The first motorcycle from Bajaj-Triumph partnership will be unveiled later this year and India could be one of the first markets to get the model
It came as a huge disappointment that KTM had shelved the plans to develop a new range of 490 cc motorcycles that would sit below the existing 790 cc series. Ideally, it made perfect sense for developing markets like India considering the performance levels a parallel twin would bring in and not having to dig a deep hole in your pocket.
Moreover, the possibilities of KTM’s high-end motorcycles reaching India are also bleak at least in the near future. The Austrian brand is currently working on the next-generation Duke series, which could hit the Indian market sometime in 2024. In a recent interview with Motorcycle.com, Stefan Pierer, CEO, Chairman of the Executive Board of KTM AG, talked about a variety of things.
Pierer explained the reasons why the 500 cc project, despite being touted to in the works for long, did not make the cut. He said, “The 500 class, for me, is not an interesting category anymore, so we stopped the RC490 because we are bringing the 790 down a little bit. We’re talking about the 690 or 650 – and that’s better for marketing, because more is always better than less! Also, its pricing is always an issue. It’s easier to make a satisfactory price tag with a 650 model compared to a 500. A 500 is an entry-level bike.”
However, he has confirmed that a new 650 cc or 690 cc range based on the 790 cc parallel twin platform is coming, and the discussions over manufacturing it in India at Bajaj’s premises have begun. It is expected to arrive within the next two years and going by KTM’s strategy a naked, a supersport and an adv could come out of it.
Talking about Bajaj Auto’s partnership with Triumph, Pierer noted that the first motorcycle from the joint project was supposed to launch by now. But, due to some changes, it will now happen in Autumn this year.
India could be one of the first countries to get the Bajaj-Triumph lineup as 250 cc and 400 cc series are highly possible. A scrambler and a roadster have already been spotted multiple times in India and abroad.