KTM 1090 ADVENTURE R
FIRST TEST
P62
way), the PDS system stiffens
up substantially and increases
the resistance to bottoming out.
This is a bit of a boon for the
1090 because one of the issues
confronting big adventure bikes
is the shock blowing through the
stroke, making for a pretty
uncomfortable ride on
anything other than billiard
smooth roads.
The front-end has also
come in for an overhaul.
It's still the same WP 48mm
split cartridge system like
the 1190, but it sports a
heavier 6.5 Nm spring
compared to the 5.5 Nm
as used before. KTM also
beefed up the valving and
raised the oil level, resulting in a
fork that not only rides higher in
the stroke, but provides better
chassis balance with more bot-
toming resistance and a subtler
feel when you hit hard edges,
like climbing over rocks while
chasing KTM development rider
and American off-road badass,
Quinn Cody.
The steel trellis chassis,
The new motor
is indeed new.
Crank, rods,
pistons, heads,
cams, they
have all seen a
workover.
been thrown at the 1090 is in the
suspension. A long-time expo-
nent of the KTM EXC line, this is
the first KTM ADV bike to come
with the dual piston, fully adjust-
able PDS (Progressive Damp-
ing System) shock absorber.
As the shock gets lower in the
stroke (it's got 250mm/9.8
inches of ground clearance and
the same shock length, by the
"THE 1090 IS A BIKE
EVERYONE CAN GET
THE MOST OUT OF,
FROM QUINN CODY TO
LITTLE OL' ME."
Off-Road map allows only
100 horsepower to reach
the back tire, not the full
125 horsepower, with a
softer throttle response
compared to Sport or
Street, and if you switch the
ABS to Off-Road it'll discon-
nect the system from the
rear wheel to allow you to
back the bike into corners
while still having the protec-
tion of ABS on the front.
There's no Bosch cornering
lights or Cornering ABS system
mated the same four-piston cali-
pers on this 1090—that stuff has
been saved for the 1290 range
and one of the reasons KTM has
managed to knock nearly $3000
off the sticker price.
Delving further into the chas-
sis, much of the work that's
Exhaust is basically the same as the 1190's.
