The first of KTM’s 500cc lineup is expected to be ready by 2022. This isn’t exactly new information for those who have been following the space, but it is the first time that we have heard it from the horse’s mouth.
This is because KTM CEO Stefan Pierer sat down with journalist Sir Alan Cathcart, and discussed the new models (you can read his full interview on Motoring World) and several other items in an expansive interview.
There is quite a lot of buzz going on right now regarding KTM’s upcoming 490 series of motorcycles – some of it is new information coming to the light, but most of it just rehashing old stories to fill in a dearth of headlines.
So, we figure we would sort wheat from chaff, and share everything we know and suspect so far from KTM’s next engine platform, and put it into one place for our A&R Pro subscribers.
There is a treasure trove of information coming out of the Pierer Mobility group today, as the Austrian conglomerate has posted an investor presentation to its website, which tips more than a few upcoming models and ideas.
As such, we will be diving through all the information that has become available, and first up is the product road map for the KTM motorcycle lineup, which confirms the rumors we have been hearing about a 490 platform.
A little over 10 months ago, we brought you the first news about KTM’s planned mid-sized lineup, with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer spilling the beans that his company was working on a new 500cc twin-cylinder platform.
Now it seems, the first of these “490” models is getting close to prime time, and we can expect five motorcycles in total to come from this new parallel-twin lineup.