KTM 790 Adventure Price Starts at $12,499 for the USA

The middleweight adventure-touring segment is hot right now, with a bevy of brands bringing new machines to market right now.

Leading that charge has been KTM, with the company finally releasing its two-pronged ADV attack with the KTM 790 Adventure and KTM 790 Adventure R motorcycles.

Packed with features, and touted to have high-performance, we knew the KTM was going to get aggressive on the pricing of its 790 models, and now we know how aggressive those price tags will be in the USA.

With pricing leaked on the KTM Twins forum, we can see that the KTM 790 Adventure will cost $12,499 MSRP, while the KTM 790 Adventure R will come in at $13,499 MSRP.

Both of those price tags are basically at the bottom-end of the pricing spectrum for their respective segments (only the bare-bones Triumph Tiger 800 XR comes in cheaper), but the magic of the KTM 790 Adventure lineup is that the Austrians have laden these machines with a ton of features.

In terms of electronics, both bikes are equipped with IMU-assisted cornering ABS and traction control, the ABS can be turned off or it can operate with the rear-wheel ABS disengaged (as it should be).

There are also three riding modes standard on both bikes, with a fourth “Rally” mode available on the base model, which comes standard on the R bike. The dash is handled by a 5″ TFT display.

Both variants of the KTM 790 Adventure come with WP suspension, but the differ slightly in their purpose and equipment.

The base model is equipped with the APEX 43mm front fork, which offers 7.87″ (200mm) of travel, and rear shock with 7.87″ (200mm) of travel.

On the KTM 790 Adventure R though, the front forks are the WP Suspension XPLOR pieces, with 9.5″ (240mm) of travel. Matching that, the rear shock also has 9.5″ (240mm) of travel.

One of the big visual elements on the 790 Adventure are the low-slung fuel tanks, which are surely going to improve handling on the already featherweight machine. As you can see in our charts below, the KTM 790 Adventure R stands 50+ lbs lighter than its nearest competitor.

Moving across the chart, it is hard not to find a spec-sheet dimension where the KTM doesn’t lead, but it is the price per performance matrix that really sets the KTM 790 Adventure and KTM 790 Adventure R apart.

KTM is able to achieve this by developing the 790 platform, which already includes the KTM 790 Duke, and is expected to include other models in the coming years.

The Austrian brand has also found savings by planning to move the 790 production to China for the 2020 model year, as it partners with CFMoto.

There are already rumblings from the ADV crowd about riding a “Made in China” motorcycle, though that may be without the realization of how many parts for European brands are already made on the Asian continent already.

We expect that when it comes time to see money put where peoples’ mouths are, the Chinese production will be less of an issue…especially if the early ride reports are as positive as the spec-sheet (expect press reviews closer to this summer).

KTM has made its business on being the “Ready to Race” dirt bike brand, and the Austrians have taken over the ADV segment with six adventure-touring bikes, ranging from the KTM 690 Enduro R to the KTM 1290 Adventure R.

As such, the 790 bikes allow KTM to leave no quarter in this hot two-wheeled space, and one thing is for certain: no one is still thinking about the late-to-the-party Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Spec-Sheet Comparison of Off-Road ADV Motorcycles:

Spec-Sheet Comparison of On-Road Motorcycles:

Source: KTM Twins