Five KTM 490 Models and More Confirmed in Pierer Mobility Presentation

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

A management presentation prepared by Pierer Mobility reveals a roadmap to future KTM models including a five-bike 490 platform and 890 versions of the Adventure, SMC and Enduro R.

The presentation, produced for investors, confirms five 490 models expected to be powered by a new Twin-cylinder engine. These are expected to include a 490 Duke, a 490 Adventure, an RC490, a 490 SMC R and a 490 Enduro R. KTM President Stefan Pierer has openly discussed the new 500cc-class Twin which is being developed in India with Bajaj (which owns 49% of Pierer Mobility). Speaking with CycleNews, Pierer says 500cc bikes will be the future premium class in emerging markets while still having appeal in European markets with an A2 license class.

The 490 class will not replace the existing single-cylinder 390 models, as the product portfolio slide confirms they will remain along with the smaller 125 and 250 versions. We may actually see the 390 lineup grow as the slide suggests SMC R and Enduro R versions are also in the works.

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As for the larger bikes, the presentation hints at more Twin-cylinder 890 models to follow the 890 Duke R introduced at EICMA. These include new Adventure, SMC and Enduro variants, which will not replace but supplement the existing 790 and 690 versions.

The off-road lineup looks pretty similar to KTM’s existing lineup except for the addition of more powerful versions the SX-E5 youth electric dirt bike, offering a range of models for kids from ages 3 to 14.

The presentation does not provide any timeline on when any of these new models will be released. The 890 Duke R was already introduced last month, so its siblings will probably be appearing in the next year or two. The 490 models are also expected to arrive next year, so we expect Intermot and EICMA will be very busy for KTM in 2020.

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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  • Sayyed Bashir Sayyed Bashir on Dec 19, 2019

    KTM is going all out (to become the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world).

    • See 12 previous
    • Jason Jason on Jan 03, 2020

      Yup. Bajaj "only" sold 1.24 million bikes in the month of December. How many did KTM sell?

  • Jon Jones Jon Jones on Dec 20, 2019

    KTM: Double-check those clutch hub nuts!

    • See 9 previous
    • Sayyed Bashir Sayyed Bashir on Jan 05, 2020

      U.S. company since 1953, acquired by Henkel in 1997.

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