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KTM's 990 Adventure Spied: What the Prototype Photos Show Ahead of EICMA

Near-production prototypes photographed in Upper Austria point to a revived KTM 990 Adventure with twin fuel fillers, 21/18 spoked wheels and a new exhaust and swingarm. KTM has promised off-road news at EICMA on November 3, but it hasn't named this bike, and every spec so far comes from the outlets that ran the photos.

Trail Roamer Editorial TeamOct 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Trail Roamer illustration, not the actual KTM 990 Adventure prototype. The real spy photos by Bernhard M. Höhne are linked in the article. - Credit: Trail Roamer illustration

KTM's middleweight adventure bike is about to get a bigger heart and a new shape, and the spy photos suggest it's nearly finished. Photographer Bernhard M. Höhne caught near-production prototypes of what outlets are calling the new KTM 990 Adventure during test rides in Upper Austria. Austria's Motorrad Magazin and Germany's Motorrad & Reisen ran his photos on October 2, the same day Belgium's Motoren en Toerisme published them with text by Dieter Jans, and Speedweek followed with his report.

English-language coverage came from ADV Pulse on October 5, with photos credited to Höhne, and India's ZigWheels and BikeDekho the same day. We haven't found a newer set of spy photos since then. KTM hasn't announced the bike, hasn't confirmed the name and hasn't said a word about specs, price or timing.

What's changed since the first photos

The biggest development is official, but it isn't about this bike by name. On October 15, KTM put out a press release about its EICMA plans confirming a press conference in Milan on November 3 at 10:45 a.m. CET "with a strong focus on offroad performance" and "new motorcycle developments." KTM says it will show its adventure, rally, enduro and motocross range, but the release doesn't name a single new model. Back on September 29, Visordown reported an earlier KTM statement promising that the "exclusive reveals will remain firmly under wraps ahead of the show."

Also on October 15, Motorrad Magazin published color renderings by Nicolas Vontobel of Rubberdust imagining the finished bike. They're an artist's interpretation of the test mules, not photos and not KTM designs. BikeDekho updated its story on October 12, but its new material is EICMA speculation, not new images.

What you can see in the photos

Start with the fuel. KTM's current 890 Adventure carries its fuel in low tanks on each side of the engine. The 990 prototype still has two tanks with two separate filler caps, but Höhne's reports in Speedweek and ADV Pulse say the fuel sits higher, so the bodywork is less bulbous down low. The wider fairing also houses a split radiator. Nobody has a capacity figure.

The front end is steep and rally-styled, with a tall windscreen and a small LED projector headlight. It isn't the tower layout of KTM's new 690 Rally. Out back, a new exhaust with a larger collector and a slimmer, lower silencer is paired with a banana-shaped swingarm that curves around it. The subframe changes from steel tube to a cast aluminum section, and Motoren en Toerisme notes there are no passenger grab handles on the slim tail.

Both prototypes roll on spoked wheels, a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear according to Speedweek and BikeDekho. The two bikes differ in their forks and windscreen heights. Motoren en Toerisme spotted WP suspension and WP brake components, plus a TFT screen, KTM's latest switchgear and a mounting bracket for a navigation unit. BikeDekho describes a high one-piece handlebar and slightly rear-set footpegs.

This isn't the first 990 Adventure mule. Cycle World reported a much rougher prototype in June 2024. The October bikes look far closer to a showroom model.

What's still speculation

The engine is the big one. The outlets expect the 947 cc parallel twin from the 990 Duke, which Speedweek lists at 123 PS at 9,500 rpm and 103 Nm at 6,750 rpm in the naked bike. Both Speedweek and ADV Pulse expect the Adventure to get its own tune, trading some top-end power for a stronger torque curve. Nobody has numbers for the adventure version.

The two different prototypes could be separate trim levels along the lines of the S, X and R versions KTM sells elsewhere, but that's the outlets' read, not KTM's. ZigWheels thinks the screen looks like the 8-inch TFT from the 1390 Super Adventure, and both Indian outlets expect tubeless wheels. Weight, seat height, suspension travel and price are all unknown.

Where it fits in KTM's lineup

Speedweek and Motorrad & Reisen report that the 990 Adventure will replace the current 890 Adventure and sit between the 1390 Super Adventure and a revamped 790 Adventure. KTM's U.S. adventure lineup still lists the 890 Adventure R and no 990. For context, the 890 Adventure R uses an 889 cc twin rated at 105 PS and 100 Nm, with a $16,299 base MSRP. If the reports are right, the 990 brings a bigger engine, a new fuel layout and a lighter-looking tail to that slot.

It's a busy season for spy-shot middleweights. BMW is testing its own middleweight GS, though that bike looks much further from production.

When it could debut

Motorrad Magazin and Speedweek expect the 990 Adventure at dealers for the 2027 season. EICMA runs November 3-8 in Milan, and ZigWheels and BikeDekho both float the show as a likely reveal. KTM's November 3 press conference makes that more plausible, but KTM hasn't confirmed it, so treat EICMA as a possibility, not a date.

Will it come to the U.S.?

None of the outlets have reported on U.S. plans, and KTM isn't talking. KTM does sell the 890 Adventure R here today, so a U.S. version of its replacement would make sense, but that's our opinion, not something KTM has confirmed.

Rider takeaway

If you're shopping for an 890 Adventure R right now, this is worth knowing before you sign. The prototypes point to a bigger twin, a slimmer tail and higher-mounted fuel, and KTM is clearly saving something off-road for November 3. But it's still a test mule. Wait for KTM's own numbers on weight, fuel capacity and price before deciding it's worth the wait.

Sources

FAQ

Has KTM confirmed a new 990 Adventure?
No. The bike has only been seen as a prototype in spy photos by Bernhard M. Höhne. KTM has announced an EICMA press conference on November 3 focused on off-road performance, but it hasn't named any new model.
What engine will the KTM 990 Adventure use?
Outlets expect the 947 cc parallel twin from the 990 Duke, likely with its own tune for more torque. KTM hasn't published any figures for an adventure version.
Will the KTM 990 Adventure be revealed at EICMA 2026?
Possibly. EICMA runs November 3-8 in Milan, and several outlets call it a likely reveal, but KTM hasn't confirmed it. Motorrad Magazin and Speedweek expect it at dealers for the 2027 season.

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