Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM, has shared some very fascinating details in an interview with French publication Le Repaire des Motards. The biggest takeaway is the sub-500cc parallel-twin motorcycle on which KTM works alongside Bajaj.
KTM 500cc Twin Cylinder
- KTM working on a 500cc parallel-twin engine
- KTM CEO unveils the first bike to be launched in 2022.
- The Bajaj Auto’s R&D center in Pune is designing a new 2 cylinders.
Also Read: 5 Most Anticipated Bike Launches of This Year – TVS Zeppelin to RE Meteor
The first 500cc KTM motorcycle is scheduled to be released in 2022 but is expected to make its debut at EICMA next year, to be built at Bajaj’s R&D facility in Pune. The latest engine will drive various motorcycles like the Duke, RC, Adventure and even the Husqvarna.
With the launch of the 790 Duke, KTM joined last year’s premium segment after establishing its position in the affordable performance sector. In the meantime, the Austrian company also talks about the 790 Adventure later this year during the holiday season. However, CEO Stefan Pierer recently shared with the French publication Le Repaire the biggest news of KTM so far this year. For 500cc parallel twin bikes, KTM will launch the first one in 2022. In 2021, this latest platform is scheduled to debut at EICMA worldwide.
A new engine with a range of motorcycles including Adventure will be offered.
How are we familiar with the platform?
News that the platform was under development was first made clear in late 2018, when Pierer learned that it was being built to match Japanese products with a similar range. Pierer has now revealed, with the support of KTM engineers, that the platform is being developed fully in Bajaj R&D in Pune. He continued by saying that, even in a 500cc version, the engine architecture would be identical to the current model 790 and 890.
Also Read: Gixxer 250 from BS6 Suzuki and Gixxer SF 250 from India
Pierer has also revealed that the 500cc platform will feature multiple models around the KTM and the Husqvarna brands, much like the current platforms.
When to expect the Bikes launch?
Pierer said the brand is actually accelerating the project’s development following the effects of the coronavirus. This is due to the economic effects of the pandemic that demand for small and medium capacity bikes will increase in the near future than for large capacity machines. But only 2022 expects the first motorcycles of this kind. Unless we adopted KTM standard schedules, we might expect a 2021 EICMA prototype adopted by a 2022 EICMA launch. And the bike can only begin to enter showrooms by the beginning of 2023. But, because the bike possibly is fully assembled in India, it may be one of the first markets to get the bikes.
Despite of our experience of the powerful 790 Duke, this latest engine can very well build new benchmarks. And just like before KTM could have another game-changer at its disposal with locally developed versions. It’s definitely something to expect and it will be worth waiting for “as per the report done by autocarindia.com”.