Updates Coming to the KTM 1090 Adventure

Spy shots from Europe suggest that the KTM 1090 Adventure is getting some updates. The changes appear to be a mix of cosmetic and functional, with the biggest difference on the new model being its front bodywork design.

While giving the KTM 1090 Adventure a bit of a makeover for what we assume will be the 2019 model year, this refresh also seems to include a new fuel tank design, borrowed from the soon-to-be-released KTM 790 Adventure R.

This means that low-slung side-mounted fuel tanks are coming to the KTM 1090 Adventure, which should dramatically help handling and lower the center of gravity on this big ADV bike.

The fairings also seems to incorporate a great deal of wind channeling, which should help decrease wind buffeting for the rider and protect them from the elements. From the looks of the photo above, KTM was still playing around with different fairings shapes, as the parts look easily adjustable/replaceable.

The motor and the tail section appear to go unchanged for this mid-cycle refresh, but we suspect that we will see some changes to the Austrian bike’s cockpit, with the big “fish finder” TFT dash from the 1290 series finding its way down to the 1090 sibling.

Now with a crowded lineup of adventure-touring machines, it will be interesting to see how KTM makes a differentiation between the 1090 model, and its 790 and 1290 siblings. So far, the distinction has been made mostly on price, but maybe the changes seen here can help mark a difference on format as well.

Expect this refreshed version of the KTM 1090 Adventure to debut at next month’s EICMA show in Milan, where we expect to see several more models from KTM’s 2019 lineup debut as well.