KTM Adventure Rally Extreme To Bring 2018 Dakar Champion Matthias Walkner To India

KTM has announced KTM Adventure Rally Extreme, a rally training programme that puts 2018 Dakar Rally champion Matthias Walkner face to face with Indian riders. The programme runs across Mumbai and Bengaluru through September, marking Walkner's first visit to India. Registration and further details for KTM Adventure Rally Extreme are available on KTM India's website.

The experience is split into two parts. A Face to Face session, priced at Rs 500 and open to all enthusiasts, lets riders hear Walkner's Dakar journey and racing insights first-hand. A Ride and Train session, priced at Rs 5,000 and reserved for KTM Adventure owners, puts riders through Dakar-style training on the KTM 390 Adventure.

In Mumbai, the Face to Face session takes place on September 11 at Rangsharda Auditorium, followed by the Ride and Train sessions on September 12-13 at Adventure Square, Amby Valley. Bengaluru hosts its Face to Face session on September 15 at NIMHANS Convention Centre, with Ride and Train sessions following on September 16-17 at Tribal Adventure Cafe.

Only 50 KTM Adventure owners per city get a Ride and Train slot, selected through a national application process assessed by a KTM panel. Across both cities, 100 riders will train in four batches of 25, working through modules on rally mindset, physical conditioning, roadbook navigation, motorcycle self-recovery and trail-side repairs, all led by Walkner himself.

The training culminates in a scored rally challenge aboard the production-spec KTM 390 Adventure, the same motorcycle sold to customers in India. The top-performing rider from each city wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe for a two-day advanced roadbook navigation session with Walkner.

KTM Adventure Rally Extreme draws directly from the Dakar Rally, widely regarded as the toughest event in motorsport. The 2026 edition covered close to 8,000km across the deserts of Saudi Arabia, with shifting dunes, rocky terrain and marathon stages that test endurance, navigation and self-reliance, the same skillset the training programme aims to introduce to Indian riders.

Dinesh Kulkarni, Head - Probiking Business Unit, said, "Very few riders ever get the opportunity to spend time with a Dakar champion, let alone ride alongside one. KTM Adventure Rally Extreme is our way of bringing that world closer to Indian KTM owners. It is not just about riding; it is about experiencing the mindset, preparation, and resilience that define Dakar through someone who has lived it. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that only KTM can offer."

Speaking about his first visit to India, 2018 Dakar Rally Champion Matthias Walkner, who also holds the 2015 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and three Dakar podium finishes, said,"I am excited to visit India for the first time and meet KTM riders who share a passion for adventure. KTM Adventure Rally Extreme is about much more than riding - it's about learning the mindset, navigation, and skills that make a complete adventure rider. I look forward to sharing my Dakar experience with them."

KTM has won the Dakar Rally 21 times, including a run of 18 consecutive victories, and the KTM 390 Adventure shares its engineering philosophy with the Dakar-winning KTM 450 Rally.