2021 KTM 890 Adventure R Rally and 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R
KTM has revealed two new models, the 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R Rally and the 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R, adding to its already wide range of touring motorcycles. The event was attended by athletes from the factory Red Bull KTM Rally team - Toby Price and Sam Sunderland, as well as Chris Birch.
Mid-sized tourenduros
Two years ago, KTM launched the 790 Adventure line and set a new trend for mid-sized touring bikes that were the size of larger bikes, equipped with the same technology and the same impressive looks, but less heavy, equipped with balanced twin-cylinder engines and designed with greater attention to needs. riders. Of course, this segment quickly became popular.
For the 2021 model year, KTM has updated the proven 890cc engine and retuned it, adding power and mid-range torque to the two Adventures.
Orange mood: test drive KTM 1090 Adventure
Remember the first KTM Adventure? Not the small 640, but the real, unbearably heavy and brutal first 950, and then the 990: these motorcycles did not forgive weaknesses and mistakes, requiring incredible driving skills and physical training from the pilot, offering in return the opportunity to travel thousands of kilometers in conditions that are not very compatible with the life of many other touring enduros.
But the years passed, and the Austrians first began to comb the wild beast, and then completely tame it - the 1190 Adventure rode no worse than its predecessor 990, but was distinguished by a revolutionary set of electronics and smart stabilization systems at that time. It was they who were elevated to the absolute level with the advent of the 1290 Super Adventure, but the price tags for these devices rose to such a height that they could easily reach the stars with their hands.
The new KTM 1090 Adventure fully retains the DNA code of the big tourer family
Meanwhile, the popularity of the Adventure family only grew, and new motorcycles, in our opinion, began to squeeze the little-worn “orange” ones from the secondary market, and competitors, it must be said, were not asleep. It is logical that it was precisely for those who do not have enough for the “older” model and those who simply do not need such rich functionality, and first the KTM 1050 Adventure was created, then the 1090 Adventure, which appeared this year.
KTM 1090 Adventure replaces 1050 Adventure in the model range
The 1090 family includes two motorcycles: the “off-road” version 1090 Adventure R and the “asphalt” 1090 Adventure, which we decided to test. Why him? Firstly, today it is the most affordable representative of the legendary family, and secondly, it is incredibly interesting to try out the Austrian crossover, because recently its competitors have been multiplying like cats. Judge for yourself: the 1090 can be compared with the liter Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki V-Strom 1000, the Yamaha Tracer and Triumph Tiger Sport are a stretch, but the main thing, of course, is the Ducati Multistrada 950 that appeared this year.
The cost of the new KTM 1090 Adventure is 799,000 rubles, which makes it one of the most affordable in its class
In general, we chose the most interesting device. But what about his appearance? Of course, it doesn’t look as cool as the 1290 SuperAdventure, which has a lot in common with the “younger” one, but the head optics from the “old” 1190 Adventure with incandescent lamps do not hurt the eye with their radical appearance. Judging by the feedback from our readers, the radical look of dual blocks of diode spotlights with a metal radiator in the middle was not to everyone’s taste; it’s good that the Austrians left buyers a choice and took care of the conservatives. Although even they won’t have to look retrograde - the diode strip of running lights is also in the head optics of the 1090 Adventure, which makes the device look very elegant both in photographs and in life.
The front optics, familiar from the 1190 and 1050 Adventure models, cope well with their duties.
The windshield with a cutout for the headlight is also pleasing to the eye, which, moreover, has a new height adjustment mechanism with two eccentrics. It’s difficult to call it comfortable, because for normal fixation you have to tear off not only your left, but also your right hand from the steering wheel, but it’s probably reliable: the steel elements look durable and will certainly be more durable than plastic latches.
The windshield has a convenient mechanical height adjustment, but on modern touring bikes this is the norm rather than the exception
The plastic armor on the sides, acting as sliders, also looks interesting - the design is stunning, and the soft elements absorb impacts well, protecting the tail and the 23-liter tank of the motorcycle. The instrument panel remained old, having migrated unchanged from the 1190 - at the head is an analog tachometer with a bright needle and a blinker, on the sides there are a pair of monochrome monitors, informative and well readable. The 1290 Super Adventure, of course, cannot be compared with the wide-diagonal color tablet, but its design and ergonomics are close to perfection.
The dashboard comes straight from the 1190 Adventure.
These small and not so small touches create a mood and charm, but a trained eye immediately clings to annoying little things - the right remote control is noticeably different from the left one in the quality of workmanship. The gaps between the halves are large, and the red keys for the starter and emergency stop of the engine shine cheaply and boldly against the background of the noble matte red emergency light button on the left control panel. In addition, the throttle handle is too playful - a trifle, but a sediment remains. However, let’s chalk this up to the fact that a particular instance was “worn out” by test riders and journalists.
The only complaint about the controls is the deliberately cheap engine stop button and the throttle play.
By the way, the grips, as the inscription on them proudly says, are made by Domino, the court supplier of the stables of the Irbit motorcycle plant. Ural Gear-Up, for example, has remote controls and handles from the same company.
