VOLUME 59 ISSUE 47 NOVEMBER 22, 2022 P85
T
he 1290 Super Adventure
S has been the sleeping
giant in KTM's lineup ever
since its 2017 debut. Underrated,
under-loved and under-appreci-
ated, the 1290 S seemed almost
happy to be straddled with the
senior citizen role in KTM's other- senior citizen role in KTM's other- senior citizen role in KTM's other
wise youthful line of motorcycles
that seemed more concerned
with going fast on all types of ter- with going fast on all types of ter- with going fast on all types of ter
rain. As KTM proudly says, Ready
To Race.
However, in 2022 (2021 for the
rest of the world, sigh), the 1290
S received a significant facelift
and is now a sharper, leaner and
let's face it, angrier version of the
rather fluffy 2017 edition.
The designers went through the
$19,499 2022 KTM 1290 Super
Adventure S top to bottom, leav-
ing only the wheels, brakes and
a few odds and ends untouched
from the 2020 model. Housing a
revised version of the 1301cc LC8
V-twin found in the 2020 1290
Super Duke, the 1290 S gains
a few gearbox mods like a new
shift drum and shift forks, plus a
revised Quickshifter+ system for
some of the smoothest and fastest
gear changes of any bike on the
market today.
Top of the
morning to you,
sir. Switch the
traction control
off and this sort
of nonsense
is child's play
with that motor.
///
KTM'S ROAD
BEHEMOTH
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK I PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
AT LONG LAST, WE'VE GOT OUR HANDS ON A KTM 1290
SUPER ADVENTURE S. IS THE RIDE WORTH THE WAIT?
