VOL. 53 ISSUE 18 MAY 10, 2016 P113
approximately 150 pounds more
so than the Super Duke R fully
loaded, you'd think things would
be a lot tamer and mellower on
the Super Adventure. Mmm, not
really!
The KTM's said 160-horse-
power, 1301cc 75° V-twin engine
makes the nearly 600-pound Su-
per Adventure actually feel light.
One hundred and sixty horse-
power is an awful lot for a bike
of this nature, but that shouldn't
scare you at all, because all
of its sophisticated electron-
ics makes everything, engine
included, so very manageable.
For everyday freeway commut-
ing and casual riding, I generally
preferred Street of the three ride
modes. The engine still barks
but without the herky-jerky and
more hyper feel of the other
Sport and Rain modes. Rain
mode, which reduces actual
horsepower from 160 to 100, re-
ally tones things down quite a bit
for when things get slick. When
you combine engine mode,
MTC and C-ABS with the Super
Adventure's new suspension
management system, you pretty
much have a bike that anyone
can ride with complete confi-
dence. KTM has proven with the
Super Adventure and all of its
electronics that you really can't
have too much power anymore.
I was impressed with the
Super Adventure's seemingly
endless adjustability of its sus-
pension, which is electronically
controlled by the bike's suspen-
sion control unit, which, in a
nutshell, constantly adjusts the
The 1290 SA
is not cheap,
but you do get
a lot for the
money.
The 1290's engine is a big part of
the Super Adventure's success. It's
similar to the Super Duke R's except
for a heavier crank.
