KTM has announced that KTM 390 Adventure and Pro Moto XC athlete Ashish Raorane have set the fastest known time record from Batal to Kunzum La, and have been bestowed with the title of ‘Kunzum Kaiser’.
Ashish, who was on the KTM 390 Adventure went head-to-head with 11-time Raid de Himalaya winner, Suresh Rana, and his Rally-spec championship car on a high-speed face off for the crown of Kunzum Kaiser. Read more to know about the world’s highest hill climb challenge.
The World’s Highest Hill Climb Challenge is a 12.5 km treacherous mountain pass stretch from Batal (4000 m) to Kunzum La (4551 m) with 20 hairpin bends. The average temperature is about -5 degree Celsius. Suresh Rana started the race in his car with a blistering pace but unfortunately had to bow out of the challenge due to engine block damage that took place on turn 18.
A champion athlete and his championship car “DNF” due to engine failure was a testament to the difficulty of the challenge. However, till turn 18, the time Suresh hit was an amazing 11 minutes 49 seconds. Next up was Ashish Raorane on the KTM 390 Adventure. He pushed the machine to its limits and continued to lead the time on every turn.
He reached the Kunzum La finish line at an impressive time of 13 minutes and 4 seconds. Ashish Raorane has set the fastest known time record for the hill climb challenge. Mechanically, the KTM 390 Adventure is powered by a 373cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine as its Duke and RC siblings. It produces 43bhp of power at 9000rpm and 37Nm of peak torque at 7000rpm and is paired with a six-speed gearbox.
Thoughts About KTM 390 Adventure Motorcycle
The KTM 390 Adventure is a fabulous machine and can literally go anywhere. By setting the fastest hill climb record on the 390 Adventure the machine has once again proven that it is meant to break all boundaries possible.