Oh boy sports fans, the new show season is in full swing and KTM is taking advantage of the 2018 EICMA show in Milan to gain some exposure for some exciting new stuff that's headed down the pipe.

Continue reading for more on the new KTM models.

KTM 790 Adventure & 790 Adventure R

After much anticipation, the Austrian powerhouse has finally announced its intention to bring the 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R to the North American market for the 2019 model year. Much like Harley-Davidson's Project: Rushmore initiative, these new rides are the culmination of an information-gathering campaign that sifted through customer feedback and racer input, then ran that data through the filter of the engineer's expertise. As the factory put it so succinctly, “you spoke, we listened.”

The result is a couple of mid-size enduro machines that are capable of actual off-road work and are definitely not the two-wheeled equivalent of a soccer-mom's SUV, that's for sure. Don't believe it? Well, first of all, I'd remind you that we're talking about KTM here. The factory cut its teeth on off-road bikes to become a regular visitor to the podium in the motocross circuits, so this is no streetbike builder that has swerved out of its lane, but instead a mature and experienced dirtbike heavyweight.

This adventuresome pair carry a modified 790 Duke engine that rocks a broader torque band as part of its off-road-dedicated tune. It actually packs away a total of 799 cc in the LC8c parallel-twin engine and boasts a robust electronics suite that delivers all the expected safety and ride-quality control features with a full-color TFT screen for all the instrumentation. Oh, and both rock a 5.3-liter fuel tank to give them a 280-mile range that'll make for some pretty long jaunts no matter which surface you prefer.

The looks are typical of the marque with orange, black and white graphics and the sweepy/spikey body panels that make them instantly recognizable as a KTM. I can't wait to dig into this pair in detail, but meanwhile, we've got yet another dual-surface machine to look at.

KTM 690 SMC R & 690 Enduro R

The 690 Enduro R has the same LC4 mill as its streetwise sibling, the newly-returned 690 SMC R Supermoto. That's the newest iteration of KTM's race engine by the way, and the SMC boasts rider modes, lean-tastic traction control and ABS protection plus a Quickshifter and Motor Slip Regulation to boot. A reworked chassis rides on fully adjustable WP APEX stems on the SMC, but the Enduro version floats on the WP XPLOR system for an off-road specific performance profile.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT

The 1290 Super Duke GT that first saw light of day at the Cologne show should land on our shores this month, so if you were tantalized by the appeal of that Gran Turismo life, you should be able to find one at your local KTM dealer.

Check back soon for my full review of these machines as they become available.

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Further Reading

KTM 790 Adventure & 790 Adventure R

See our review of the KTM 790 Adventure / 790 Adventure R.

KTM 690 SMC R

See our review of the KTM 690 SMC R.

KTM 690 Enduro R

See our review of the KTM 690 Enduro R.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT

See our review of the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT.

KTM 790 Duke

See our review of the KTM 790 Duke.

KTM

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