with more of everything that made its predecessor a success. That’s right, a new powerplant drives KTM’s newest version of its popular jackass bike, and it comes with new control and ride-quality electronics that helps you safely get the most out of the machine. Whether you’re into drifting around turns or trick-riding shenanigans, this hooligan bike has something to offer.

The KTM 690 Enduro R joins its streetwise sibling, the 690 SMC R, to finish covering all the bases for street and dirt. As its diabolically clever name suggests, the “Enduro” is set up to be street legal so you can drive it down to your favorite off-road locale and skip the trailer and tow vehicle. Far from being just another dual-sport, the Enduro rocks the same top-shelf electronic rider aids as the SMC R to give it a safety and stability far beyond the norm for an off-road machine. The factory also chucked a new frame and top-shelf, WP XPLOR suspension at it to sweeten the deal.

KTM launched a fresh assault on the mid-displacement, naked-bike market with the 2018 790 Duke, first of its name. The Austrian bike builders nicknamed it “The Scalpel” for its precise control over power delivery and lean angle with a race-tastic chassis and new, 100-plus horsepower mill. A robust electronics suite brings an alphabet soup of goodies to the table, and ABS, traction control, and variable power-delivery ride modes are just a few of the features on the menu. Even with the dearth of body panels, it’s easy to see the Duke DNA in the details that leave no doubts about its heritage. A bold move in such a competitive market, so let’s see what else KTM throws in to sweeten the deal and be competitive in a crowded field.

KTM builds on the success of its 790 Adventure with the new 2020 390 Adventure model. The 390 Adventure borrows elements from its larger-displacement siblings for much of its design DNA. It’s built with a definite off-road bias, but with the promise of good road manners. A torquey thumper provides the power with the bare minimum in the way of safety or ride-quality features to deliver an essential riding experience.

KTM added to its mid-range naked-sportbike bracket with the 890 Duke R, now available in North America. Essentially, the factory took its proven 790 Duke and buffed it with fully-adjustable suspension, racier ergos, and better anchors. An all-new powerplant gives a boost in power and torque along with a handful of rider aids to add an element of control over the ride characteristics.

Many adventure-bike manufacturers try to cover all the bases with a single model, but Austrian bikebuilder KTM splits its efforts to produce the 1290 Super Adventure S. Released for MY2017, KTM built the “S” to deliver long-distance comfort for riders who are looking for more than they can get from one of the Dukes. Wind protection, storage options and electronic safety systems take care of the usual ride-ability concerns, but this is a KTM folks, so you know it’s going to be very well-endowed in the power department as well, to the point of qualifying as a ’super’ adventure.

Austrian bike builder KTM revamped its top shelf naked bike — the 1290 Super Duke R — for MY2020, and it treated the world to a first glimpse at 2019 EICMA. This newest Super Duke R represents a natural evolution and a rather radical reimagination of KTM’s flagship hyper-naked model to include a new chassis, revised electronics, and reworked engine that together deliver more of what made the Super Duke R such a popular machine in the first place. All of this comes with re-imagined aesthetics that adds new visual elements to the unmistakable KTM panache.

KTM’s off-road experience is unequivocal, and the Austrian heavyweight also made a name for itself in the on-road segment in recent years, as well. It should come as no surprise that its flagship adventure model, the 1290 Super Adventure R, has all the bases covered. Long-stroke suspension soaks up the terrain while the stock tires come with street treads to make this model a bona fide dual-surface bike on steroids. Power comes from a 1,301 cc powerplant that’s part of the natural evolution and progression of design from the previous “1190” engine with over 150 horsepower on tap, and of course, the factory offers plenty of goodies in its Power Parts catalog to let you further boost its capabilities while increasing comfort and safety.

KTM expanded its lineup of adventuresome models for MY2017 with the 1090 Adventure R, and the Austrian manufacturer carries that directly through into the 2019 model year. The factory touts the “R” as its most capable machine once the blacktop turns to brown, and it brings its considerable experience with dirt bikes to the design table. Stealth knobbies and street-legal lighting make the “R” a true, go-anywhere bike, and the liter-plus lump churns out well over 100 ponies to give you plenty of power with which to work. Ride-quality electronics round out the package, so you can count on some built-in safety when you’re traipsing beyond the civilized reaches.

KTM’s engineers punched out the 690 engine ahead of MY2016 and shortened the stroke for more power. They apparently did well enough that the “new” engine is, so far, a direct carryover all the way into MY2019. In spite of its dirtbike origins, the Duke family has abandoned all but the vestigial details in favor of a naked-sportbike build that brings top-shelf performance to the supersport size bracket. A modern electronics suite rounds out the “R” variant. The base 690 Duke comes without most of the suite in its stock configuration, but comes with said electronics as part of its optional “Track Pack” equipment package.

For almost two decades, KTM has been a fixture at the top of the field in the Paris-to-Dakar Rally, and the 450 Rally Factory Replica is meant to pay homage to the bike that carried Sam Sunderland to victory in the 2019 Silk Way Rally. That’s right sports fans, the actual factory rally bike just dominated a race that traverses the Gobi Desert and crosses the borders of Russia, Mongolia, and China, and this is the public model made in its image. It’s not a machine for the casual off-road rider, but rather, it’s built with would-be rally racers in mind, and toward that end, the “Rally FR” doesn’t waste any weight on superfluous equipment.

KTM updated its 1290 Super Duke R ahead of MY2017, and that revised model carries over into MY2019 with a minor change in graphics, but little else. The factory tweaked some hardware on the 1,301 cc V-twin powerplant and increased compression for greater output than the outgoing version. Suspension also was buffed to deliver a stiffer ride with the full spectrum of adjustments so you can dial in just what you want as far as preload and damping values are concerned. The base model comes sans electronics for the most part, but the factory offers dealer-installed packages that address the lack of stock fandanglery and round out the electronics, plus there’s some race-related gadgetry to boot so there’s something for everyone on the new Super Duke R.