2019 K TM 790 ADVENTURE AND 790 ADVENTURE R
FIRST REVIEW
P90
Low-to-midrange torque is plenti-
ful, and there's even a decent
top-end pull once you hit above
6000 rpm.
Where the base 790 struggles
is in the suspension, being a
more road-focused proposition
than the 790 R, little nuances
like a pretty harsh initial high-
speed compression with the fork
when hitting potholes at speed
and rebound that's too quick on
the rear under hard acceleration
hold the bike back. The overall
ride quality isn't too bad, and at
medium speed on dirt roads, the
790 handles itself pretty well, but
you're reminded you're on the
lower spec package compared
to the 790 R.
That might not matter for many
people, however. The 790 will
be an excellent traffic weapon.
The mirror spans are narrow
enough to allow for decent lane
splitting (where legal, of course),
and short bursts in the city
would be a piece of cake on the
790. Motorcycle couriers will
love this thing, especially when
paired with the luggage options.
My pick of the two easily goes
to the 790 R, especially given
it's only $1000 more, but that
shouldn't come as any great
surprise. The suspension on
the base 790 is a drawback for
outright performance, but consid-
ering you still get all the electron-
ics, the same brakes, same mo-
tor and chassis, the standard 790
is still an attractive package. CN
Because, you know, we
were in Africa, after all.
