KTM at EICMA 2026: AMT for the Super Duke GT, a sharper Super Duke R and a 2027 refresh across the range
Motorcycle News ·
After sitting out recent shows while the company restructured, KTM is back at EICMA, and it’s not being shy about it. “Back on the grid” is the slogan on Hall 22, and the orange stand is carrying a 2027 line-up that runs from 125cc learner bikes to the 1390 Super Duke.
Most of the range gets an update rather than a clean sheet, but there are two stories worth your attention: a clutchless sports-tourer, and a surprise supersport that KTM kept under wraps until the show.
1390 Super Duke GT and GT EVO: the Beast learns to tour, and to shift itself
The new Super Duke GT was first shown at EICMA 2024, and after a long wait it finally reaches dealers in early 2027. KTM calls it a complete redesign of the old 1290-based GT, and the touring kit is the focus: an 8.8-inch TFT with offline map navigation built in, a standard adjustable screen, an integrated SP Connect phone mount and a reworked seat.
The headline is the GT EVO, which adds KTM’s Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). There’s no clutch lever. You either let the bike shift itself or flick through the gears manually. Honda proved with DCT that plenty of touring riders want exactly that, and Yamaha’s Y-AMT and BMW’s ASA show the rest of the industry agrees. For a 1390cc V-twin built for covering big distances, it makes a lot of sense.
1390 Super Duke R and R EVO: sharper brakes, smarter dash
KTM’s naked flagship doesn’t need more power, and it doesn’t get any. Instead, the 2027 Super Duke R and R EVO get the new 8.8-inch touchscreen TFT with a faster, cleaner interface, new handlebar switchgear, updated Brembo HyPure brake calipers that KTM says stop harder, and two new colourways. KTM hasn’t published new performance figures, so expect the familiar 1,350cc LC8 V-twin numbers to carry over.
390 Adventure R and Adventure X: cruise control for the little adventure bikes
The 390 Adventure R gets a new left-hand switch block that makes cruise control available as an option. That’s unusual at this capacity and genuinely useful on long gravel highways. The more road-focused 390 Adventure X gets two new colour schemes and a TFT dash, and KTM says it will be available from around December.
790 Adventure, supermotos and enduros: new colours
The rest of the update is cosmetic:
- 790 Adventure: a single new black colourway replaces the orange and white options.
- 390 SMC R and 390 Enduro R: refreshed styling and new colours.
- 125 SMC and 125 Enduro: new colours for the learner and youth models.
- 450 SX-F and 250 SX-F Factory Editions: listed among KTM’s upcoming launches, carrying the usual race-team upgrades for motocross.
The surprise: a 2028 KTM 450 RC
The surprise turned out to be a road bike, not an off-roader. At its EICMA press conference on 3 November, KTM unexpectedly showed the 450 RC, a new twin-cylinder supersport aimed at the entry and mid-capacity sportbike class. KTM lists adjustable WP APEX suspension with a 43mm fork and a single-sided swingarm, cornering ABS with a Supermoto mode, and a 5-inch TFT, and says production is planned for late 2027 as a 2028 model. Full specifications and market availability will come later.
KTM’s 2027 line-up at a glance
- 1390 Super Duke GT / GT EVO: all-new sports-tourer · 8.8-inch TFT with offline maps · adjustable screen · SP Connect mount · EVO adds clutchless AMT · dealers early 2027
- 1390 Super Duke R / R EVO: 8.8-inch touchscreen TFT · new switchgear · updated Brembo HyPure brakes · two new colours
- 390 Adventure R: new switch block with optional cruise control
- 390 Adventure X: two new colours and a TFT · from around December
- 790 Adventure, 390 SMC R, 390 Enduro R, 125 SMC, 125 Enduro: new colours and styling
- 2028 450 RC: surprise twin-cylinder supersport · WP APEX suspension · cornering ABS · production planned for late 2027
- Australia and NZ: pricing and arrival dates not yet announced
The RiderMates take
This isn’t the all-new line-up some fans were hoping for. The comments on KTM’s own teaser were full of riders asking about the 990 Adventure and a new 790. But it’s a sensible comeback from a company that has spent the past year getting its house in order. Cruise control on a 390 Adventure is a real-world upgrade for Aussie and Kiwi riders who do long gravel stints, and the Super Duke GT EVO’s AMT puts KTM straight into the clutchless touring fight.
KTM Australia and KTM New Zealand haven’t confirmed local pricing or timing yet. We’ll add them when they do, along with full details of the 450 RC as KTM releases them.
Sources: KTM press release (27 October 2026), KTM EICMA 2026 page, Tarmac Life, Motorcycles.news. Images: KTM.
