KTM 490 Adventure, the upcoming motorcycle under the Austrian manufacturer’s Adventure series has been circling the news since long. A leaked presentation from the brand has also recently surfaced online which features the 490 Adventure while one can expect the brand to unveil it in a concept form by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.
The new 500cc platform for the KTM motorcycles is being developed at the Bajaj’s Chakan plant in Pune. The brand is further expected to roll out five motorcycles under its 500cc platform which includes the likes of 490 Adventure, a supersport RC motorcycle, a streetfighter under the Duke series, a supermoto as well as a dual-purpose motorcycle.
One can expect the upcoming KTM 490 Adventure to feature the same design language as that of its lower displacement sibling 390 Adventure though the underlying frame is expected to be bigger. The 490cc parallel twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 8-valve, DOHC engine is expected to churn out a maximum power around 60-70HP though the figures may rise or fall depending on the engine mapping. The engine will be further mated to a 6-speed gearbox along with a slipper clutch. The motorcycle will be featuring a Double Over Head Cam (DOHC) setup as well as a BS6-compliant engine.
The brand is expected to offer the KTM 490 Adventure with multiple riding modes as well as switchable ABS. The motorcycle will feature all the premium features like traction control system, a fully-digital coloured TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and more. The brand is expected to offer the motorcycle with a longer wheelbase to accommodate the wider frame. The KTM RC 490 and the Duke 490 are expected to be launched first followed by the 490 Adventure.
