KTM 1290 Super Adventure: any adventure can be tackled

If you travel, then with comfort and confidence, as the KTM 1290 Super Adventure seems to tell us when you look at it with admiring eyes. And really, what could be better on a long journey than the combination of a monstrously powerful engine, excellent reliability and a high level of comfort? There can never be too much of this, and to say “this motorcycle is too comfortable for a motorcycle” is about the same as “this Bentley is too luxurious, let’s at least break its side window.” And the Austrians from KTM have done their best by equipping the 1290 Super Adventure with the latest technology. Perhaps this bike will become the most serious competitor to the famous Bavarian “goose”, BWM R1200GS.

Black and orange Austrian

KTM motorcycles have always stood out against the background of bikes from other brands with their aggressive design and the predominance of black and orange colors in the design. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure is no exception in this regard, and it looks, admittedly, very stylish and even somewhat futuristic. But at first its size causes bewilderment - how can you ride this colossus? Huge and heavy, this motorcycle is clearly designed for long journeys , and not for snooping through city traffic jams. However, the very first ride dispels this misconception - even in the city the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S feels like a fish in water, especially if you ride without side panniers.

In total, the Austrians released three modifications at one base - KTM 1290 Super Adventure T, R and S. They differ in seats, wheels, suspension settings and basic equipment. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure R and T also have slightly different frames. Without going into details, we can say that the S modification is more focused on driving on roads, albeit bad ones, and greater comfort. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure R, equipped with a stronger frame , different suspension and a larger radius front wheel , is better suited for the toughest conditions, while the Super Adventure T is a cross between the first two.

Technical specifications of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure

For the flagship of their entire line of touring enduros, the engineers did their best, cramming all the useful functions into the bike and at the same time avoiding unnecessary complication of the design with redundant electronics. Here you have a chrome-molybdenum frame with a variable cross-section , a slipper clutch , a steering damper , and electronic suspension adjustment ... And the engine is a fairy tale. The 1.3-liter V-twin sounds rather dull, like a screwdriver, but it provides the technical characteristics of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure simply fabulous. 160 hp and 150 Nm of torque - is it a joke?

The locomotive traction is felt from the very bottom , no worse than that of any Harley-Davidson. Moreover, thanks to the balanced torque curve, the dynamics of the KTM Super Adventure 1290 are simply frantic, but devoid of pick-ups and dips, so acceleration is easily predictable. After you develop a habit of using a motorcycle, because at first it seems that after turning the throttle, a teleport is activated in the bike, and it instantly appears a hundred meters ahead. You have to be careful with that kind of power.

It is admirable that a motorcycle weighing under 240 kg is so easy to control. In static conditions it seems very heavy, and the respectable seat height does not allow short riders to confidently reach the ground, but once you get going, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R immediately transforms. He darts between cars with ease, and on a straight line he picks up speed as if he intends to enter low-Earth orbit. All modifications of this motorcycle are equipped with an ABS system , and Brembo brakes . The front wheel has 4-piston radial calipers and the rear wheel has a 2-piston caliper . Braking performance deserves the highest praise.

Test drive KTM 1290 Super Adventure S by Vladimir Ollilainen

Good afternoon dear friends! In this article I want to share my opinion about the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S motorcycle.

I tested this motorcycle for two days. During testing, I drove it in dense city traffic, drove along highways, country roads and forest roads. During enduro testing, we drove for 2.5 hours on roads consisting of compacted stones, hard ground, soft ground, mud, sand and forest paths. We crossed ditches, a river, a sand pit, a forest and mud ruts. This trip was not without falls and adventures, which I will tell you about a little later!

I want to start by saying that we tested the “S” version on road wheels, which covered more than 9,000 km. This motorcycle has not been equipped with additional protection, and yours truly is not a professional motocross or enduro athlete.

