What If KTM Built a UTV?

KTM is no stranger to life on four wheels. Back in 2008, the Australian motorcycle manufacturer lost its mind and pulled the sheets off the X-Bow (pronounced: crossbow) at the Geneva Motor Show. A low-slung, track-ready carbon fiber weapon, the mid-engine, open-top car is some of the most fun you can have on pavement. But KTM made its name in the dirt, producing world-class bikes and netting a stack of Paris-Dakar wins for its efforts. All this got us thinking: What if KTM did the logical thing, and built a UTV?

The parts are already there. KTM currently builds a spectacular liquid-cooled engine that would be right at home behind the seats of a side-by-side. The KTM 1290 Adventure R gets around with a 1,301cc V-twin that puts down 160 hp. That’s with a stack of pesky emissions controls and without any sort of forced induction. Engineers could go the easy route and adapt the bike’s six-speed sequential gearbox for UTV duty, or the company could scratch up its own gearbox. If that sounds insane, remember that the Honda Talon borrows its driveline from the Africa Twin adventure motorcycle.

On the chassis front, KTM has decades of experience building strong, lightweight motorcycle frames. That experience should translate directly into building a solid UTV chassis that tips the scales much lighter than current competitors. A curb weight in the 1,300-pound dry range shouldn’t be out of the question, especially given the company’s carbon fiber knowledge.

KTM has long borrowed from industry partners, so we’d expect Brembo brakes on all four corners along with WP Suspension shocks and springs. The machine would borrow the gorgeous TFT gauge display from the 1290, along with high-quality LED lighting throughout. This machine would be right at home in the wide-open desert. Will they build it? Here’s hoping.