KTM 1090 ADVENTURE R
FIRST TEST
P66
on.
We did all of about one mile
of tarmac before we hit the dirt
leaving KTM HQ, so I stuck the
1090 in Off-Road on the throttle
and ABS maps and surprised
myself by leaving it there for the
next six hours. There's plenty
of mumbo with 100 horsepower
hitting the back tire in terrain
that 45 horsepower dirt bikes
would struggle in. Running
sandy washouts and creek
beds, leaving the Adventure R in
third or fourth gear and just let-
ting it chug along, there's really
no need to go any higher in the
maps but curiosity got the better
of me. Switching to Street mode
with TC and ABS off seemed to
be the magic concoction for the
dirt, allowing the rear Continen-
tal TKC80 to drift controllably but
still provide meaningful forward
momentum.
The reduction of horsepower
means the Adventure is now
truly a bike for all riders. It's still
a big, heavy thing, but without
150 horsepower and tons of
electronics to wrap your head
around, the 1090 is a bike ev-
eryone can get the most out of,
from Quinn Cody to little ol' me.
The Off-Road ABS setting
worked well up until things
(Left) Graphics
have been
reworked but are
still unmistakably
KTM. (Right) The
new fork's got a
heavier spring and
revised damping,
and it's a solid
improvement.
"THE ENGINE AND
ELECTRONICS MIGHT BE
GOOD, BUT THE REAL STAR
OF THE 1090 SHOW IS THE
NEW SUSPENSION."
The view from
the cockpit is the
same as before.
