Rumors have been flying for about a year now on the possibility of middleweight machines for KTM. Currently, KTM’s naked, sport and adventure-touring lineups feature bikes with power displacements of either 150/200/390, or 790/890 and up.
Between 390 and 790 is a whole lot of room for SOME kind of hooner – and now, with a recent leak (and a few other hints), the dream of a middleweight contender is fast becoming a reality.
Both Top Speed and RideApart state that a leaked presentation from Pierers Mobility Group (leaked in India first – the main hub for manufacture of KTM machines) shows a new 490 category for KTM’s Adventure-Touring, Naked, Sport, Supermoto and Enduro ranges.
We have another interesting bit of news as well; KTM’s Chinese partner, CFMoto, has just released a fully-faired CFMoto 450SR into the Chinese market.
The fact that KTM and CFMoto frequently partner up on engine projects means we’re likely to see a similar brainchild for KTM’s ranks – though whether or not the engine will keep the 450SR’s 270° crankshaft is yet to be realized.
Stay tuned for other updates as they trickle down the pipeline, drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.