IT’S been a busy winter for the team at KTM, with new model launches in the Adventure sector grabbing their fair share of headlines already in 2021.
And the new models might not be finished just yet, as homologation documents have shown the existence of possibly another new 1290 Adventure model.
2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
It’s important to remember we’ve already had the launches for 1290 Adventure S and Adventure R. For the sleepy ones at the back, the S is the tour edition, the R is the hardcore big-bore off-roader that looks like the mutt-nuts.
So, it’s leaving us in a bit of a quandary as to what this third bike could be. It’s clearly not a full ADV model, like the R. And can be distinguished as such by the inclusion of 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels – the adventure-biased R is shod with a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear hoops. The engine and out-put are also the same as the already-announced models we've seen.
The main point of difference comes in the quoted weight of the bike. It weighs in at a claimed 240kg, ready to ride. That’s a full 5kg less than either the S or R versions of the machine. It’d be easy to get carried away now and start talking about a new, hyper-light, version of the 1290, with full carbon bodyworks and unicorn tears instead of coolant: we think the actual answer might be a bit more mundane than that.
It’s more feasible that the weight saving has been brought about by a reduction in the bike’s specification than the inclusion of unobtanium-related parts.
What we could be looking at here is a new, entry-level 1290 Adventure, stripped of the high-tech frivolities of the other two models. Removing the radar cruise control of the S, and the hardcore off-roadiness of the R would not only help to create that 5kg weight saving, but it’d also likely shave a handy amount off the bike’s RRP.
Anyway, as it stands, we simply don’t know, although we might not have to wait long to find out. The model has been given a 2021 model year tag next to its name, and with 2021 already disappearing fast, you’d imagine it’ll be breaking cover fairly soon.
