QUICKSPIN I 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
P90
the 2017-2021 model, with the
steering head moved 15mm
closer to the rider. A 15mm lon-
ger swingarm aids acceleration,
traction and stability, allowing
you to screw it on harder and
faster, if you so choose.
WP's 48mm SAT (Semi Active
Technology) fork and WP SAT
shock take care of the suspen-
sion duties, and the fork is fitted
with a version of anti-dive that
has been the bane of many an
engineer since motorcycle sus-
pension itself was invented.
WP's version allows the fork
to compress under braking like a
traditional fork. However, when
the front brake is applied, a signal
is sent to the fork which allows
the magnetic valves within it to
close rapidly, which restricts oil
flow and slows down fork speed.
This effectively allows the com-
pression circuit to be moderated
in a quicker, more controlled way,
and ensures that if you hit bumps
in the road the compression
damping can be altered to keep
the front wheel in touch with the
tarmac at all times.
There's no real way to test
this aside from slamming on the
brakes on a bumpy road, which I
did a few times, and I'll freely put
my hand up and say I couldn't
tell what exactly was happen-
ing underneath me other than
braking performance was never
compromised. At no point did
I feel like the bike was going to
get away from me. The ride is
uber smooth, but it's a very elec-
tronic motorcycle, which gives a
slightly different/disconnected
All-day comfort is on the
cards with the 1290 S, especially
if you're around six feet tall.
