The highly anticipated entry-level Bajaj adventure tourer / dual sport has been spotted out in the wild yet again. The fresh spotting captured near Pune offers a far clearer look at the motorcycle’s overall proportions, riding stance, and hardware package than previous sightings.
While Bajaj Auto has been manufacturing adventure bikes for KTM for years, the company has never actually offered a purpose-built ADV under its own line up. That is all about to change, as Bajaj previously confirmed plans to introduce an all-new sub-brand for adventure bikes alongside a wider rollout of eight new motorcycles across the 125cc to 250cc segment.
This production-ready test mule seems to have finalized body panels, finalised seating layouts, and luggage mounting points. Rumours suggest a launch could happen around the Indian festive period, towards the end of 2026, or perhaps by early 2027.
Adventure/ Dual Sport Focused Design and Cycle Parts
Despite wearing heavy camouflage, the test prototype clearly points toward practical adventure touring duties rather than being an out-and-out off-roader. It shows off a proper dual-sport look with a front beak fender, a bikini fairing, a fuel tank with extensions, a high positioned handlebar, and an upright riding stance. The rider triangle looks perfectly set up for long-distance commutes, whilst still allowing the rider to stand comfortably during light off-road riding.
The spy pics also show a long single-piece seat with adequate space for a pillion, even with a sizeable rear top box fitted to a robust rear carrier structure. This emphasis on luggage-carrying accessories highlights how much focus Bajaj is putting on everyday utility.
Chassis, Suspension, and Wire-Spoke Wheels
The motorcycle rides on a wire-spoke wheels setup wrapped in dual-purpose tyres. They could be tubeless in the way Bajaj KTM have given the 390 Adventure R with inner taped adhesives to make it tubeless. It seems the ADV is running a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel combination. This setup is standard practice for balancing road comfort and trail use on low-displacement dual sports.
The hardware package includes:
- An offset front telescopic suspension fork with long-travel capabilities.
- A linked-tyre rear mono-shock unit.
- Generous ground clearance to tackle rough terrain.
- A sleek rear profile featuring a compact tail section and a signature split-LED tail-lamp cluster.
The Engine Dilemma: KTM Underpinnings or Pulsar Power?
The exact power plant sitting inside the upcoming adventure motorcycle remains a major talking point. Interestingly, the test prototype initially was spied testing alongside the Bajaj Pulsar N250, fuelling early speculation that the bike might borrow the street-fighter’s 249cc air/oil-cooled engine. The presence of cooling air fins on one of the test mules certainly backs up the theory of an air/oil-cooled construction, and if Bajaj uses this sub-250cc engine, they will likely tweak the final drive ratio to better suit an ADV application.
However, sources close to the development also state that the bike could be based on a KTM single-cylinder engine platform. If Bajaj borrows the 249cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine from the KTM 250 Adventure, the bike could pump out a top power in excess of 30 bhp (around 31 PS) and a peak torque of 25 Nm, all mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Of course, the possibility of Bajaj developing its own unique platform entirely cannot be ruled out just yet.
Premium Features and Expected Price Bracket
On the technology front, the prototype comes equipped with a projector headlamp and a fully digital instrument cluster. Once it hits production, the bike is expected to feature a full-LED lighting package, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation support, and switchable dual-channel ABS.
When it officially arrives in the Indian market, the new Bajaj ADV will find itself aiming squarely at established rivals like the Hero Xpulse 210, Kawasaki KLX230, Suzuki V-Strom SX, Yezdi Adventure, and potentially models like the TVS Apache RTX 300, Scram and Himalayan 440.
Depending on which engine platform Bajaj chooses to go with, the pricing could go one of two ways. If they play the value card with an air/oil-cooled motor, they could price the bike aggressively in the Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 1.70 lakh (ex-showroom) bracket. On the other hand, if it gets the premium liquid-cooled KTM architecture, the entry-level variant might start from Rs 1.9 lakh.
