Day one at EICMA 2026, I worked my way through the whole KTM stand, front to back. A 187 hp sport-tourer, a rally bike that stole my heart, the little Dukes, the off-road range the brand was built on. And somewhere in there I glanced at a completely new motorcycle and figured it was some dressed-up 390. The next day I had to admit it: that bike is a sensation, and I’d missed it because nobody had bothered to explain what it actually was.

What gets me every time with KTM is the sheer spread. Singles, twins, 125 cc all the way to 1390 cc. Whatever kind of riding you do, Mattighofen has something for it.

The 1390 Super Duke GT wins the race to the top of the pass

First thing I see is the 1390 Super Duke GT, and first thing I notice on it is the dash. The 8.8” touchscreen TFT is a monster, a wide-screen cinema with offline navigation built in. There’s still a new SP Connect mount for your phone, too. The GT EVO has no clutch lever at all, because KTM’s AMT automated manual lets you shift yourself or leave it in full auto. Add 187 hp, semi-active WP suspension and the full electronics package.

Here’s the blunt version: if you want to embarrass your buddies and be first to the top of the pass, you buy this bike. No way around it. The GT has always been stupid fast, and this one won’t be any different. KTM says it reaches dealers in early 2027, a good two years after it was first shown at EICMA 2024.

KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE GT and GT EVO in a manufacturer press photo

Why the GT makes bad decisions feel easy

Every time I’ve ridden the GT, the devil on my shoulder won. Here’s the dangerous part: the engine picks up clean and smooth, the wind protection is good, and once you’re rolling, the speed just doesn’t feel dramatic. The only dramatic thing is the acceleration, and that’s brutal. Then you’re flowing through the bends and you’re always going a lot faster than it feels like.

Truth be told: you need to have your head screwed on to ride this thing, so you’re not doing something dumb all day long. For me it’s one of the most fascinating new bikes in the sport-touring class. Right next to it sits its sister, the 1390 Super Duke R, with a similar dash and Brembo HyPure calipers. Without the fairing it looks a lot more compact, and the pull it has on people hasn’t faded one bit.

The 690 Rally is my dream bike for the TET

One bike on this stand hit me right in the heart: the 690 Rally. Not everyone knows the backstory. For years, aftermarket outfits like Rade Garage made a living turning the 690 Enduro into a rally bike. Now KTM does it from the factory. The big change is fuel, 5.3 gal in total. The single makes 78 hp, and it reportedly weighs 356 lbs without fuel. I looked those numbers up online right there at the stand, which tells you everything about my prep.

So why does this bike get me? For me, the 690 enduros are still the sweet spot: hard-enduro ability with the range and comfort of an adventure bike. It’s a lot lighter than a Tuareg or a Ténéré 700, and the suspension can take more of a beating. In rally trim, that’s a dream bike for the Trans Euro Trail or the Hellas Rally. In Austria it costs €14,499.

KTM 690 RALLY in a manufacturer press photo

From the 390 Adventure to the 1390 Super Adventure

Walk the stand once and you see how wide the adventure range is. There’s the Adventure as a 390 and a 790, and the Rally as a 690: single, twin, single. Pick your world. I climb onto the 390 Adventure. It’s more compact, smaller, and you still get decent wind protection. Full adventure feeling from a little single with 44 hp.

New for 2027, according to KTM, is a left-hand switch cube that lets you activate optional cruise control, meant to take the sting out of long highway stretches. The 790 Adventure switches to a new black look instead of orange and white. And at the top, the way it always is at KTM, the range runs all the way to the 1390 Super Adventure. There’s a bike for every kind of riding here, and that’s this brand’s real strength.

KTM 390 ADVENTURE R in a manufacturer press photo

The small Duke is still a do-it-all bike

Then I go hunting for the Duke. Across the small singles, KTM rolls out new colors and fresh styling, the SMC and Enduro models with 125 and 390 cc included. The 125 Duke shows you what’s always made the Duke work: if you’re on the tall side, you still find room, and if you’re shorter, the integrated seating position gets your feet down nicely. That makes it a do-it-all bike a lot of people can use, with a feel somewhere between a supermoto and a naked bike.

Right next to it sits a 790 Duke that somebody loaded up with the PowerParts catalog like they checked every box: bling on the metal bits, different mirrors, the works. If you like making a bike your own, there’s plenty to play with.

The KTM 790 Duke fitted with PowerParts accessories, anodized metal parts and alternative mirrors at EICMA 2026 in Milan.

Why the 790 Duke is easy and still exciting

KTM calls the 2027 790 Duke the biggest update in the model’s life. The 799 cc parallel twin stays, with 64 lb-ft. The full version makes 104 hp; in Europe it’s sold as a lower-power version that also covers the beginner license there. New are KTM’s own in-house WP brakes, adjustable WP APEX suspension, a more open bar bend and styling borrowed from the 990 Duke.

What’s always been good on this bike is how well the electronics are tied together. Engine mapping, quickshifter, traction control and ABS all work in harmony. That’s what makes the 790 friendly and easy, and still exciting. It’s a bike you simply like spending time on. In Austria it costs €9,799.

KTM 790 DUKE in a manufacturer press photo

The 450 RC is a whole new world for KTM

And now the embarrassing part. On day one I saw the 450 RC and just didn’t get what it was. I thought it was some built-up 390. Back at the stand the next day, it finally clicked: it’s a brand-new twin-cylinder sportbike. The 450 engine reportedly comes from a CFMOTO platform, which uses a similar engine in its own 450s. As a KTM it gets in-house WP brakes, adjustable WP APEX suspension, a single-sided swingarm and a 5” TFT. The China-market version reportedly makes 55 hp at 370 lbs ready to ride.

The sign says “please do not touch.” I sit on it anyway, very carefully. The stand display reads Coming 2027, but KTM says production starts in late 2027 as a 2028 model, so don’t hold your breath for spring. Light as a feather, good parts, a great little dash. This is going to be something.

KTM 450 RC at EICMA 2026 in Milan

Want to make it up the Erzberg? Ride the 300

If off-road isn’t really your thing, it’s easy to forget how deep KTM still goes there. Motocross, enduro, displacement options without end: for 2027 the enduro range runs from the 125 XC-W to the 500 EXC-F, with new graphics and unchanged tech. Plenty of brands are trying to build enduros. But if you want the best shot at making it to the top of the Erzberg, you take the 300. Nothing else to say.

Even in KTM’s worst crisis years, those bikes sold well and were hard to get. For many, many years they’ve been the go-to for extreme enduro riders. Over at sister brand Husqvarna I don’t spot anything dramatically new, and the stand looks smaller than it used to. KTM’s roots in the dirt still carry the whole brand. Especially in motocross: for 2027 KTM ships a bike that’s closer to the factory race bikes than ever, with oval pistons and crazy power. I talked about it in another video interview with Gottfried Neumeister, but more on that later. Here’s the link to the 2027 KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition.

What does it cost in the US?

Some of this is already in American showrooms. US media and dealer listings put the 2027 690 Rally at $14,199 MSRP. The 2027 790 Duke launched at $9,799 plus $800 destination, and some dealers now list it at $8,999. The 2027 1390 Super Duke R EVO reportedly holds at $22,149, same as the 2026 bike.

The rest is still open. KTM says the 1390 Super Duke GT and GT EVO hit dealers in early 2027, but there’s no US price yet and no official European price either. For the 2027 390 Adventure R there’s no US price; dealers list the current one at $7,699. And the 450 RC? KTM North America hasn’t confirmed it for the US at all. In Europe it’s a 2028 model.

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