While we are all waiting for KTM to announce its new 390 Adventure lineup for North America, we have to make do for now with the announcement of their new supermoto instead. The new KTM 390 SMC R supermoto has just been confirmed for Canada and the US market, mixing and matching their street technology with their off-road engineering.
The engine itself is the 399cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder that KTM recently dropped into its updated 390 Duke series. It should make about 45 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 28 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm; not terribly muscular, but as you can see in the video above, it’s enough to get the job done. Previously, we reviewed the second-generation KTM 390 Adventure here, and the first-generation here and here, and found the engine held up well, especially with an optional quickshifter installed.
The chassis is based off the same steel trellis frame that the latest-generation 390 Duke uses, but with several things moved around in order to accommodate the long-travel WP APEX suspension. KTM says it shifted the steering head angle, triple clamps, subframe mounts, and also tinkered with its rigidity to get the handling characteristics they wanted.
The open-cartridge fork has 230mm travel, with compression and rebound adjustability. KTM says it allows for quick toolless adjustment, with 5-click increments. The shock is offset like the old Kawasaki 650 twins, and is adjustable for rebound. The bike has Michelin Power 6 tires at both ends, on 17-inch spoked wheels.
For supermoto style, this bike has dual-channel ABS that can be switched into Supermoto or Supermoto+ mode, if the bike is put into Sport riding mode (Sport and Street riding modes come standard). The 320mm front disc with radial-mount caliper will help you achieve maximum stoppies, and there’s a 240 mm disc in back if you want to go slideways.
Along with controlling those brake and ride modes, the 4.2-inch TFT screen will also allow you to connect to your phone and a helmet communicator. This way, you can control music playback, answer/reject incoming calls, or access turn-by-turn navigation features.
How much does it cost? KTM hasn’t told us, but we expect to know soon, probably by the AIME show. See more details here.
