Official: KTM 790 Adventure R on the cards | EICMA 2017

Adventure bikes have been dominating the manufacturer ranges in recent years with engines getting bigger, faster and more frugal while electronics becoming safer, slicker and sexier.

That is until last year when Kawasaki, Suzuki and BMW all showed off their low capacity adventure bikes – Versys-X 300, V-Strom 250 and G 310 GS, respectively. KTM and Yamaha are expected to follow suit with a 390 Adventure and Tracer 300 soon enough.

With the large and small capacity machines covered, it was about time someone came up with a hard-core middleweight adventure bike and while Yamaha’s T7 is due, KTM have taken the opportunity today at the Milan Motorcycle Show to break out a prototype 790 Adventure R.

A lightweight, compact midrange travel enduro with outstanding cross country ability, they say.

It’s been designed around the the brand new 2-cylinder LC8c engine which we’ve seen already today in the 2018 KTM 790 DUKE.

With predecessors in the more off-road focused side of their range – like the KTM 950 and 990 ADVENTURE rally bikes - the KTM 790 ADVENTURE R PROTOTYPE takes the same rally design with its single seat, tiny LED lights and low-slung fuel tank. KTM’s customary design and development partner agency KISKA, clearly referenced the new KTM 450 RALLY which was developed in parallel.

The brand new, ultra-compact and lightweight 799cc LC8c parallel twin sits inside a lightweight KTM chassis complete with WP Suspension components front and rear.

As with the 790 DUKE, if we wait 12 months there’ll be plenty more information and a full production version of the ADVENTURE R on show.