CAUGHT: KTM 990 ADVENTURE - New Look, More Power

Translation of an article from motorrad-magazin about KTM 990 Adventure

Adventure bikes can now confidently be called Europe's most important market segment. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the BMW R 1300 GS to Triumph's Tiger 900 and down to the Honda CRF300 Rally. Often enough, they are bestsellers in their price segments and, like Ducati's Multistrada V4 or DesertX, often serve as image carriers.

This has not been the case for the KTM 790 and 890 Adventure: introduced in 2019, the 790 Adventure and its upgrade to the 890 Adventure two years later were less well received internationally by motorcyclists than hoped in Mattighofen. Few people question the models' quality and remarkable riding characteristics. One reason for the lack of success might be their unconventional appearance.

This is reason enough for KTM to thoroughly revise the successor, which is why hardly any part of the previous models will be carried over in the upcoming mid-range adventure bike. The new version is expected to hit the market in spring 2026 and will be named the 990 Adventure.

The name comes from the fundamentally revised LC8c parallel-twin engine, already known from the 990 Duke. In the Duke, it delivers 123 horsepower and has an actual displacement of 947 cubic centimeters. However, the Adventure will receive its own tuning. In this tuning, the engine will ultimately lack a few horsepower at the top end, which will benefit the torque curve. This step proved successful in the predecessor and is likely to be retained.

Part of the revised engine is a newly designed exhaust system with modified headers, a larger collector, and a lower-positioned muffler. As a result of the larger collector, a new banana-shaped swingarm, similar to the 990 Duke, is used.

This necessitates changes to the swingarm mount on the main frame, which otherwise bears the most resemblance to the current model. As a result of the new swingarm, the shock absorber has also been fundamentally modified. It still comes from KTM's in-house brand WP, as does the new front fork.

Above this sits an equally newly designed, shorter rear frame, culminating in a cast aluminum part. As a result, the rear of the 990 Adventure is significantly slimmer than before and should also save weight.

A distinctive feature is the radiator's construction. It is now split into two parts, making it wider and thus capable of better cooling performance. This solution was borrowed by Mattighofen engineers from the larger sister model, the 1390 Super Adventure, and is also used by other manufacturers. This results in a wider fairing for all.

Behind it sits the tank, whose construction also influences the appearance. It will no longer extend as far down as the current model and will now end at the rider's shin height. Thus, the visually disadvantageous tank barrels in front of the rider's feet disappear. Mattighofen already took this step with the Husqvarna Norden 901, whose tank capacity is consequently lower at 19 liters compared to the sister model KTM 890 Adventure. Similar is to be expected for the tank volume of the 990 Adventure.

This construction is enveloped by a newly designed fairing. It will now be more straightforward and seem more appealing than the current model. The front will rise much steeper and will significantly differ from the known style. Behind it, a large-format portrait touchscreen will be installed, making its debut in the 1390 Super Adventure.

This look will be carried over to other adventure bikes from Mattighofen in various configurations in the future. It will first be found on the successor to KTM's 390 Adventure by 2025 at the latest and later in a high-end special variant of the Super Adventure called the 1390 Rally.

The styling of all these models is apparently intended to vaguely reference the 450 Rally, KTM's competition bike for the Dakar Rally, to sharpen the brand image. This is an essential step to differentiate from the growing offerings of other brands within the Pierer Mobility Group and avoid internal competition.

The connection to Mattighofen's off-road sport does not stop with the design. Observations of recent test rides with prototype parts suggest that the 990 Adventure, like its predecessor, will only come with one front wheel size - 21 inches - and off-road capable variants will be a focus of development. As before, customers will likely be able to choose between versions with different suspension travel lengths and tire types.

The SMT will not be discontinued. The supermoto tourer with a 17-inch front wheel and semi-slicks will likely be updated only a few months after the Adventure and will feature a higher-revving version of the 990 engine. This engine will also be used in the upcoming mid-range sports bike 990 RC, initially delivering 128 horsepower. Other versions are not excluded but will likely be seen later in the development process.