FIRST RIDE
P56
KTM 2013 1190 ADVENTURE
The 1190 replaces the previous
990 Adventure in a big way. It
gets a new motor, a new chassis,
new 17-inch (front and rear) tubeless tires and spoked wheels,
and a ton of other goodies like
electronic damping suspension
(EDS), KTM's Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), C-ABS braking, a slipper clutch, electronic
ride-by-wire engine management
system and an adjustable windscreen. It also has a tire-pressure
monitoring system, adjustable
seat (height), and LED running
lights. The headlight's low beam
also automatically comes on
when it senses a drop in ambient
lighting like when riding through
a tunnel. The 1190 Adventure,
KTM's answer to BMW's new water-cooled R1200GS, is the most
technically advanced motorcycle
the company has ever produced.
The bike we got to sample was
a 2013 European model that is already available across the pond,
but will be identical to the 2014
U.S. version that will be here by
the end of the year. The same
LC8 motor that powers KTM's
1190 RC8 R superbike is used in
the 1190 and is nestled in the Adventure's steel trellis frame.
The motor, however, has been
retuned more for usability "at every pace" than outright power.
But don't worry the Adventure is
still crazy fast, just not scary fast.
That's because the 150-horsepower motor is remarkably
smooth, controllable and predict-
able, and when you add in ABS
and traction control, your confidence level rises to new levels
on the 1190 Adventure. Grab a
handful of throttle and the 1190
responds instantly and the front
end gets light as the revs rapidly
– but controllably - build. Grab
another gear and the same thing
happens all over again - and again
and again - right through sixth
gear. Throttle response from the
52mm Keihin throttle body is also
crispy clean.
Adding to the enjoyment is the
Adventure's ride-by-wire ECU
system, which offers four enginemanagement modes to choose
