Pierer Confirms 500cc Adventure Bikes for KTM & Husqvarna Coming
KTM CEO reveals 490 Adventure and Husqvarna Norden 501 coming in 2022.
For those of us still waiting for the ideal middleweight adventure bike, KTM Group CEO Stefan Pierer has confirmed a 490 parallel-twin based Adventure model, as well as an alter-ego Husqvarna Norden 501, are definitely on their way.
In an interview with France’s Le Repaire Des Motards, Pierer told journalist Alan Cathcart the Pierer Group, which owns KTM, Husqvarna and recently acquired trails bike marque GasGas, is fully committed to fleshing out the long-neglected middleweight adventure bike market, saying that despite the ongoing global pandemic, his company is actually accelerating production of the 500cc category projects.
Pierer, whose brands have enjoyed an unexpected upswing in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, also cites the crisis as a reason the light- and middleweight all-terrain market is more important than ever, predicting that economic uncertainties will keep consumers from splurging on larger displacement models “for a long time,” though later in the interview he suggests there was already a lull in sales of flagship models like the 1290 Super Adventure R and S.
Big surprise since everyone here already knows “heavier” and “more expensive” aren’t qualities on any adventure rider’s wish list.
As we reported late last year after a Pierer shareholder prospectus documenting a slew of forthcoming light- and middleweight models was made public, the new 500cc mill (based on 790 twin technology) is slated for multiple applications across the Duke and Adventure platforms. However, since the images in that document were intentionally blurred, there was no real clue given as to the bikes’ spec level.
This more recent scoop doesn’t go much further to address the more important question of the KTM 490 Adventure’s or Husqvarna Norden 501’s prowess. Hopefully they will be more off-road leaning than the recently launched 390 adventure. Can you say: “Pretty please, with 21/18-inch spoked wheels and long-travel suspension?”
Pierer did say he expects the 490 and 501 to land as 2022 models, so we have at least a year to wait before seeing the real thing. In the meantime, KTM’s new 390 Adventure — an answer to many a newbie’s prayer — is also scoring big points with adventure riders.
All of Pierer Group’s sub-600cc models are manufactured in partnership with Bajaj Auto Ltd. in Pune, India, a savvy partnership that has catapulted the European-based brands into broader global markets, while positively affecting consumer costs, even here in the States.
Also confirmed as a 2022 model is the RTW-ready Husky Norden 901, which Pierer says will be very true to the adventure-based concept bike unveiled at the EICMA show last year. That “new” 890 twin, actually a pumped-up version of the 790 adventure mill, will likely be applied across the platform, perhaps as early as model year 2021.
As for GasGas, which has also seen an uptick in sales under Pierer’s magic touch, it will be held true to its off-road roots. Pierer says he’s applying the same successful strategy he used for Husqvarna, creating brand new GasGas models that use existing KTM engine platforms, though in this case of GasGas, models will be limited to enduro and motocross applications.
With so many markers across the board the KTM empire will undoubtedly continue its winning streak, though in the end it’s the consumer, finally awash in a full array of choices, who’s sure to reap the ultimate benefit.
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Soooo T7… or wait? In any case, this is good news for adventure riders.
As an ex husky vitplien 701 owner, if the new bike is riddled with the same problems as the 701 vitplien I will definitely pass. They still have yet to come up with a fix for a known gas leak issue people have been complaining about since the Vitpilen release. We are talking about a 12k motorcycle that they recently dropped in price. That’s unforgivable.
I’m eagerly waiting for the 490 SMC R though.
I intend to slap on Scorpion Rally STR from time to time for my Offroad jaunts.
Very interesting looking bike and a potential replacement for my current bike. It looks good, apart from the color sceme, and i hope it’s a lightweight and that it doesn’t have too much electronic gadgets and buttons on the handle bar (disastrous in the winter periods). The fairing looks like it protects the engine and rider, which is nice during the winter. Should come standard with a luggage rack.
If there was a Kawasaki “Ronin” neo-classic 270° twin 800~900cc, decent Showas, with retro Dakar lines like this and a fire breathing Kawa engine – i’d buy the Kawasaki in a blink for reliability. But Kawasaki seems to be asleep while the Adv revolution rages around it? for god sake loose the versys name it’s a fail.
sure Norden may be cool – but the price in AU will be just too high. Like all Mattighofen bikes it will never make No1 in ADV sales in AU charts where even the DR650 kicks the ugly 790 in the guts, and the Tenere 700 is smashing the sales charts.
Still waiting for either a gen3 Kawasaki KLR650 Bighorn (with big dick power) or new Honda XR650R in rally trim.
I love motorcycles just like the next guy but honestly, how many different CC’d adventure bikes do we need? 390’s, 500’s, 650’s, 690’s, 800’s, 1000’s, 1100’s, 1300’s. Is there really that big of a difference from a 500 to 700? People need to concentrate more on mastering their skill on two wheels rather than what CC feels better.
There is a 200 lb / 90kg difference between my 500 enduro and a 790 R. A 500 adventure better be 70 to 100 lbs less than a 790. If 50 lbs / 22kg difference not worth looking at, despite any cost savings.
Different countries, different tax codes.
Is there any good proof of KTM launching the 890 Adv R in MY2021? I just put my current bike for sale
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Fast forward to January 2022. We have the 901 Norden but nothing more has materialized for the 501 Norden. My guess is it has been pushed out +2yrs to reduce any competition with the 901.