The honest truth
23-year wait
KTM did not make a middleweight twin-cylinder ADV until the 790 Adventure in 2019. From 1996 to 2018, if you wanted a KTM ADV you bought a single (LC4/690) or a heavyweight (950/990/1190/1290). No middleweight twin existed.
What KTM had instead
Singles + heavyweights
KTM philosophy was either go-big (950+) or go-simple (LC4 single). The middleweight twin-cylinder ADV space — where Africa Twin, V-Strom, F-GS lived — was empty for KTM for over two decades.
First real mid-ADV
790 Adventure 2019
The 790 Adventure launched in 2019 was KTM first proper middleweight twin-cylinder ADV ever. The 890 Adventure replaced it in 2021. So the entire lineage is six years old.
Power vs the era
+51 vs LC4bhp
54bhp LC4 → 105bhp 890 Adventure R. The new bike makes nearly twice the power, but more importantly, has 2 cylinders, modern electronics, and proper road manners. Different category.
Closest 250 lineage
LC4 640 Adventure
The LC4 640 Adventure (with which we framed the 1996 column) was a single-cylinder enduro you could ride to the Dakar. It was KTM only ADV. Cyril Despres started his career on one. Brilliant bike — just nothing like the 890.
What this page tells you
Class is young
The middleweight twin-cylinder ADV class — what people now mean by mid-ADV — is younger than smartphones. Yamaha killed the Ténéré in 1996, BMW had only singles, KTM had nothing. The whole class is essentially a 21st-century invention.
Cheapest way in
$2.7k
If you want a KTM ADV with 1996 spec — get an LC4 640 Adventure. Single cylinder, simple, light, surprisingly capable. The actual KTM ADV of the era — just not what we mean by mid-ADV today.
