B I G B O R E A D V C O M P A R I S O N T E S T
P74
SHOOTOUT
It's easy to see
the dirt bike ergos
here compared
to something like
the BMW. This
thing was built
for hardcore off-
roading.
It's not the best on the road in
this test—the motor still has that
KTM trait of radiating too much
heat back to the rider and the
seat, while good for short stints
on the trails, becomes super
hard after a big tarmac session.
It's also rather tall in the seat,
which makes it a pain for short
riders. The wind protection
also lags behind the BMW and
Ducati on the road.
But where the KTM shines is
still the terrain it was designed
for—the dirt. The KTM has the
most confidence-inspiring chas-
sis of the lot, and allows even
piss-weak off-road riders like
me the chance to feel a little bit
special. It's tall, long but not as
heavy as it looks, and responds
beautifully to everything from
slow-speed maneuvering through
trees and rocks to fast, sweeping
fire trails drifting sessions.
Aesthetically the KTM looks
absolutely on-point, ready to
take on the Dakar (in the specta-
tor lanes). Another argument is
because this motor is being dis-
continued next year, these 1190
machines will be in dealers at a
steal for the next few months.
