Once you get into the Off-Road mode,
you switch off the ABS for the rear,
although, like the Triumph, ABS is al-
ways working on the front as per Euro 5
laws. Off-Road also allows you to switch
off wheelie control, enabling you to get
over rocks and logs without feeling like the motor is
about to have an electronic cardiac arrest.
KTM's 890 Adventure R grew from 799cc to
889cc for 2021 and beyond, not for any other
reason than to get the emissions coppers off its
back. More capacity means more torque, so it was
a win/win for KTM even though the 890 can no
longer be considered (the same for the Triumph,
for that matter) to be a true middleweight machine.
The new motor isn't just a case of boring out
the old one. There's a 20-percent heavier flywheel
for more controlled torque delivery, and
it gets running changes like additional oil
jets to cool pistons, new connecting rods
and pins, a revised clutch assembly with
new friction plates and more cooling.
Matched to KTM's up-and-down quick-
shifter and six-speed gearbox, KTM's 890 makes
a claimed 100 horsepower taken at 8000 rpm and
74 lb-ft of torque at 6500 rpm. Over our three days
of testing, we got an average of 43.6 mpg for the
890, giving a theoretical range of 230-odd miles
per 5.3-gallon tank.
KTM's laced the 890 Adventure R with some
sweet springers in the 48mm WP Xplor fork
and shock, both fully adjustable and both with
9.4-inches of travel. Like the Triumph, the chassis
and subframe are a tubular steel design, although,
COMPARISON I KTM 890 ADVENTURE R VS. TRIUMPH TIGER 900 RALLY PRO
P76
More dirt bike-
based ergos mean
the KTM isn't
quite as comfy as
the Triumph on
the road.
