I get nervous when I hear a manufacturer seemingly create a solution to a problem that doesn't exist – or, at least, one I wasn't aware of in the first place. Who knew that the world needs a Supermoto Tourer? KTM did, evidently, and the 890 SMT is proof that all along, the world has been missing a motorbike with words in its description that couldn't be more diametrically opposed if they tried. I freely admit to making an inevitable comparison in my head between the KTM 890 SMT and the Ducati Hypermotard, so let me tackle this straightaway… there isn't a comparison. Put that out of your head now, because while the SMT does have the same fundamental architecture as the Hypermotard, it is far more versatile.
For a quick refresher, the SMT isn't a new concept by KTM, but it has been absent from the range for a decade, so you could be forgiven for not being aware that it has dabbled with a Supermoto Tourer before. The 990 SMT used the 990cc V-twin engine from KTM's 990 SuperMoto, allowing KTM to have a go at the adventure market, but with a different slant. After all, why does ‘Adventuring’ have to mean 19-inch wheels, sometimes knobbly tyres, panniers, and enough excess weight to make having any actual fun on tarmac – as well as mile munching – physically impossible?
The original SMT made about 115bhp and weighed 198kg, which, coincidentally, is within a gnat's chuff of what the 2023 reincarnation of the model's headline numbers are from its 890cc parallel twin engine and steel frame. The original SMT was discontinued in 2013, around the time that the 1290 SuperDuke came along, which eventually spawed the 1290 SuperDuke GT to take care of the long-range yet still fun option. I ran a 1290 SuperDuke GT last year as my Longtermer and loved its all-round capability, but ultimately I was left feeling that much the SuperDuke's magic was dulled by the sheer mass of the GT