Thanks to the convenient keys on the left remote control, navigating the menu is easy
The glove compartment, located to the right of the tidy, also did not produce delight. What should I put in it? The phone doesn’t fit, neither does a pack of cigarettes, and the molding of the lid, like its latch, is not striking in its elegance. But to the left of the dashboard there is a neat hole, clearly designed for a cigarette lighter - a smart solution that will relieve future owners of a lot of problems with installing an outlet. But regarding the plastic tail, I don’t have a definite verdict - the wing, the platform for the trunk, the passenger handles and even the brackets for the side luggage containers, in addition to the stern tail itself, are made entirely of plastic. Only the subframe and muffler bracket are metal, and even those are painted with matte black paint to look like plastic. On the one hand, it’s stylish, sometimes noble and certainly practical, on the other – well, “ready to race”! Just hearing this phrase brings to mind bright orange pipes, steel elements, deliberate rigidity and sportiness. However, the taste and color of felt-tip pens are different.
The platform for the trunk with integrated plastic passenger handles looks simple but functional
But the saddle is definitely comfortable: the cushion is moderately soft, it doesn’t sit too high, with a height of one meter and eighty, both soles stand confidently on the asphalt, the steering wheel is high and equally comfortable for riding in a sitting or standing position. The footrests, on the contrary, are not high and are somewhat shifted back, comfortable and with an eye to a sporty mood. You can easily spend 10-15 hours in such a saddle, and it’s quite comfortable to ride in a stand-up position - the motorcycle has the right waist, the knees literally grab the tank themselves.
The high, wide steering wheel coupled with toothy footpegs allows you to move comfortably in a standing position.
Otherwise, the breed obliges! What was it based on? On the electronics: no frills, there is only a gentleman’s set of three engine operating modes associated with switchable (if desired) traction control and ABS, as well as a function for automatically turning off the turn signals. That's all. No heating, cruises, quick shifters, electric suspension, headlights that look into turns, keyless entry and prostate massages.
However, it’s difficult to call this set insufficient: the Sport, Street and Rain modes, in which the power of the 125-horsepower engine is reduced to 100 horses, and traction with ABS increase attention, are enough for the city and trips outside its borders. In addition, according to company representatives, additional functions, such as the Off Road mode, can be installed for an additional fee. And as you wanted, the twenty-first century is just around the corner, just a little more, and the tuning will be available for download on the Apple Store!
On light off-road the motorcycle feels confident, thanks to the long-travel suspensions
What you really won’t be able to download is new suspensions and chassis, and it’s not necessary - the current ones are quite decent. The steel tubular frame is very, very rigid, the aluminum swingarm is good, and the fork doesn’t play. But for active driving, the rigidity of the “shifter” hydraulics is not enough - pushing in the city is comfortable, and on a rough road too, but the first small jump, and the fork, despite the good travel, collapses completely.
The same problem is with the dives during braking - they are not scary, the fork does not compress completely, but any decent hole will put pressure on it, and at the same time it will damage the 19-inch aluminum front disc, so you will have to pay for mistakes. It is clear that the problem is not with a specific model, but with all telescopic forks, however, I lack adjustment, if I bought such a device for myself, the first thing I would do is order tuning springs and fill in thicker oil.
The WP inverted fork has 185mm of travel and 43mm of stays.
But the rear shock absorber is adjustable both in terms of spring preload and hydraulic stiffness, so you can just tighten it up and land on the rear wheel, thereby eliminating the softness of the front end. KTM engineers love fast driving on rough roads too much; they don’t leave even budget models unarmed. That is why the 1090 Adventure behaves well both on broken asphalt and without it, even on road tires.
The rear suspension has a full range of adjustments, although only in manual mode
But still, the main merit and breakthrough of the device is its lightness. No Adventure in my memory has ever felt so weightless! The motorcycle follows the wheel religiously, swaying is countered by opening the gas and loading the rear suspension, nothing betrays the habits of the obedient device as a liter tourenduro. Just look at the clutch lever, which you can squeeze without straining with one finger!
The engine power is enough to lift the muzzle and move the wheel over an obstacle or jump onto a curb.
But don’t be fooled, behind this obedience and lightness lies a peppy V-twin with the legendary name LC8. And even though it produces “only” 125 forces, it begins to pull confidently from 3500 rpm and right up to the cutoff, and it spins up at lightning speed, so the crazy acceleration can only be marred by the Austrian-style long travel of the gearbox pedal with not the most intelligible engagement. However, the feeling of a bicycle pedal instead of a gearshift lever quickly passes, you get used to the peculiarities, and by the end of the test day you even begin to catch the “neutral” the first time, so by and large there is nothing to blame the gearbox for.
V-twin LC8 engine producing 125 hp, coupled with a six-speed gearbox
The traction control is also good, which, as on older models, cuts not the fuel, but the air supply. This happens so delicately and unnoticed that you only learn about the operation of the system from the flashing display on the dashboard! But ABS is without revelations, modern, but nothing more. It detects wheel locks clearly, you can’t complain about too early activation, but you traditionally expect more than just good from KTM.
