KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

SUPERSONIC ADVENTURES AWAIT WORDS STUART WOODBURY PHOTOS NICK WOOD

Stuart is wearing a Shoei ADV helmet, Held Carese II jacket, Held Sambia gloves, Draggin NextGen jeans and Sidi Vertigo boots.

It was only a matter of time until KTM brought out a big distance eater to tackle BMW’s all-conquering R 1200 GS Adventure. KTMs take on this was to release the 1290 Super Adventure.

Stick the hugely powerful 1301cc V-twin from the Super Duke R in it, give it a massive fuel tank and loads of luxury and there you are. It’s a bike that looks like a road train coming at you, yet is relatively agile and immensely fast.

Cornering headlights in the tank and engine protection bars surround that massive 30 litre tank.

Best KTM seat ever? You bet!

Comfort, or you can remove the rubber insert for a grippy aluminium peg.

That 75-degree V-twin engine is retuned by 15kW from its Super Duke specification, but still produces a maximum of 118kW, along with even more mid range torque, plus smoother low-rev running due to a heavier crankshaft – as a result the 1290 is immensely fast for such a big bike.

Four riding modes give differing levels of throttle response and traction control, including Rain and Off-road modes with reduced power output. Eight times out of ten I left it in Sport mode because the acceleration is intoxicating, but when I was doing some longer distance I switched to Touring for a softer throttle.

The 1290 comes with chain drive which is the lightest solution and delivers the power to the ground with the smallest resistance, but big all-road touring motorcycles do benefit from the maintenance-free shaft drive setup as seen on other equivalent models.

Nevertheless, high quality chains are today, really good and require less maintenance than ever and the 1290 comes with a centre stand for easier cleaning and lubrication.

Chassis performance is equally impressive as the engine, and similarly boosted by electronic refinement. The 1290 follows previous Adventure models with its tubular steel frame and long travel suspension from KTM subsidiary WP. For such a comprehensively equipped bike it is light at 229kg without fuel, and has agile handling that makes it easy and fun to ride on and off road.

The Super Adventure introduces KTM’s first semi-active damping system, featuring four settings that are independent of the riding modes.

It works well most of the time, most vividly in Comfort mode. This gives an outstandingly compliant ride at a steady pace, and magically firms the front forks under braking, and the rear shock under hard acceleration – truly the best of both worlds.

Excellent wind protection also contributes to the KTM’s ability to cover ground rapidly and comfortably. Its intricately shaped screen, adjustable by hand on the move, gives an outstandingly quiet, turbulence-free ride, which is especially noticeable with a peaked helmet where you might be used to your head lifting slightly. You get none of this on the 1290 Super Adventure with the screen on its highest setting.

The seat is very comfortable over long distances and quickly height-adjustable, but inevitably short riders will struggle even on its lower setting due to the seat being wider than, say, the 1050 Adventure’s. But, for those riders over 175cm or thereabouts you will love the comfort this bike gives you and I have to say that this is probably the best seat KTM has ever put on one of its motorcycles.

Not only does the 1290 have an adjustable seat height but the handlebar clamps can be changed by plus or minus 10mm and the foot pegs can be changed by 10mm, so you really can get the right ‘personal’ setup with this bike.

The Adventure can’t quite match (yet almost does) the weather protection of a touring bike’s big fairing but its hand guards, heated grips and heated seat – with individual controls for rider and pillion, who also gets generous hand holds – add to its long-distance appeal.

The big, 30-litre tank gives a generous (putting it mildly) range of about 480km.

It felt as if I’d ridden the 1290 forever without having to fill it up – a feeling you don’t get with many other bikes.

Cruise control comes as standard, and is just one more of the KTM’s electronic features. Bosch’s brilliant cornering and combined ABS system helps the Brembo brakes’ outstanding stopping ability and a world first are the 1290’s cornering headlights, which are fitted to the side of the tank. Consisting of three LED segments, and linked to a lean angle sensor, the cornering light can use one segment or all three depending on the lean angle, giving you more peripheral vision at night.

The instrument panel is well thought out for the travelling motorcyclist with a bucket load of info and to the left of the panel is a 12V socket to plug in your GPS or gadgets. You can also set up a ‘favourites’ screen for all the info that you’d like to look at, rather than continually scrolling for it.

Accessories are extensive as you would expect from KTM. To really set up the 1290 Super Adventure as a big distance eater, I’d be looking at the Ergo seat for even more comfort, panniers, topbox or maybe the seat bag and the GPS mount. If you like bling, there’s plenty of that and if you want even more performance, KTM will let you unleash the beast.

You may jibe at the higher $26,995 price tag against the base price of the R1200 GSA at $24,550, but the BMW doesn’t come with as many electronic features standard. If you want those it takes the price just above the KTM’s.

The 1290’s price tag seems entirely reasonable for a bike that offers extraordinary performance, refinement, comfort, safety and versatility. This Adventure’s “Super” prefix is richly deserved.

SPECS
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

PRICE: $26,995 (plus on-road charges)
WARRANTY: Two years, unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 15,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled V-twin cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
BORE x STROKE: 108 x 71mm
DISPLACEMENT: 1301cc
COMPRESSION: 13.1:1
POWER: 118kW @ 8750rpm
TORQUE: 140Nm @ 6750rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, chain final drive
SUSPENSION: Front, 48mm inverted fork, electronically adjustable, travel 200mm. Rear, monoshock, electronically adjustable, travel 200mm.
DIMENSIONS: Seat height 860- 875mm, weight 229kg (ex-fuel), fuel capacity 30 litres, wheelbase 1560mm
TYRES: Front, 120/70/R19. Rear, 170/60/R17
FRAME: Tubular steel
BRAKES: Front, twin 320mm discs with radial mount four-piston switchable ABS calipers. Rear, 267mm disc, dual-piston switchable ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.24 litres per 100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 480km
COLOURS: White

VERDICT: FEATURE PACKED FOR SUPERSONIC ADVENTURES

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