KTM India to focus on mid (200-390) segment over the next year

Answering media queries at the launch of the 790 Duke, KTM India officials confirmed that the company will be concentrating on the mid (200-390) segment over the next year. This hints at the fact that the Austrian two-wheeler will be updating its existing product portfolio and introducing new vehicles over the next year. So what can you expect to see from the Indo-Austrian partnership?

Also Read: KTM 790 Duke: Where and how you can buy one

KTM 390 Adventure

The 390 Adventure is one of the most-awaited motorcycles of 2019. The new model will most likely debut at the 2019 EICMA motorcycle show, along with rest of KTM’s 2020 line-up. Test mules of the 390 Adventure have been spotted on various occasions in the past, revealing finer details about the motorcycle.

The feature list will be quite similar to that of the 390 Duke, and the upcoming new 390 Adventure will be equipped with full-LED lighting, colour-TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity, inverted front forks and pre-load adjustable rear monoshock. Adventure touring styling will bring windblast protection and slightly raised handlebar for upright ergonomics.

Engine specifications will be identical on the 390 series (Duke, RC and Adventure). The current 373.2 cc single-cylinder, DOHC, 4-Valve, liquid-cooled engine in BS-IV guise makes 43.5 hp of peak power at 9,500 RPM and 35 Nm of max torque at 7,250 rpm. The BS-VI compliant motor is likely to carry near-identical numbers.

KTM 250 Adventure

Apart from the 390 Adventure, KTM is also reportedly working on a quarter-litre adventure model. A report from last month claimed that the Austrian brand will introduce the 250 Adventure that will share its mechanical specifications with the 250 Duke. Thus, it will miss out on features like the LED headlight and a colour-TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. Instead, it will most likely feature a halogen headlight along with LED DRLs and an orange backlit LCD instrument console.

Propelling tasks will be performed by the 248.8 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that, in BS-IV form, makes 30 hp of power and 24 Nm of torque on the 250 Duke. The gearbox benefits from a slipper clutch mechanism. Hardware specifications will retain upside-down front forks, preload-adjustable rear monoshock and dual-channel ABS as standard. The 250 Duke misses out on a switchable ABS, but we may see the feature on the Adventure series model.

Updated RC series

The RC range of products have been around for almost five years now, and it’s about time that they get a styling upgrade. Test mules of the updated RC range were spotted in Europe and the production-spec models are likely to arrive at the 2019 EICMA motorcycle show. The updated RC range will pack revised front fascia that will feature vertically stacked headlight. The cockpit on the RC 390 may also receive an update in the form of a new instrument console that it will share with the 390 Duke.

Key hardware specifications such as inverted front forks, preload-adjustable rear monoshock, ABS (dual-channel on the RC390/single-channel on RC125 and RC200) will be retained. The track-focused ergonomics are not likely to change either.

Updated Duke Series

KTM officials confirmed at the 790 Duke launch event that the company is already working on updating the 200 Duke, a motorcycle that still carries the styling from 2012. Apart from adding visual upgrades to the 200 Duke, KTM will also update its complete product portfolio to comply with the BS-VI emission norms.

Husqvarna 401 Duo

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and the Vitpilen 401 made several appearances through spy photographs (even in production-ready guise), although the motorcycles are yet to reach the Indian market. The 401 duo will use the KTM 390 Duke’s platform but feature different styling. The Vitpilen 401 carries a café-racer-inspired design, while the Svartpilen 401 is a Scrambler type product.

The list of components shared with the 390 Duke includes the trellis frame, suspension setup (upside-down front forks and preload-adjustable rear monoshock), and disc brake on both wheels. The Swedish motorcycles, however, get a compact instrument console that gives a retro-look to the cockpit. The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and the Vitpilen 401 will arrive at a premium over the 390 Duke, which currently retails for INR 2.44 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Mechanical specifications on both models will include a 390 Duke sourced 373.2 cc single-cylinder, DOHC, 4-Valve, liquid-cooled engine. The performance numbers, however, may be different from the Austrian naked roadster.

Also Read: Bajaj-KTM to launch performance electric two-wheelers by 2022

No 790 Adventure for the Indian market, yet

KTM India has confirmed that the 790 Adventure is yet to receive a green-flag for our market. The company will analyse the response that the 790 Duke gets in the Indian market before finalising the decision to bring the 790 Adventure to our shores.