2023 ADV GUIDE P23
higher grade of rider that's willing to screw it on a
bit harder.
However, the KTM's WP Xplor fork and shock
combination are clearly superior to the Ducati's
KYB units when the going gets really rough.
KTM's spent years developing this fork and shock
in conjunction with the 790/890 Adventure itself,
perfecting it to the point where Jesse and I both
agree it's the best ADV suspension package on
the market today.
But again, KTM's Ready To Race mantra starts
to shine through as the ride is stiff and taught
compared to the softer base setup of the Ducati.
In turn, this makes the Ducati nicer to deal with
on tarmac, something we've got to take into ac-
count given how many tar miles these bikes do—
we're not all doing our own off-road Long Way
Round tour.
The seat heights are near identical between the
two bikes, the Ducati measuring only 0.2 inches
less at 34.4. Brakes are the same in the Brembo
monobloc radially mounted four-piston calipers
(Above) Fuel down low on the KTM provides
excellent weight distribution and we've yet to
hear of someone hitting a rock hard enough to
split it that hasn't been a monumental crash.
(Below) While a good
idea in theory, the
Ducati dash didn't win
much praise.