Switchable traction control gives greater freedom when choosing routes, especially off-road
The brakes live up to expectations - the opposed Brembo calipers with radial mounts, it seems, cannot work at all in four. The feedback is sufficient, there is enough tenacity, so you can brake confidently and, most importantly, safely even from 220 km/h, to which I managed to accelerate the 1090 Adventure at a special testing ground.
Brembo opposed calipers with radial mounts and standard ABS are responsible for effective deceleration.
So is the game worth the trouble and is the new 1090 Adventure really that good? Definitely good, in some places sufficient, in others great, but before purchasing you will have to weigh the pros and cons for a long time. Yes, this is a real KTM, without discounts on the price tag and equipment, but the Austrians offer too many options for them to just grab a crossover just like that.
The new 1090 feels great both on and off pavement
What if in a year the need to jump on curbs will be replaced by a craving for real adventure, for which you will need at least a 1090 Adventure R, or even a 1290 Super Adventure? There is no definite answer to this question and there cannot be; only one thing can be said with confidence - the 1090 Adventure is balanced, self-sufficient and has every right to bear its big name.
Video review of the KTM 1090 Adventure motorcycle:
We thank the Bike Land Motor Show for providing us with a motorcycle for testing.
Accreditation and organization of test drives – Denis Sokolov | | +7 (999) 851-49-71
Features of KTM 890 Adventure R Rally 2021
KTM 890 Adventure R Rally 2021
- Limited edition of 700 units - 200 in the US and 500 in other markets
- Updated engine and electronics
- WP XPLOR Pro Suspension Components
- Akrapovic exhaust (35% lighter than standard)
- 910mm straight racing seat
- RALLY mode and Quickshifter+ as standard
- Narrow anodized spoked wheels with tubed tires
- Racing graphics and colors
- Carbon tank protection, rally footpegs
Developments from the KTM rally team
The KTM 890 Adventure R Rally is a dedicated motorcycle for the most ardent adventurer , versatile yet equipped for more serious off-road riding. The 890 Rally incorporates a number of components and insights from the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally team, including telemetry data recorded while riding in various terrains around the world, analyzed and used directly in the new model.
This includes the top-of-the-line fully adjustable suspensions on WP Pro components with special off-road settings. The power of the four-stroke two-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts is increased, also thanks to the installation of an Akrapovic muffler on the Rally model.
The 890 Adventures are, plus or minus, the same 790 Adventure R and Rally, but at maximum speed. The new engine produces 105 hp and 100 Nm, which is 10 hp and 12 Nm more than the younger ones. The crankshaft has 20% more rotating mass, and KTM says the overall effect of the new engine developments is to provide more stable and consistent power and traction across the rev range.
More weight also means more stability, which will be a bonus on long trips. The Adventure R features fully adjustable WP XPLOR suspension, as well as new ABS and traction control algorithms.
Total
There are not so many mid-sized touring enduros on the market, and motorcycles of this class with liter+ engines are often really very heavy and cumbersome. Austrian designers managed to create the KTM 790 Adventure, a truly unique bike that combines the advantages of both its older and younger comrades. From the former, he took a powerful engine and first-class technical equipment, and from the latter, a modest weight and ease of operation. If finances allow it, and you want to get a motorcycle that can comfortably take you to the very ends of the world, then the KTM 790 Adventure is created just for you.
Features of the 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R
KTM 890 Adventure R 2021
- New 889 cc engine, increased by 90 cc. cm.
- 20% more rotating mass
- More power - 105 hp at 8000 rpm
- Higher torque - 100 Nm at 6500 rpm
- Increased grip
- Improved ABS and traction control
- Redesigned gearbox for faster shifting
- Updated Quickshifter+ (optional)
- New cruise control switch on the steering wheel
- Updated chassis with aluminum steering column tube and lightweight subframe
- Redesigned front and rear brakes
- New suspension settings
Joachim Sauer, KTM Off-Road Product Manager:
We're doubly lucky with the new KTM 890 Adventure R Rally and Adventure R models. Firstly, to be able to count on high standards and great collaboration with our prize-winning rally team. It's great to be able to use their work and components, putting them directly into our production motorcycles.
Secondly, we are happy to provide new riding experiences. The increased performance along with the extra rotating mass really transforms the low-end feel, making the new bikes even more stable and efficient over long distances. I have every confidence that KTM Adventure owners will feel the difference as soon as they mount their motorcycles for adventure.
An exclusive version of the KTM 890 Adventure R Rally is available in limited quantities for pre-order at ktm.com
The KTM 890 Adventure R will be available at authorized dealerships later this year or early next year.
Video Review
Specifications
| Maximum engine power: | 94 hp (70 kW) HP |
| Torque: | 88 Nm Nm |
| Working volume: | 799 cm3 |
| Motor type (cylinder arrangement, number of strokes): | 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC Parallel twin |
| Number of cylinders: | 2 |
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| Starting system (Electric starter, kick starter): | |
| Cooling system: | Liquid cooling |
| Transmission (gearbox): | 6-speed, Quickshifter+ |
| Clutch (Dry / Wet): | |
| Drive unit: | Chain |
| Frame: | Steel |
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| Weight: | 189 kg |
| Fuel tank capacity: | 20 l. |
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