KTM confirmed it will reveal a new 890 SMT model, adding a new supermoto-inspired middleweight sport-tourer to its 2023 lineup. Spy photos of a prototype popped up last October and again in January, and we now know the new SMT will be revealed on April 24.
The last model to bear the name was the 990 SMT, which was discontinued in 2013. After a whole decade, the SMT will return, presumably using the same engine that powers the 890 Adventure and 890 Duke.
A slightly over-the-top press release heralds the impending launch of the 890 SMT, emphasizing its role as a sport-touring alternative to adventure and naked motorcycles. The press release reads:
Put your credit card back in the wallet. Don’t click on that “BUY” button. Hold that order a little longer. We’ve got a treat planned.
24th of April 2023, sees the return of the popular KTM SMT.
Unique character. Addictive power. A Sport Tourer with a throttle-blast. KTM is proud to have taken the SMT, shaken the formula and added some READY TO RACE magic. These Adventure motorcycles and Naked bikes have had their own way for far too long. It’s time to turn over the tarmac once again with a classic.
It’s not fake news, the SMT is coming back, hell yeah!
Both the video and KTM’s teaser site show an illustration of the 890 SMT in a mock website article. A cropped version appears above, but you can see a larger version of it here (along with the fake site’s vaguely familiar-looking menu bar…), matching much of what the spy photos depicted, with the addition of a beak-style fender. The spy photos suggest the 890 SMT will employ a similar chassis as the Adventure model, but with cast wheels and a smaller version of KTM’s saddlebag-shaped fuel tank that ends just behind the radiator shrouds.
Additionally, a poster on Reddit shared what appears to be a screenshot from KTM’s dealer portal revealing more specific details. These include a claimed output of 77 kW (103 hp) at 8 000 rpm and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft.) at 6,500 rpm, both figures about the same as the 890 Adventure. Also listed are 17-inch wheels, 7.1 inches of suspension travel (front and rear), and dedicated ergonomics. The alleged screenshot also mentions a rebound and compression-adjustable fork and a preload-adjustable rear shock.
We’ve still got a ways to go before the April 24 launch date. With such a long lead time, we wouldn’t be surprised if KTM releases a few more teasers between now and then.
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