A unit of the KTM 790 Adventure was recently spotted in New Delhi. However, unlike most of the test motorcycles, this particular vehicle was not seen with a temporary registration plate. Instead, it donned a European number. This particular 790 Adventure is most likely on an adventure to circumnavigate the world (or Asia – we don’t know for sure), and India is a part of its journey.

The round rearview mirrors and the silver finish to the front forks confirm that this is the more premium version of the KTM middleweight adventure series, the 790 Adventure R. The other variant is called 790 Adventure. The Austrian brand also introduced a limited edition variant of the series, the 790 Adventure R Rally, in June this year. All three versions use the same 799cc, parallel twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, LC8c engine that pumps out 94 HP of peak power and 88 Nm of max torque. The six-speed transmission benefits from with slipper clutch while a Quickshifter+ comes as an option.

The electronic package includes features like ride-by-wire throttle with multiple riding modes, traction control and switchable ABS. Besides all the aforementioned riding aids, the R variant also gets a Rally mode. A cruise control system is available as an option. The 790 Adventure R also packs more premium hardware such as fully adjustable WP XPLOR 48mm front forks and WP Apex PDS rear shock absorber. The entry-level model, on the other hand, uses WP APEX 43 mm front forks.

The 790 Adventure series shares its engine with the 790 Duke, and the latter will receive a displacement bump with the Euro-V upgrade. We can see similar changes on the 790 Adventure too. The increased displacement will come handy to compete against the likes of the next-generation Triumph Tiger range, which will come with a 900 cc motor (vs. 800 cc on the current model).

The 790 Adventure is a fairly new design, and thus the 2020 iteration may not receive many styling upgrades. However, we hope to see a tubeless tyre compatible wire-spoke wheel design on the new model – a feature that is already available on the BMW F 850 GS, Ducati Multistrada 950 (with the Enduro pack) and the much affordable Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT. The new Triumph Tiger 900, too, will come with a cross-spoke design to use tubeless tyres. We expect to see the Euro-V compatible KTM 790 Adventure at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November (5-10) this year.