It is not a hidden fact that KTM is working on a new 490 platform that is going to give birth to new models like the 490 Duke and 490 Adventure. The development of the platform is 100% being carried out by Bajaj Auto at its R&D centre in Pune with the aid of KTM’s R&D staff. While the new motorcycles are expected to break cover in 2022, the upcoming KTM 490 Duke has been digitally imagined by IndianAutosBlog’s in-house artist Shoeb Kalania.
The first look at the KTM 490 Duke rendering would remind you of the 390 Duke. However, if you look closely, you would notice that several design cues have been borrowed from other bigger KTM motorcycles. For example, the subframe looks identical to the one on the KTM 790 Duke. The taillight and rear fender appear to have been taken from the KTM 890 Duke R.
Also Read: New KTM 890 Adventure under development, spied testing overseas
Also, parts like the fuel tank, USD front forks, front fender, wheels, and mainframe are from the KTM 390 Duke. The seat, however, is bigger and should provide the rider with enough room to move around. We can spot the 490 branding on the fuel tank extension as well as under the rear cowl. The headlight unit seems to be much sharper than that of the current 390 Duke and resembles the one used in the 890 Duke R.
While the KTM 490 Duke rendering uses a familiar exhaust, we think the Austrian company might go with a different unit in the final model considering the engine here is a twin-cylinder, unlike the single-cylinder that powers the 390 Duke. The engine of the new 490 platform is similar to the one which we see on the KTM 790 Duke and other similar bikes.
Yes, as we mentioned earlier, the development of the platform is 100% being carried out by Bajaj Auto at its R&D centre in Pune with the help of KTM’s R&D staff, however, KTM is yet to decide whether it would like the Indian two-wheeler giant to manufacture them or not. The production of the KTM 490 Duke and 490 Adventure could be handled by the Austrian company’s partner CFMoto in China, which already makes KTM models based on the 790 platform.
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