The all-tarmac adventurer

KTM's SMT is back, and better than ever for 2023

-  Adam 'Chad' Child

KTM 890 SMT

During the late 1990s it became in vogue to swap out your motocrosser’s off-road wheels and tyres for 17-inch road rims and rubber, and then head not for the jumps and berms of the dirt but to the asphalt and kerbs of Cadwell Park or Brands Hatch. The racing was (and, of course, remains) a crazy, hybrid blend of dirt and road that became known as supermoto and, in time, inspired a surplus of exciting bikes by a variety of manufacturers, prime among them being Austrian dirt specialist KTM.

While the majority of production offerings were dedicated, track-focused supermotos – and a whole lot of fun to ride like an idiot – they were also impractical with small fuel tanks, monumentally uncomfortable, relatively crude and only good for going around short, gnarly tracks really fast. However, in 2009 KTM dreamt up the touring supermoto, the 990 SM-T (for SuperMotoTouring), which captured the spirit of a supermoto corner slayer while offering some degree of practicality as well. The idea was that you could take it on holiday, complete with soft panniers, as easily as take it to the track, and while many remember it with great fondness, KTM pulled the plug in 2013 – and that was that. Or rather it was until now, because the SMT is back for 2023.