KTM 1290 Super Adventure
2015, 1301 cm3, 160 l. s., 229 kg (curb weight without fuel), 265 km/h, RUB 1,349,900.
text: Vladimir Zdorov photo: Alexey Akulshin, Stepan Berestov
In the photo: Vladimir Zdorov
>>It seems that the guys from Mattighofen were not only happy with the fact that they created a sportbike in the guise of a touring enduro – the KTM 1190 Adventure, which significantly undermined the hegemony of the frankly overfed “goose”.
So that marketers from Bavaria do not get bored and have something to do on long winter evenings, the Austrians noticeably “pumped up” their flagship in the world of “tourists”, and the result was the KTM 1290 Super Adventure - one of the most powerful and “evil” touring enduros available today, perfectly suited for ultra-long voyages to anywhere in the world.
Ducati Multistrada and BMW S1000XR? No, these are, of course, very powerful motorcycles, but “pure” crossovers. Then BMW R1200GS Adventure? Sorry, the “German” has 35 liters. With. less... In 2015, none of the motorcycle manufacturers have anything even close to the ultimate machine for conquering space and distances created by the Austrians.
Just think about it: the large touring enduro from KTM has a 160-horsepower engine - this is a figure that is only slightly short of modern liter sportbikes, and the torque of the “Austrian” of 140 Nm is “more fat” than that of many “athletes”!
Bravo to the guys from Mattighofen - they did not start the usual song of supporters of universal tolerance and same-sex marriage: no reduction in power, “straightening” of torque and other vegetable mixture steamed with kosher bread and milk of sacred lamas!
This entire adrenaline plant is tightly surrounded by all-seeing and all-consuming electronics, and it seems to me that all the fictions of science fiction writers about the confrontation between machines and humanity in the future have long ago turned into reality.
They think for us where and how hard to brake, what the efficiency of engine braking should be: the gas handle on all modern “monsters” has long been deprived of a direct, mechanical connection with the throttle - now it is a wire with which you simply send an impulse to the ECU, and then the computer will decide for you what and how exactly you wanted.
The next step will be to give up wires, then the electronics will draw us optimal and safe routes and ultimately simply remove us from control, because humans, unlike machines, tend to make mistakes... Does it look too fantastic? But the future is already here—you just need to look closely.
A good part of the day, gentlemen.
Shortly before the New Year, in my small country of residence, a sale of equipment from the outgoing year begins (this is not related to the year of manufacture of the equipment - for some reason it is not written in the PTS, the date of the motorcycle's release to additional access points is indicated - but due to the fact that it must be registered with the supplier, and in this case the market value falls). I rode a Suza gsxs1000fa fresh and with low mileage, but I wanted to go back to German motorcycles (I sold the BMW s1000r, bought a Suza because the naked bike was always blowing away, fresh BMWs are much more expensive). I went to test the BMW s1000xr, they also gave me a very attractive price - I put the Suza up for sale.
They gave me an attractive price for a limited time, I couldn’t make it. But I saw the KTM sale prices =))) Let's step aside a little from the story of buying a motorcycle and return to what opinion I had about KTM before))) They joke in Hebrew - Kanita Tikant Mohart (bought, repaired, sold). There are also a lot of “positive” mottos in Russian =))) My opinion was no different from these mottos, but I wasn’t particularly intimidated by buying a new bike, I change them quite often (this is the 4th in a year and a half), the warranty on the new one is 2 years - so not scary. Plus, I scoured the entire Russian and English-language Internet, pestered a couple of people, and here on the bikepost (special thanks to Takeda1977 - he suggested and told me a lot).
In the showroom, the trade-in was not bad, but in the case of a trade, the New Year’s discount on the motorcycle immediately disappeared))) I went to the resellers to put my bike on consignment, and there stood Katerina Mikhailovna in the corner (don’t ask me why such a stupid name - the whole bike tacky “stupid” and that name immediately came to mind). 2021, February (that is, there is still a year and 3 months of warranty), 2300 with kopecks of mileage, enough extras (all electronic possible extras, a dongle that allows you to leave custom settings, a black kappa box for 58 liters, black dill, comfortable seats with gel and heated, heated handles, protective cage, tank bag). In general, in principle, everything I wanted for this bike when I was getting extra for a new bike, the only thing missing was carbon frame linings to protect from the hot engine, windings on the exhaust pipe to protect from the same heat and crankcase protection - although it It’s not a fact that it will be needed - I’m not particularly good at shit). The price tag for all this splendor with all the extras was 10k dollars cheaper than the same new one. Naturally, I didn’t think for long)))
I left the salon and went to the doctor (the schedule before the New Year, even in a country where it is not considered a holiday, is quite busy):
Well, in the morning in the office in the parking lot (I drive in gear, this is just a photo after I changed clothes, for a resale salon. They asked for a photo of a satisfied client):
Now the odometer shows about 4k (3900 with kopecks, it seems). what can I say about the motorcycle:
1) You haven’t driven it anywhere yet, you just started it, but you’re already shocked by its ice lights (naturally, if it happens in the dark, and naturally shocked in the good sense of the word). near - on my 2011 Mercedes R350 with a bunch of ice, the light was the same. distant - thanks for the built-in strobe - blinking is a pleasure; and just like a distant chic. illumination in a turn, depending on the angle of inclination - chic, shine, beauty (3 ice on each side - the stronger the inclination - the next ice works).