One of the main units of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S motorcycle that is worth paying your attention to is a 2-cylinder, 4-stroke petrol engine, V-shaped with a camber angle of 75°. This model of the LC 8 engine was inherited from its predecessor, having undergone some changes. The new engine has been increased in cylinder capacity from 1050 cc. cm to 1301 cc, which gave the engine additional power that increased from 125 hp. up to 160 hp Now to the dry information I want to add personal opinions and feelings about the engine and everything connected with it. It is powerful, aggressive and provokes an aggressive driving style. In all four modes: SPORT, STREET, RAIN, OFFROAD, the motorcycle actively responds to opening the throttle. In any gear, if you need to quickly overtake one or more vehicles, you open the gas and realize that you are already overtaking. The motorcycle accelerates from any speed instantly! The engine has slight vibration at high speeds. Please do not forget that the engine is V-shaped and has a large volume! During active acceleration, the motorcycle easily wheelies from first to third gear.

And here I want to draw your attention to electronic systems that help you control your motorcycle by correcting your mistakes. If you have not disabled antiwheelie, Traction Control and ABS, then the MSC system will correct your errors so gently that you will not even notice it is triggered. At the same time, you will be completely confident that you are a first-class racer who knows how to control a motorcycle.

This system will allow you to confidently and aggressively control the motorcycle and even lift the front wheel off the asphalt by 30 degrees. When I consciously lifted the motorcycle into a wheelie, it so gently returned me back to two wheels that I did not understand whether it was me or the motorcycle . There is no feeling of electronic interference in your control from the word “AT ALL.” I would like to separately draw your attention to the operation of the electronic throttle stick. Unlike motorcycles from competing companies that I have ridden, its operation is informative and does not have a delay in the beginning of the opening. I was also very impressed by the clear and smooth shifting of the manual transmission. If you wish, you can equip the KTM 1290 SR version with a quickshifter.

I want to devote the next paragraph to the driving characteristics of the motorcycle, and here I will share my impressions and experience. As I said earlier, I tested the 1290 S version of the motorcycle on road worn tires. I drove most of the road on asphalt in SPORT mode and with the Traction Control system disabled. Shock absorbers from White Power coped with all my active actions while driving. These shock absorbers are semi-active. In addition to the four suspension modes that the driver can select, there is also an electronic system that additionally adjusts the shock absorbers. Receiving information from sensors located in the shock absorbers, wheel speed, motorcycle tilt angles, gear engaged, throttle opening and many other parameters, the suspension control unit adjusts the operation of the shock absorbers about 50 times per second. Also, this suspension has an anti-dive effect when braking, which allows the ABS system to work more subtly. Since I mentioned the ABS system, I want to say about my impressions about it. I have never seen a more effective and unnoticeable ABS treatment. First I'm on the KTM 390 DUKE, I decided to do a stopi. When I actively pressed the front brake lever, I got the expected braking effect, loading the front suspension and unloading the rear. At the moment of the expected start of the rear wheel lifting off the asphalt, I felt a small vibrational itch in the front brake lever, which did not allow me to stop but still maintained active braking. On the KTM 790 and 1290, I deliberately brought the ABS to operation and I want to repeat, I have not seen such an effective operation of this system on more than one motorcycle. Having talked about ABS, I want to return to my feelings about the suspension. When we reached the exit point from the asphalt, we were greeted by a road leading into a forest of compacted stones, where your humble servant, like a child eager for fun, opened the throttle, forgetting about switching from SPORT to OFFROAD mode

After driving several kilometers along this road and crossing an artificial ravine and a couple of deep mud puddles, I ran into a root sticking out of the stones, causing the front wheel to break a little. At that moment I realized that I was rushing off-road in SPORT mode with Traction Control disabled. Then I acted like an inquisitive schoolboy, turned on the RAIN mode instead of OFFROAD and did not turn on the Traction Control, and we flew on. I would like to note this convenience of adjusting the suspension for inexperienced or technically unsavvy drivers, taking into account the fact that it is also adaptive. Continuing to move, we went deeper and deeper from the places of civilization, the road became more and more interesting. In one place, in front of a deep puddle and a mud rut on the side, my friend Alexey asked how to get through this obstacle.

