It's no secret that KTM is developing a range of middleweight V-twins to fill the gap in its on-road model lineup. In fact, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told journalists at last fall's EICMA show in Milan that new middleweights were in the works.
Currently, the Austrian company bookends the displacement spectrum with its asphalt models. In Europe, that includes 125cc single-cylinder models such as the RC 125/125 Duke, and also the coming-to-the-US-for-2015 373cc 390 Duke and RC 390. At the other end of the range are the mammoth 1301cc-powered Super Duke R and new-for-2015 Super Adventure. Currently, KTM’s only true middleweights are the 690cc singles that power the 690 Duke and 690 Enduro.
Pierer has indicated that KTM is working on a range of twins between 600 and 800cc. This would allow KTM to go head-to-head with bikes such as BMW's 800cc parallel twins (GS, GT) Triumph's 675/800cc triples (Tiger, Daytona, Street Triple), Kawasaki's 649cc parallel twins (Versys, Ninja), as well as Yamaha's FZ-07 and FZ-09.
The new V-twins would help bolster KTM's lineup and also be available to a resurgent Husqvarna. But KTM North America's president, Jon-Erik Burleson, says Husky will quickly start to distinguish itself from its orange stable mates. "It will really become clear what our vision is for the Husqvarna brand," said Burleson. "It will be a real dedicated product line that has a very strong connection with heritage and premium innovation."
Bikes such as the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto utilize an existing engine platform, but a new middleweight would open the door to a whole new world of possibilities. Stay tuned for more news as it breaks. Meantime, let the spy photos featured here, which show a 690 Enduro being tested alongside a BMW F800GS, serve as proof that KTM—and Husky—are venturing into the middleweight segment soon.
