Over the last few months, rumors have been growing about the arrival of a new 690 Adventure. A frame designed with the intention of recovering that extra versatility and simplicity that the missing “six forty” from the 2008 season offered at the time.
Now, after leaking some images of a test mule almost ready for production, it is more than evident that KTM seems to have everything ready for the reissue of a model with the aforementioned characteristics.
KTM 690 Adventure: What we know
Currently, KTM’s single-cylinder Adventure range has different displacement, power and finish options, with the 390 variant as the spearhead of it. Above this, at another totally incomparable level is the exclusive 450 Rally, a frame designed by and for competition.
With the 690 Adventure, the European firm seeks to make the most of the multipurpose off-road concept thanks to successfully combining the qualities of its 692.7 cc LC4 engine, the same one used in its well-known 690 Enduro R and SMC 690, along with a chassis part and an equipment level focused on dual use. All of this supported by mechanical simplicity, low maintenance costs and more than proven reliability.
In the digitized images that Insella’s colleagues have published we can get an idea of what the final shape of this 690 Adventure could be like. They clearly highlight a platform based on the current KTM 690, where a tubular steel frame is consolidated as the main structural part of the assembly. This rests on 21 and 18 inch radial wheels, front and rear respectively.
The photos of the test unit offer us the vision of a variant with clear Dakar inspiration, with design lines similar to the current 390 Adventure R. Although there are some notable changes in the general configuration of the motorcycle, such as the exhaust system and its positioning or some key elements of its equipment, it is clear that the final approach of the model will be quite similar to that of the latter.
Regarding the mechanical section, no substantial changes are expected with respect to what the models that use this same engine currently offer us. Let us remember that the well-known KTM LC4 single-cylinder engine was updated to Euro 5+ regulations in its last tune-up, offering for the occasion a final power of 79 HP and 73 Nm of maximum torque.
Another element that this 690 Adventure seems to inherit from its sister the 690 Enduro is the suspension equipment, with a 48 mm inverted Xplor fork in the front axle and a monoshock anchored in the rear axle. For braking, the new KTM model also uses a single disc per wheel. This confirms the brand’s main approach in terms of achieving the lowest possible weight, with an estimated figure of about 175 kilos dry.
Finally, and as a relevant fact, there is the possibility that the 690 Adventure equips a triple fuel tank, “with two tanks located on the engine, along with the usual 13.3-liter subframe-fuel tank of the 690 that holds the rear of the motorcycle together,” as confirmed by MCN. In any case, we have to wait for new information from the brand or possible new spy images of the model.
