After teasing us earlier in the year, KTM has pulled the covers off the new 890 SMT which aims to be the undisputed king of the supermoto touring segment.
Based on the 890cc LC8c platform and producing 105hp and 100Nm of torque, KTM says the 890 SMT will fill a gap in the KTM lineup that is unfulfilled by the Adventure and Duke model ranges.
While appearing to have a lot in common with the 890 Adventure family, the SMT has been designed with road domination in mind rather than a go-anywhere ability. Rolling stock is the expected 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin PowerGP tyres while the suspension, particularly the rear WP Apex shock, has been revised for a more squat feel and excellent road-holding manners.
Ergonomically the SMT mimics the Adventure line with an 860mm seat height, however, this splits the difference between the two Adventure models as it comes standard as a single-piece unit like the Adventure R but is of the more attainable 860mm height of the base adventure model.
The handlebars fitted to the SMT have six different positions with a 30 mm range of movement, while KTM has also fitted the obligatory steering damper for those more spirited riding situations.
In one of the biggest physical changes from the Adventure design, KTM has redesigned the fuel tank, with the SMT tank being trimmed down to 15.8 litres (down from the 20 litres of the ADV models) with the new tank also shifting the SMT’s centre of gravity higher. KTM says this makes the SMT easier to flick from corner to corner than its Adventure counterparts. Claimed economy is 4.6 L / 100km, so touring range remains acceptable at approximately 340km going by our rather dodgy math.
KTM has never shied away from adding rider aids to improve performance, and the SMT is no different. Included in the electronics package is three rider modes (Rain, Street, and Sport) along with an optional Track mode. Track mode allows the rider to further tailor the traction control (much like riders can do on the Adventure models) through 10 steps of adjustment.
Cornering ABS is also standard with the SMT honouring its supermoto heritage with a Supermoto Mode to allow the rider to slide the bike around like a proper supermoto machine. This is all controlled through the 5-inch TFT display which also allows for connectivity through the KTMconnect App.
The SMT will also ship with KTM’s controversial DEMO MODE which opens up the use of the bike’s optional features including quickshifter, cruise control and Motor Slip Regulation for the first 1500km before the rider is forced to decide if they want to spend the money to keep the features or not.
While KTM NZ is yet to announce local pricing and availability, KTM has already confirmed that the American market will not be seeing the SMT in 2023.