KTM's flagship adventure bike, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure, may not be offered on sale in India, but KTM is going all guns blazing with not one, but three different models of the new KTM 1290 Super Adventure. Latest EU type approval show that KTM has three 1290 Super Adventure models due in its 2021 range. We've already seen the two other models, with the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S becoming the first motorcycle in the world to get radar-assisted cruise control system as standard. While the base 1290 Super Adventure will get the same alloy wheels (19-inch front, 18-inch rear) as the S model, it will lose out on some kit, and electronics, including the radar-powered cruise control.
Also Read: 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Revealed
The 1290 Super Adventure R misses out on the radar-powered cruise control system but gets aluminium wheels, lighter engine cases, and a six-axis IMU powered electronics
The KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is the more off-road oriented model in the range, with a bigger 21-inch front wheel, and both wheels being of the wire-spoked kind. So, the base version will also be more road-oriented rather than being the hardcore off-road bike the R is. The base variant will also have less weight; 240 kg, compared to 245 kg of both the 'R' and 'S' variants. So, the base variant may miss out on some kit, possibly being the radar-powered cruise control, as well as semi-active WP suspension.
Also Read: 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S Announced
The KTM 1290 Super Adventure S gets active radar-guided cruise control technology, which the base variant won't get
The engine remains the same 1,301 cc, v-twin, which makes 158 bhp at 9,000 rpm and 138 Nm at 6,500 rpm, so there won't be any less performance on the base version. With a slightly lower weight, the base variant is also likely to have better power-to-weight. So, how long before the base version is unveiled? Our guess is within the next two months. But don't get your hopes up. KTM doesn't offer any of its bigger adventure bikes on sale in India, and the same could be the case with the 1290 Super Adventure as well, unless it's offered on case-to-case basis as a full import. But then, it's going to be expensive! The mid-size KTM 890 Adventure is what we can expect to be launched sometime this year, in India.
