KTM has revealed that there will be an Adventure variant that uses the mental 1290 Super Duke R's engine. Whether it will be able to do burnouts and pop wheelies as well depends mostly on the rider's proclivity to contain his inner hooligan.
The 1290 twin makes 180bhp in the Super Duke R, but we can't imagine needing that much power in an adventure touring motorcycle, so the obvious move for KTM will be to lower that figure and spread the torque more evenly for better touring. The fairing has also been changed to accomodate the engine, with larger air vents and a redesigned front cowl. Thankfully, spoked rims remain, eschewing the alloy-wheeled route most big adventure motorcycles are taking today. That engine also means that ABS, motorcycle stability control and traction control will need to be standard on the 1290 Super Adventure - a blessing, should you choose to switch those tarmac tyres for knobblies.
The 1290 Super Adventure seems ready to ride off into the sunset, so it will be a safe assumption that we'll get our first official glimpse of the motorcycle at Intermot or EICMA, held in October and November respectively. Sales should begin in early 2015.
