Malaysian bikers, rejoice! KTM Motorcycles Malaysia has officially introduced the KTM 890 SMT, widely regarded as one of the naughtiest bikes on the planet.
The SMT continues on the legacy of the 990 SMT from 15 years ago, and is in essence an adventure bike in design but a supermoto at heart. This is the bike for supermoto riders who want to go on an adventure.
Powering the 890 SMT is the same engine as the 890 Duke R – the 899cc LC8c parallel-twin mill engine putting out 105hp at 8000rpm and 100Nm of torque at 6500rpm.
If you’re wondering, the 890 Duke R and 890 Adventure also run on the same engine, though with different state of tune putting out 119hp and 99Nm of torque.
In true supermoto spirit, the 890 SMT is a big, tall bike, with a seat that sits 860mm off the ground, and a ground clearance of 227mm.
Suspension duties are managed by WP Apex suspension all around with 43mm forks providing 180mm of travel with adjustable rebound and compression. The rear monoshock is adjustable for preload and rebound.
KTM says the 890 SMT was developed for sharp handling and this is partially achieved with trick suspension and also a high strength tubular chromoly steel frame with the engine acting as a stressed member to reduce weight and size. The smaller frame also allows for a longer swingarm that is said to improve traction and handling.
As for the subframe, KTM says it is fully loaded to attack the street. The steel trellis subframe was developed to be compact, lightweight and strong enough to carry load.
As for electronics, the new SMT comes with three riding modes – Sport, Rain and Street, a 5-inch TFT display, a standard quickshifter, heated grips and a slipper clutch. Traction Control is managed by a 6D Intertial Measurement Unit. Also standard is Cornering ABS, but being a supermoto at heart, it also has Supermoto ABS that allows the rider to lock the rear wheels when the going gets fun.
Braking duties are managed by J.Juan that grip 17-inch wheels using twin 320mm discs up front with 4-piston radially mounted callipers. At the rear, a 260mm disc is also gripped by a double-piston floating calliper supplied by J.Juan.
The 890 SMT is ultimately built for adventure and as such its 15.8-litre fuel tank offers a range of more than 300km. It is no wonder then that the new SMT is being hailed as the perfect cross between an adventure bike and a street fighter.
The KTM 890 SMT is now in Malaysia for RM101,800.