2) After you have seen everything that the flashlight snatched in the dark, you return to this world and hear the sound of a motor. 75 degrees, 2 cylinders of 650 each... the sound is impressive (even with the original exhaust, with dill, even with d6killer it’s a little more pleasant). the motor in action is bottomless. from the beginning to the end of the revolutions (red zone at 10k). The only thing is that the gears are quite short (after gsxs1000/s1kr, etc.), but with a quickshifter in both directions you quickly forget about it))) and after some time you get used to it and don’t pay any attention at all. In terms of dynamics, I didn’t lose much from the litrosus. at 230 (on the track, of course, on the special stages it’s so bad to ride) - the bike starts to wobble. A new windshield has been ordered - based on reviews this will be fixed. Well, a square box of 58 liters also does not contribute to driving it so fast.
3) We set off, caught a hole/pit/hole - but it doesn’t matter at all. swallows them without transferring them to the spine. on previous mobilizations, everything possible was poured into my underpants. BUT!!! I have a work bike Honda Africa 2021, it also swallows potholes, but turns are not its thing. this does not apply to KTMA))) the VP electric suspension is wonderful. When braking to the floor, the bike does not bite like the Honda Africa, Yamaha Tracer 900 (maybe 700 - I haven’t ridden it), etc., etc. The goose doesn’t bite either, but there is a suspension from the front of the car both in design and in price. Well, the goose isn’t really moving yet (although, according to rumors, 1250 has started to go). along the forest path there is also a fiery suspension - even my wife did not immediately understand the moment when we left the asphalt (I have 0 experience in off-road driving).
4) Brakes - I looked at the NM reviews - supposedly after BMW the brakes are not informative. Well, I don't know - I jumped on the KTM after a test drive of the XP - everything is the same. maybe his copy had some kind of defect with the brakes, maybe in 2021 they did something new with them - I don’t know. In short, the brakes are the best (the same as on BMW).
5) Comfort. in everything. 3.143№ts how convenient. though with heated gel seats. handles with the same heating. Over the weekend, my wife and I covered about 500 km together - the mood was high, the ass was not done.
6) Traffic jams. more precisely how he stitches them. A friend in a 1290 GT didn’t catch up with me in traffic. since car mirrors are lower than our steering wheel, except that you can rest against trucks and jeeps, but there are much fewer of them.
6) I won’t write about the advantages of the central stand (well, I switched from street/sports bikes to a bike - so for me this is a huge plus). As well as about how many things you can take with you on this bike.
7) A bunch of assisting electronics, wheelie when the traction is turned off (up to 4th gear inclusive), stoppie (I didn’t do it, but I’ve seen enough of it) and so on.
I quickly scattered the pros.
Cons - well, I don't know, there are probably some, I just found one for 230 woblites. well, a 19 front wheel - if it were 17 - it would be a better bike. So I rushed to look for something for the rubber track - Continental Road Attack 3 is the best there is. And then in my country it’s a 2+ month wait.
Surely someone is tired of reading, here is a variation of a picture in an overseas language pasted on the trunk of my scooter - “Attention, there are fucking motorcyclists all around”
Another disadvantage is that KTM produces a lot of merch. cool one that you really want to buy. for example, these rubber boots - with dogs in the Israeli winter - are the best shoes.
Some of my friends had about the same face when I bought a new helmet for this bike
Because this helmet was Shoei Xspirit 3 (by the way, it’s really cool at speed on this bike):
The bike has been ordered (something has already been delivered) - a bunch of mounts for GoPro/Sonka/phone. Tank stickers. Everything that is boring from the heat was listed above by me. The wind deflector is new. Headlight protection. Radiator protection. Overalls and peppers for the track))) Something else, I don’t remember everything.
