Updated KTM 690 Enduro R, SMC R Coming for 2026

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Husqvarna 701 Supermoto and Enduro also receiving Euro5+ changes


Photo by Sebas Romero.

Business at KTM AG is returning back to normalcy, as the company has received certifications for updates to its KTM 690 and Husqvarna 701 supermoto and enduro models.


The KTM 690 Enduro R and 690 SMC R, along with their Husqvarna counterparts, the 701 Enduro and 701 Supermoto, have been certified by the California Air Resources Board for 2026, with an executive order indicating some changes to their shared LC4 engine and the emissions system.


Photo by Sebas Romero.


These four models were last certified for the 2024 model year, and since 2018, they have been certified with an engine family code of “KTXC069.ESM.” The engine remains at the same 693cc displacement, but for 2026, the executive order lists “KTXC0.69LC4” as the engine family code, indicating something has changed.


The emission control system for the 2026 models also sees the addition of a second heated oxygen sensor, a change we’ve seen across the industry for models meeting Euro5+ restrictions.


Photo by Campelli M./Milagro.

Conspicuously missing from the CARB executive order is any sign of the GasGas SM 700 or ES 700. Both models were previously certified alongside the Husqvarna and KTM models, but their absence here suggests they are being dropped from the 2026 lineup.


The CARB executive order does not tell us if anything other than the engine and emissions control systems has changed. If the other changes are minimal, we can likely expect KTM and Husqvarna to announce the 2026 models soon. If the update is more substantial, they will likely come closer to the fall.


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Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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6 of 18 comments
  • Eric Eric on Jul 30, 2025

    CARB can just go the way of the dodo bird.

    I'm tired of the never-ending emissions reg increases playing havoc on new motorcycles. The engines DO NOT RUN better than they used to. They are running progressively worse every time more bulky CATS and equipment is bolted to them. The emissions equipment and R&D cost baked into new motorcycle sales would SHOCK the average person.

    • See 3 previous
    • Eric Eric on Aug 04, 2025

      In this day of massive information, either people simply aren't looking for the data or they are misinformed in other ways. It's there. Tuners are operating Youtube channels and explaining in great detail, model after model, motorcycle after motorcycle, many in contemporary context (last several years, Euro 4 to Euro 5+) what exactly is being done in ECU's to comply. It's not information that everyone can understand, I'm not pretending that. It's comprehensible enough by some of the tuners the way they explain what they are doing, for the average motorcyclist who has a modicum of interest.

      Modern engines are being made to RUN VERY LEAN. Plain science about combusting petrol vapors with air, says the most optimal ratio is 13.2:1 (air/fuel). Lean combustion is possible, it changes the resulting gasses, it changes how the burn works, it changes the temperature of the burn. Lean combustion conditions makes engines run hotter. Lean combustion changes stability of power, leading to vibrations. Cats need heat, cats need oxygen (hence the air induction systems, or PAIR). None of this stuff cares anything about engine longevity, engine smoothness, throttle control on/off during a ride. Every bit of it is designed to comply with regs. Noise regs. Emissions regs. We can argue day and night how valid the regs are, but none of that changes the fact the regs exist and manufacturers are required by government to comply. That is current. That can change. Hot engines aren't optimal. Fuel injection that cuts on/off during throttle usage isn't a smooth ride. All of this testing, equipment, and compliance costs thousands and thousands of dollars per unit, and reflects in the cost of motorcycles. Much of the "tech" on bikes is equipment designed to make engines comply with regs, not to make a rider's experience actually better.

  • West West on Sep 03, 2025

    The KTM 690 will flame out like the rest of them . I should have kept the 2001 EXC 400. Great bike reliable .


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