Having received the information, he did not dare to immediately force the deep puddle, but crawled along the mud rut, while I, on the contrary, dynamically forced the deep puddle with mud. I would like to note that the motorcycle overcame this obstacle with ease on road tires. Where a KTM 790 on road tires crawled along the track nearby, pushed by Alexey. Emboldened by such opportunities and losing analytical control, we approached another mud obstacle with crushed ruts from SUVs. By that time, my friend was driving the motorcycle more confidently and, despite the fact that the distance of the difficult section was long, I gave recommendations to Alexey to pass in dynamics and look ahead in advance, choosing a trajectory and avoiding loading the front wheel. As he started moving, my eyes fell on the wheels and my analytical mind returned! I realized that it was unlikely to pass this section on the tracks and on these tires. But madness and courage do their job, Alexey overcame this obstacle along the parapet on the right side. Without doing an analysis to correct for luck, I decided to immediately overcome this obstacle. Halfway through the journey, my motorcycle slid off the parapet into the rut and at that moment I realized that my wheels had turned into skis, thanks to which I was floating along the rut. Hoping that I would be able to cope with the swim, a surprise awaited me in the rut in the form of a recessed log, which I safely stumbled upon. Taking into account its diagonal location, I and the tire could not cope, and as a result I fell.

Now I want to talk about the advantage of this motorcycle among its single-purpose competitors. And please do not compare this model with motorcycles that are designed only for enduro and are not suitable for long-distance travel on asphalt roads. After a fall at a speed of approximately 30 km/h, the standard motorcycle without protective bars, as on the R-version, and without additional installed protective equipment, as required by motorcycles from competing companies, it remained safe and sound. Due to inertia, during a stop, the seat partially snapped out. I picked up the motorcycle without much difficulty, then started it and continued driving. Then there were roads along the sand, we crossed a river, we also made our way through forest paths along a small cliff on one side and there were many other impressions.

Having shared my impressions of part of our trip, I will continue to talk about the features of the motorcycle. Returning to the motorcycle suspension, I want to tell you that it behaves beautifully when driving on bad road sections and asphalt. The behavior at high speeds, taking into account the design features of the motorcycle (this is not a sportbike), is excellent. Comparing the motorcycle with a competing German-made company, I would like to note that, thanks to the design features of the motorcycle, the Bavarians have better traversal on uneven asphalt sections of the road, the passage of speed bumps and the anti-dive effect during braking than the KTM, but the traversal over rough terrain and the absence of roads KTM superior in many ways.

On asphalt, the steering response is clear, allowing active lane changes, wide avoidance of obstacles at high speeds, and high-speed cornering in an aggressive format. During active taxiing, I did not experience any feeling of overload coming to the front wheel. The front suspension worked out all my insolence during the steering phase. The braking systems cope with braking from high speeds, but you must take into account that the S version will differ better from the R version due to the width of the wheels. Narrower wheels have a smaller contact patch and may not have the same coefficient of friction, which will affect braking and steering.

Now I want to pay attention to the ergonomics of the motorcycle. My height is 170 cm. The first thing that caught my eye was the wide seat, consisting of two parts. In the R version, the seat is narrower and solid, for more comfortable operation of the motorcycle while riding while standing. At the same time, moving for about 2.5 hours while standing and working with the motorcycle, I was not bothered by the width of the seat, although for this reason there were slight restrictions in tilting. When driving for a long time on the highway, the seat was comfortable and comfortable. I could reach the asphalt with the toes of my shoes, but at the same time I did not experience any difficulties during stops, since I confidently stopped on one foot. It was inconvenient to remove the side step given my height, and no matter how hard I tried to adapt, I couldn’t do it on the first try. Separately, you can pay attention to the fact that the KTM 1290 has adjustments to the footrests and manual transmission shift levers not only in height, but also in the size of the boot. Control panels deserve special attention. Maybe someone says that it looks cheap, but I want to tell you that they are very comfortable and I didn’t think about how and where to press, unlike BMW. It should also be noted that, unlike its predecessor, KTM moved the cruise control controls from the right side to the left, which has become much more convenient. Menu management is simple and convenient. It didn't take me long to figure out the settings and switching. The dashboard is designed in the form of a tablet. It has 2 backlight modes, day - night. The information is quite readable on the go and it is possible to display on the main screen the information you are interested in that is hidden in the menu. The tablet's tilt angle can be changed. For the first time, KTM has keyless entry, which adds convenience. There is also a 12V socket and a waterproof phone pocket with a USB cable inside. The headlight on the motorcycle is diode, unlike its predecessor. The headlight light is excellent, with additional side lighting diodes that turn on; depending on the angle of the motorcycle, from 1 to 3 diodes turn on. These diodes improve lighting when cornering at night. I would also like to draw your attention to the windshield. It has mechanical height adjustments on both sides. It can be adjusted from any side. The glass has good wind protection and does not block the view. Moving at high speeds, I experienced no resistance to the wind other than a gentle tapping of the wind on my shoulders. While driving while standing, I did not lower the glass down and it did not interfere with me, even when changing the stance towards tilting forward. The ergonomics are comfortable for both sitting and standing riding. Given my height and weight, I didn’t have the feeling throughout the entire route that I wouldn’t be able to hold the bike. In the forest, I did not experience any discomfort associated with the size and weight of the motorcycle. I would like to wish everyone safe roads and positive emotions!

