Prototype 2WD KTM 990 Adventure is plain awesome
Two-wheel drive is not new but it is trick..
THE CONCEPT of a two-wheel drive motorcycle is neither new nor impossible.
In fact, it’s been done dozens of times before – just check out our top ten list of 2WD machines.
But for some reason – be it cost, practicality or weight – it’s just never caught on.
However, one KTM 990 Adventure rider saw the potential in converting his bike to two-wheel drive, in order to give additional control on loose ground and make getting stuck in boggy terrain a thing of the past.
It took mechanical engineer and inventor Guido Koch 10 years to develop Projekt DT-A due to having to design and build an entirely new frame, a new hub-centre steering system up front with its own swing arm, a bespoke CV joint and a means to send engine power to the front wheel.
He kept the original KTM V-twin engine and rear swing arm – but replaced almost everything else with bespoke parts, dropping 40kg from the bike’s stock weight in the process. Firstly, he developed the new frame, which uses the engine as a stressed member and could accommodate the hub-centre steering system, both swingarms and three fuel tanks (with a total capacity of 27l). Next up, he had to develop a complex new CV joint with a 35º steering angle, and the ability to withstand rapid off-road suspension movement.
He designed the two-wheel drive system to kick in when the rear wheel experiences 5% or more slip, but fitted a lever to the bars, which can disengage the front wheel drive at any time.
The completed Projekt DT-A KTM 990 Adventure weighs just 170 kilograms, boasts an incredibly tall seat height of 1000mm, four pot disc brakes at each end and 280 mm of suspension travel front and rear. It made its debut at the IMOT show in February 2018 and Koch is now seeking investors to fund the next step of the project – kits and complete motorcycles based on KTM 990s.
