I’m always excited to see something new come out of a performance brand. I’m always excited to see any new motorcycle come out, for that matter. But I’m a little hesitant to see what KTM is actually doing because I think they need to fix their reputation when it comes to reliability.

I think people associate the KTM 890 parallel-twin engine with “cheese cams” because of the camshaft reliability issues they’ve had. So if KTM wants to move forward, I think they’re going to have to do something really hardcore to help boost their image. They’re going to have to convince people that this new motorcycle is fundamentally different from what came before it.

Generally speaking, KTM has performed as a manufacturer of performance tools, and each of those tools has a job. You can buy a KTM 350 race bike in several different trims, and each one has a very specific customer it’s intended for. I can see KTM successfully pulling off something similar with the 990 Adventure, but who is the customer for this motorcycle? More and more adventure riders seem to be moving from bigger bikes down to middleweight and lightweight ADV bikes. So why are we going in the other direction?

I’ll hypothesize that KTM is trying to create a direct competitor to the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports. They’re building a higher-performance, larger-displacement adventure-tourer geared toward people who don’t leave the pavement. The extra performance and range would be appreciated, while the additional weight wouldn’t be as noticeable.

Okay, I can get on board with that. I think Bajaj and KTM recognize that the vast majority of adventure riders don’t actually go off-road, and there’s an opportunity to attract more pavement-oriented riders. These are people who want a motorcycle that can do both without looking like some granddad sport-tourer while simultaneously avoiding the adventure Decepticon styling of the KTM 890. I’m absolutely open to that idea, but I think KTM needs to be smart and tactical about how it approaches this motorcycle.

The spy shots appear to show a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear. I’d be shocked if those dimensions didn’t carry over to production, but they also make me question whether KTM is really targeting the pavement-oriented adventure-touring market I’m imagining. Of course, these are just spy shots. We don’t actually know where KTM is going with this yet.

Regardless of the final specifications, KTM needs to demonstrate that this parallel-twin engine is dramatically different from the 890’s. They’re going to have to invest in engineering and marketing to explain those changes. I’d want to see a substantial redesign, not simply assurances that they’ve improved the camshafts. Otherwise, people are going to look at this motorcycle and wonder whether the reliability concerns have really been addressed. I’d also like to see technology trickle down from the KTM 1390 Adventure, including electronic suspension and the other technology increasingly expected on an adventure-touring motorcycle.

I want KTM to be successful. I can understand the logic behind a larger, more road-oriented adventure bike, and I think there’s a potential market for it. But pricing is critical. If KTM launches this motorcycle at a significant premium over the 890 Adventure, I think the market is going to struggle with it.

For now, I’m cautiously optimistic. I just want to see KTM deliver a motorcycle with a clear purpose, a compelling value proposition, and a reliability story that riders can believe in. Because if KTM wants to move the adventure-touring market forward, it needs to give riders a compelling reason to choose the 990 Adventure.