My idea of a large Adventure bike is a machine that can cope with long distances on bitumen in total comfort, can be ridden hard when necessary and totally turn it on when the going gets tough. Basically it has to be awesome in every way. I don’t ask for much. But really, that’s what these bikes have to do in the real world.
KTM had to come up with something special to stay relevant in the Adventure market and the all new 1190 is the product of two years of development from the passionate Austrian manufacturer.
Now, KTM practically owns the Dakar Rally, so what does the most successful brand in the biggest off-road event build into its biggest Adventure bike?
Everything, of course: ABS, traction control, optional luggage systems, tyre pressure monitoring, adjustable screen, adjustable engine mapping, trick suspension… but no bike is perfect, which is just one of the reasons KTM offers two 1190 Adventure models – this one and the ‘R’, which editor Pickett has thrown a leg over – watch for that test in a forthcoming issue of Cycle Torque.
The ‘R’ is for the seriously dirty set. Its seat is in the stratosphere, there’s a 21-inch front wheel, longer travel suspension, more ground clearance and slightly more weight.
Sounds great – if you’ve got the skills to use the extras, can cope with the 890mm seat height and really need knobby tyres.
Everyone, queue up behind me to throw a leg over the standard 1190 Adventure… All the tech ABS, traction control, selectable engine maps – from the Ducati Multistrada to the BMW R 1200 GS and now on the KTM Adventure, there’s high-tech lurking behind the side panels of nearly everything which has a sense of adventure built into its DNA.
What I love about the KTM is the way you can tailor it to suit yourself and the conditions – for example, Off-Road mode allows the rear wheel ABS to be switched off while still preventing the front from folding up under you.
Off-Road mode also reduces horsepower, which is a good thing if you’re actually sane, because you don’t need the full 150HP on loose surface (yes, I know you want it, but you don’t need it…).
The tech has also improved fuel economy, with the 23 litre tank now able to get you almost 400km, vastly better than older models.
A tubular steel chassis might sound a bit low-tech in 2013, but KTM’s been building frames this way for many years and they work, really well.
KTM’s resident Kiwi nutter, the Red Bull Romaniacs winner Chris Birch, demonstrated for us the potential of the new 1190, riding off-road seemingly like the bike was a 350EXC, keeping the big beast sideways under extreme power for ridiculous amounts of time and making it all look easy.
His approach is to ride with the same technique as you would on a smaller bike, saying, “I own a 990 myself and take guys out for lessons on roads like this.
The techniques are always the same. The main thing I remember on an adventure bike like this is, without knobby tyres you don’t get as much warning if you are going to lose the front – so I take it a little easier in that respect.”
Check out www.chrisbirch.co.nz or Google Red Bull Romaniacs to see what I mean.
Sportsmode Ducati’s Multistrada is an awesome bike – Cycle Torque’s project machine is going off to a new owner as I write this and it will be missed.
The big Ducati has been successful too, and I reckon KTM had the Multi in its sights when it built the 1190 Adventure – the Sport riding ability of the new machine should not be underestimated.
With its 19/17-inch wheel size combination, there’s a variety of rubber available and some of it’s pretty sticky, although KTM obviously didn’t want to go completely head-to-head with Ducati and fit the bike with a pair of 17-inch rims.
The power output is up to Multistrada levels and it’s a confidence inspiring ride on twisty roads. You can ride this bike seriously hard on the bitumen.
My first impression riding the 1190 was that it felt ‘right’, instant confidence. I am not a hugely experienced adventure rider and I want to feel right at home immediately and not feel burdened by too much size – the 1190 gives me that confidence.
For a large bike, it doesn’t feel overweight or sluggish. In fact, we headed straight out into the twisty Alpine areas and I felt relaxed tipping into hairpins and rolling onto the throttle straight away.
The riding position seemed to put me in a relaxed position, which meant I was naturally riding smoother.
The response of the engine works with this idea as well – the twin spark configuration means you don’t have to have this bike revving hard to get good response.
I made a mental note at the first stop that this combination of design elements and overall ‘feeling’ would be a good thing at the end of a day’s ride, because it means you can hook in and have a go, but not feel totally spent.
When you get more aggressive on the throttle, the whole bike responds in a good way, like a big V-twin should. The result is a bike that can be easily controlled at low revs – no lumpiness or clutch riding.
This then encourages a smooth riding style but also have its neck wrung when the time comes.
I put it down to the twin spark configuration. Only one plug provides the spark in each cylinder at any one time, but they operate depending on throttle position and with different intensity.
This means you can have a gentle spark at low revs, and a more aggressive spark when you really want the power.
The idea is the engine should become more compliant and easy to ride down low (or off-road), but still pack a punch up high.
Leaving the tar
While I’m sure KTM wants to steal some sales from Ducati, BMW might be an even bigger target. The R 1200 GS has been phenomenally successful, and justifiably so – every model has been a great bike, and the latest version, with water coooling, is no exception.
So the 1190 Adventure coincidentally has the same wheel sizes as the GS, but they are standard tubeless spoked rims, which is an optional extra for the GS, similar suspension travel levels and comparable seat height.
They certainly differ in feel – the 75-degree V-twin of the KTM sends a few vibrations to the rider which is different, but not worse, than the shakes of the Boxer BMW.
There is an off-road setting in the electronics which allows the rear tyre to move around a lot more than the traction control will let it in on the bitumen, and you can always turn it off if you have the skill set of a Chris Birch.
The same goes for the ABS, it’s very customisable. Indeed, if you’ve never entertained the joys of riding on loose surfaces, the 1190 Adventure will let you learn with ABS on and as your skill levels rise you can reduce your safety net at your own pace.
Who should buy one
Cycle Torque has a habit of saying more Australians should ride bikes with longer suspension travel and a comfortable, ergonomic riding position – adding dirt road ability is certainly an added bonus.
The 1190 Adventure certainly ticks all those boxes, with few flaws we could find during the bike’s New Zealand launch.
If you’re in the market for a large capacity machine for long distance riding, the Adventure really fits the bill. It’s still too big and heavy to replace an enduro machine, and if you suffer from Duck’s disease (arse too close to the ground) you’re going to struggle with the seat height, but for everybody else, do yourself a favour and get a ride on one.