Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has made a remarkably strong impact on the motorcycle industry in the Philippines. With the launch of the 390 Duke several years ago, they were greatly responsible for making what locals would consider a high displacement motorcycle, more accessible because of its affordable price. A few years later in 2017, KTM Philippines, under the Ayala Group of Companies, inaugurated a world class manufacturing plant where all 200 and 390 models of the Duke and RC were to be assembled. These bikes would then be distributed both locally and to the surrounding countries.
Despite the global pandemic, KTM remains strong across the globe, and especially in the Philippines. So much so that it has expanded the operations of its manufacturing facility to produce the 790 Duke, 790 Adventure, and 790 Adventure R. This would mark the first time any of these bikes would see production outside of Austria.
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Of course, local production means a significant price cut as opposed to having the bikes imported from Austria. The Austrian built 790 Duke, for instance, was priced at Php 820,000 or around $16,400. The locally manufactured version sees that price drop to Php 599,000 or around $11,980. The 790 Adventure now costs Php 699,000 or around $13,980, and the 790 Adventure R is pegged at Php 749,000, or $14,980.
KTM Philippines has stated that the locally assembled machines will start trickling into showroom floors by July, and that reservation of these bikes is already ongoing. Known the world over for its extremely sharp performance, the 799cc parallel twin LC8 engine found in KTM’s 790 series packs a punchy 105 horsepower for the Duke and 99 horsepower for the Adventure. The bikes are also decked out in tons of sophisticated electronics such as lean sensitive traction control and variou riding modes.
Sources: Top Gear Philippines, MotoPinas