I still need to order a human helmet for the adventure game, which is a flip up. But Shoyka now sells only the model with cutouts for hay, and I like normal headsets on helmets. Unfortunately, the first neotek is no longer on sale (in the photos with the bike there is a working helmet) =(
Now the most concerning question for most people we know is related to the KTM logo - what is already broken? Nothing - the bike is new. and judging by the reviews, it won’t break. So far, I only tightened the chain at the service center (there was no head of the required size on hand), and changed the battery to a lithium one (while the bike was in the cabin, the original battery died - I bought a cheap one - I changed it to a normal one).
A photo from a finally non-rainy weekend (yes, the bike is dirty, but it’s also the rainy season in the country):
That's all, stay tuned, ready for race and all this tripe.
PS don’t scold me for writing. I'm not much of a writer.
Security Service
What is a 1300cc V-twin engine without supporting electronics? This is a tool that requires a professional to drive the oil, burnt to the point of fully synthetic oil, and apparently not get off the motorcycle even in his sleep. Such specimens are rare and certainly do not make money for the manufacturer.
Therefore, the Austrians went even further than on the 1190 Adventure model (by the way, also by no means deprived of electronic spies), and equipped their “super” with so many chips, electronic boards and microprocessors that even an IT specialist could get lost in them. Here's what it looks like in practice:
Major weight loss
One of the main tasks that the creators of the new model solved was the total lightweighting of the motorcycle. According to the manufacturers, almost 90% of the third generation Super Duke R has been revised.
The dimensions of the stiffening ribs have been reduced as much as is realistically possible! And with this simple technique, the engine became lighter by as much as 800 grams! Next, the layout of the oil lines in the engine changed. Because of this, it not only became lighter, but also eliminated some friction losses. Even the cooling pump is not so weighty now.
The exhaust system has lost a kilogram. The gearbox, manufactured by Pankl Racing Systems, is not only lightweight, but also has a short throw. Speaking of the gearbox, there is the possibility of adjustment and access to a longer stroke.
The frame lost a couple of kilos and the traverse lost another 200 grams. Lightweight aluminum and carbon subframe. The central parts of the structure are thinner than at the attachment points and on the ribs. The motorcycle has noticeably lost weight. Now his dry weight is 195 kilograms.
“The mass of a motorcycle - what can it be?”
MTC
This is traction control as interpreted by the Austrians. It works extremely intelligently, giving the pilot a deceptive feeling that he is simply a god of motorsport, capable of delicately mastering all 160 hp. With. 1300 cc power unit.
True, the off position instantly returns you to the ground: even in street engine operating mode, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure joyfully “spits” the front wheel into the air simply from the gas up to and including third gear. And even if the electronics are turned off, the motorcycle will slip at the first, even the most illusory, opportunity.
TPMS
An extremely useful optional system that monitors tire pressure. Unfortunately, it reacts to the familiar and understandable 2.3 BAR in the front wheel and 2.2 BAR in the rear as if it were low pressure, displaying panic warnings on the screen.
Fortunately, the latter can be ignored only by pressing one key on the four-button control panel of this entire electronic world. Of course, this is only part of the safety electronics. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure is equipped with a fully electronically adjustable WP suspension, which is managed by an “office” called SCU.
Wheels, tires, brakes
You have already noticed that the words “new” and “light” are applied to almost any part of the motorcycle... Therefore, the principle is the same here. Bridgestone S22 tires are the result of a joint effort between KTM and Bridgestone. The point is that the rear wheel has a softer frame, which has a positive effect on the contact patch and maneuvering when exiting turns.
“Motor tires - what is the difference with a car tire?”
We immediately see cast five-spoke aluminum alloy wheels. The front brake is a 320mm disc with Brembo 4-piston monobloc calipers, while the rear is a 240mm Brembo twin-piston fixed caliper. due to this particular system - minus another 90 grams of weight.
DIN 26262
The DBW (Drive By Wire) system meets this standard, and this little-meaning acronym, combined with the army of electronics listed above, takes the KTM 1290 Super Adventure's relationship with the pilot to a new level. The level when the most timid neophyte, afraid of even his own shadow, is able to cope with such a power potential as 160 hp. With. and 140 Nm.
The KTM 1290 Super Adventure's dashboard has everything you need: from information about the current engine operating mode to the selected suspension settings. Moreover, the panel menu allows you to display on the “desktop” exactly the information that seems to be a priority to the owner. The additional headlights on the sides are not fog lights at all - they turn on automatically when the motorcycle turns for better illumination of the road (accordingly, the right one is on the right, and the left one is on the left)! It is curious that the headlights always operate in this mode, regardless of the general lighting level.