Do not judge strictly. I shared my impressions based on my experience and skill in driving a motorcycle!

I thank the BikeLand store for providing me with a motorcycle for a test drive. Author of the article: Vladimir Ollilainen.

#KTM #KTM1290ADVENTURE #KTM790ADVENTURE #BIKELAND

Pros and cons of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure

Advantages

• The combination of crazy acceleration dynamics with the smoothness of this process. In addition, the bike does not try to jump out from under the motorcyclist.
• Ideal pendants . Neither subtract nor add.
• ABS is standard , as well as many other useful features such as cruise control.
• Extremely effective brakes .
• Huge power reserve. The gas tank holds about 30 liters of fuel .
• High level of comfort . It seems that the KTM does not drive, but floats along the road, absorbing all the bumps unnoticed by the driver.

Flaws

• High price . The new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S or R costs about 1.5 million rubles .
• Self-service is extremely difficult due to the complex design of the motorcycle. This also applies to repairs. And for dealers, the cost of any operation with a bike is very high.
• Expensive tuning . But there is quite a lot of it, for every taste.
• Great saddle height . This will create inconvenience for short motorcyclists. But the KTM 1290 Super Adventure T or S is 30mm lower than the R.
• Demanding on fuel quality . A touring enduro is a bike for long journeys, and in Russia, far from large cities, the quality of gasoline was and remains a lottery.

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On average, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure should be faster than the 1190 Adventure and even faster than the 1290 Super Duke R, with roughly the same level of fuel economy (when tested, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R averaged 5.5 l/100 kilometers). , thanks to more developed wind protection of the fairings. But at one refueling, the mileage increases significantly; without increasing the tank, the Super Adventure is 30 liters: the fastest calculation indicates a potential of 550-600 kilometers. At the same time, the vehicle weight is 17 kilograms higher than the 1190 Adventure and equals 229 kg of dry weight. These indicators may affect the maximum mileage figure. There are not only extra pounds in the engine, but also additional equipment and a couple of electronics units that have not previously been used in the Adventure. For example, adapted sidelights built into the fairing.

In 2013, the Adventure motorcycle was tested in the harsh conditions of Russian roads, and on the way to the garage it was possible to collect the following statistics: 512.5 kilometers in 3 hours 31 minutes at an average speed of 142 kilometers per hour on a full tank with a volume of 23 liters. For a traveler, what is more important is how comfortable it will be to ride such a bike in order to realize its potential: it is usually impossible to spend more than three hours in the saddle of a motorcycle. However, in the saddle of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure, the mileage limit lies solely in the volume of the tank - the gasoline always ran out before the back began to hurt, due to the high average travel speed. In the basic version of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure, the electronics package was assembled simply revolutionary: in addition to ABS, traction control and stabilization system, by default the vehicle was also equipped with WP (Semi-active Suspension) semi-active suspension.

