KTM 890 Adventure R showcased at India Bike Week 2022

KTM India is one of the more prominent manufacturers at India Bike Week 2022 and the Austrian manufacturer has showcased the 890 Adventure R at the annual motorcycling festival. KTM’s middleweight adventure shares the pavilion with some of the brand’s premium offerings like the 1290 Super Duke R, RC 16 MotoGP machine and the KTM 450 Rally built for Dakar. The KTM 890 Adventure R would rival the Triumph Tiger 900, Ducati Multistrada V2, and the likes, if launched in India.

The KTM 890 Adventure R gets the familiar vertically-stacked LED headlamp with a tall windscreen. The adventure motorcycle gets handlebar guards and a belly pan for additional protection, while the beak mudguard and upswept exhaust aim to tackle rough terrains with ease. The bike rides on wire-spoked wheels with dual-purpose tyres.

Power on the KTM 890 Adventure R comes from the 889 cc LC8c parallel-twin motor tuned for 103 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 100 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox with a steel tube frame underneath. Suspension duties are performed by WP USD forks at the front and a WP-sourced monoshock at the rear. Both units are adjustable. The 2023 version of the 890 Adventure R comes with Xplor PDS (Progressive Damping System) rear shock with no linkage needed. The new system is a direct lift from the KTM 450 Rally.

The KTM 890 Adventure R packs 103 bhp and 100 Nm from a 889 cc parallel-twin motor

Braking performance comes from disc brakes at either end of the KTM 890 Adventure R while the 2023 version adds an improved 9.3 MP ABS that uses the six-axis IMU on the bike to switch between cornering ABS and offroad ABS automatically when riding in the Rally mode. There’s also lean-sensitive motorcycle traction control on the ADV.

Other upgrades include a new TFT screen for the instrument console with toggle switches to access different settings and ride modes. The new system also comes with Bluetooth connectivity on the motorcycle.

There’s no word if the KTM 890 Adventure R will be launched in India. At present, it’s a tease of sorts from the manufacturer much like the 790 Adventure was at the 2019 India Bike Week. That said, considering both the 790 Duke and 790 Adventure have been revived for Europe, it would be interesting to see if the models will be considered for India as well in the near future.