Top News

Over the last few months, we have seen the Austrian motorcycle manufacturing giant KTM testing the upcoming Duke 490 and RC 490 internationally. However, recently, a few spy shots of the KTM 490 Adventure have also been shared online. These images give us a clear look at the upcoming generation of the middleweight adventure motorcycle from the brand, which will use the same newly developed twin-cylinder, 490cc engine as the Duke and RC 490.

These spy shots of the upcoming KTM 490 Adventure have been shared on YouTube by Motobob on their channel. In this video, while sharing the spy shots, the host highlights that it has been reported by his source that the KTM 490 Adventure with the twin-cylinder engine will sit above the 390 Adventure series with the single-cylinder engines. It will not be replacing the 390 Adventure series.

From the images, we can note that the upcoming 490 Adventure will look very similar to the current 390 Adventure. However, it will grow in size and boast a few differences. We can note that the test mule of this motorcycle was equipped with a tall windscreen, dual projector headlights set vertically, an aggressive front fairing, and a very aggressively sculpted fuel tank.

It has been reported that the bike will continue to get the steel trellis frame as the current model. The rider’s seating position also looks high. Other notable highlights of this test mule include a one-piece seat, a long rear handlebar, an upswept exhaust, and rear seat footpegs. As for the suspension setup, the 490 Adventure is expected to come offered with a WP APEX long-travel suspension.

This setup will consist of a 43mm inverted front fork and a rear monoshock. As for the wheels, it has been noted that this ADV will also boast spoke wheels with chunky all-terrain tyres. The front wheel will be 21 inches, and the rear will be a 17-inch wheel. As for the braking duties, they will be handled by a large single disc at the front with radial calipers and a single disc at the rear. Dual-channel ABS will also be offered by the brand.

In terms of features and technology, we can expect the upcoming 490 Adventure to offer a 5-inch full-color TFT instrument gauge cluster with smartphone connectivity. Its rider aid pack will also include IMU-enabled traction control, cornering ABS, multiple ride modes, an off-road ABS mode, and switchable traction control.

The main highlight of the upcoming KTM 490 Adventure will be its 490 to 500cc, twin-cylinder, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine. This motor will make 50 to 60 PS and 40 to 50 Nm of torque. This new motor will also be seen on the upcoming Duke 490 and the RC 490, which have already been spotted testing (the RC 490 has been showcased in China).

As per the reports, the KTM 490 Adventure is expected to offer a smoother power delivery and better highway drivability. It will also provide reduced vibrations and higher refinement than the 390 Adventure. All of these characteristics will make the 490 Adventure a much better long-distance touring motorcycle.

Most likely, we will be seeing the launch of the KTM 490 Adventure by the end of this year or by the first half of next year. As for the pricing, we can expect it to be priced in the range of Rs 4 to 5 lakh. Once launched, it will be rivalling the newly launched BMW F 450 GS, Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, and Honda NX500, along with other upcoming twin-cylinder middleweight adventure motorcycles.