SAS is more widely used overall than BMW's Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) introduced a few years ago. In addition to continuously monitoring the damping force of both the fork and the rear shock absorber, SAS monitors the load of the motorcycle and “helps” the rider when braking hard: “On a loaded motorcycle, an even distribution of braking force is extremely important.” The presence of an active new suspension from WP makes it possible to redistribute the load of the rear and front axles, making the shock absorbers softer and harder, depending on need. But the most important feature that was missing in the KTM 1290 Super Adventure model was the presence of cruise control, now it is available in the Super model. Additionally, you can equip this vehicle with the Hill Hold Control corner support option, which can “hold” this iron horse from sliding on the road.

Similar models

• BMW R1200 GS in different modifications. This famous motorcycle needs no introduction.
• Ducati Multistrada 1260. Heavy touring enduro from sunny Italy, stylish and deservedly enjoying a good reputation.
• Yamaha XT1200ZE Super Tenere. One of the most versatile and reliable tourenduros. It features a close to ideal balance of all characteristics and a relatively reasonable price.
• Honda VFR 1200X Crosstourer. Touring enduro oriented more towards roads than dirt roads. Perhaps it would be more correct to compare it with the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S.
• Triumph Tiger Explorer in XR and XC versions. An English gentleman who can handle the most difficult adventures.
• Aprilia Caponord 1200. Another muscular Italian, but it is designed more for roads than off-road. However, for primers there is the Caponord 1200 Rally model.

Reviews from KTM 1290 Super Adventure owners

A limousine among tourenduros is similar to the Cadillac Escalade among SUVs, only, unlike the Escalade, the KTM is not only comfortable-beautiful-show-off, but also corresponds 100% to all the stated capabilities. There is only one downside - I want to cry over every scratch, remembering that I still have to pay the loan for two more years, but what can I do - the road... One day I was thrown with stones at a pass in the Carpathians, rubble flew in from under the wheels of an oncoming car - all the plastic was scratched, the headlight was miraculously didn't break it. The price tag for the body kit at the dealer is exorbitant. But what wouldn’t you do for a motorcycle like this... The best I’ve ridden, honestly. Alexander, Moscow, KTM 1290 Super Adventure T '2018.

Before Adventure I rode the previous generation Goose, I like the KTM better, but the comparison is not entirely correct, it should rather be put on a par with the fresh Goose of the same year. 30+ thousand kilometers were wound on wheels during the 2021 season, almost all of Eastern Europe, Georgia, Armenia were covered, and I know all the roads there in some places. The bike is comfortable and has never let me down. Andrey, St. Petersburg, KTM 1290 Super Adventure R '2018.

The owners' reviews don't lie, there are only two shortcomings - the price and the dealers, you have to pay a lot of money for any sneeze, and nothing worthwhile can be done with the motorcycle in the left service, so in any case, go to the dealer. Everything else is merit. It rushes like an airplane, comfort like in a leather chair, reliability like the Kremlin walls. Vitaly, Nizhny Novgorod, KTM Super Adventure S '2017.

Total

The Austrians have always been famous for good motorcycle technology, but the KTM 1290 Adventure is the choice for those who do not accept compromises and want only the best. The technical characteristics of this bike will be able to satisfy the needs of even the most experienced and demanding motorcyclists. True, you have to pay for everything, and for the flagship tourenduro from KTM you will have to pay a lot.

Specifications

KTM 1290 Super Duke R. Ghost of Communism

The Austrian company KTM is known primarily for its success on the off-road motorcycle front: multiple Dakar Rally winner Marc Coma and seven other riders in the TOP 10 of this difficult race ride on KTM motorcycles; heavy touring enduro KTM Adventure is one of the best in the class and, perhaps, the best in off-road capabilities... But the Austrian road equipment - sportbikes and naked bikes - is not far behind

Natalya Umnova
KTM 1290 Super Duke R. Price: from 1,099,900 rub. On sale: since 2014

We are pleased with the original and loud sound, as well as the surprisingly comfortable seat. Perhaps only Kawasaki naked bikes can compete with K design

At the moment, the line of KTM naked bikes with the general “title” Duke (“Duke”) includes six models: 125, 200, 390, 690 and 690 R, as well as last year’s explosive new product - the most important 1290 Super Duke R. Getting to know the works of the Austrian Let's start with this for engineers and designers. Why waste time on trifles!

The company distributed technical details and photographs of the Super Duke long before the motorcycle could be touched. And I really wanted to do this - the juicy phrases of the press releases about the highest power per unit of weight among classmates and about smart electronic systems sounded too promising, as well as the statement that, despite the evil appearance and character, any girl can ride this bike ( read newcomer), almost like a Soviet cook - by the state. However, in fact, Lenin did not say this at all, but that workers should learn to run the country, be involved in the process... It’s interesting how different the real Super Duke is from the “marketing” one.

It was a bit scary to ride the KTM 1290 Super Duke R for the first time: its aggressive appearance clearly hinted at a violent temper. But, armed with a press release describing the phenomenal obedience of this bike as silver against vampires, I still risked turning the ignition key. So what would you think? “The Beast,” as KTM modestly call their brainchild, didn’t eat me, didn’t throw me off, didn’t come back and didn’t run over me again! And linearly, although very quickly, responding to the opening of the gas, it rushed along the highway. It even somehow disappointed me a little: there was so much noise around it, so many expectations from the V-twin with a volume of 1300 “cubes” and a power of as much as 180 hp. With. and a torque of about 144 Nm - and all this on 189 kg of dry weight! It is not surprising that after the emotional and reckless Yamaha MT-09 (see the previous issue of “5 Wheels”), the “Super Duke” does not seem so “super”... But it only seems so.

In the dark, for example in the evening or in a tunnel, the LED running lights go out and the low beam turns on

It's all about (no, not about magic bubbles) about the same sophisticated electronics that top-end KTM motorcycles are stuffed to the brim with. Electronic throttle, drive-by-wire electronic throttle, multi-mode traction control with tilt sensors, Brembo brakes - you don’t need to mention the presence of ABS. The three driving modes - road, sport, rain - differ not only in the maximum number of “horses” released by the engine (in the rain mode there are 100 of them, not 180, as in the first two), but also in the speed of their running and the threshold for traction intervention. control. All systems are interconnected and work clearly and smoothly, giving the rider real full control over the motorcycle. And a sense of level-up in driving skill! Hence the impression of insufficient power of the 1300 cc “Duke”, which dissipates into dust from under the rear wheel, you just have to unscrew the handle a little more sharply...

The instrument panel is unified with the KTM Adventure, but the Super Duke, despite its high price, does not have electronic suspension adjustment

Of course, you shouldn’t take the Super Duke R as your first motorcycle: first you need to learn on something cheap and simple not to fall at a traffic light, forgetting to put your feet out, and to navigate the traffic if the motorcycle is your first vehicle. But for any next season, if finances allow (the price is a very significant drawback of KTM equipment!), you can already buy it. “Super Duke” - like a transformable child seat from 0 to 18 years old - adapts to the driver’s level.

It can be calm, but always ready for a quick maneuver for the sake of safety - a city motorcycle for every day - and even a wide handlebar is not a hindrance with the unique maneuverability of a rather large and tall bike. Once you get the hang of it, gain experience, become familiar with the device, it will become an evil street fighter, shooting from traffic lights. And then you can use it on the track, grinding down the sliders on your elbows and knees: in the city, there is rarely a place to safely and happily ride around corners, enjoying the excellent handling of the “Duke,” which bears this lofty title with absolutely no stress.

The most skillful and desperate riders can turn off the electronics... But then they will have to rely only on themselves and their guardian angel

Willi Weber © Photo:

Willi Weber feels needlessly placed in the pillory. The famous ex-manager of Michael Schumacher expressed bewilderment at the accusation due to non-payment of taxes to the German treasury, and that he would at least choose emigration: “For 40 years I have been a diligent taxpayer, paying millions of sums to the state treasury. But if they don’t even allow me to defend myself, I leave Germany,” the German tells Bunte magazine.

According to Weber, all the accusations brought against him are a fact of extreme envy of his income. “Nothing has been proven, but I feel like a criminal. I don’t demand first-class sausage, I demand respectful treatment from the prosecutor’s office. The court will check the facts objectively, and I am convinced of a positive outcome from this situation in my favor.”

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