KTM 1190 Adventure R: Anatomy of an Off-Road Superbike

I was fortunate to spend a bit of time testing the standard 1190 for a new magazine and while it was a great all rounder I think the R is certainly the bike for off-road work. The 21" front makes a big difference in my experience and it lets you run proper off road tyres (the choices in a 19" front for genuine knobbies are a bit limited). The extra suspension travel and clearance are also big advantages in the dirt.

Having said that the standard model is still a nice bike.

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G'Day,

This was one of my main concerns with the new bike but I think they have really nailed the engine characteristics. In the off road mode it is smooth and tractable with plenty of grunt but not so much that it is a handful in tight going. In sport mode, the thing is an animal but in a strange contradiction, still controllable if you exercise some restraint. I am yet to experience any jerky throttle response or go looking for power and come up short. It will pull cleanly from really low revs if required and the engine is free from vibration until you really start to work it. Pretty impressive stuff so far.

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Superb photos Danny and very interesting read

I can see an 1190R in my future for sure...but i'm not rushing out to sell my SE for a new one - my plan is to wait untill spring next year here in the UK when i will search for a 12 month old one that some one with lots of money has bolted all the right bits on ready for me...

we not daft from Wales you know (well most of us)

Thanks.

As Al (OFBM) mentioned, it isn't my day job but I do take it pretty seriously these days and that has led to opportunities within the publishing industry.

Primarily though, I just love riding bikes and taking photo's.

G'Day Steve,

I still like riding a dirt bike but, like you, I enjoy the freedom of the big adventure bikes. Yesterday was spent riding the 1190 and it was one of the best days I have had on the bike in a while. I was on my own, with no particular plan and just let the day go where the track took me. I rode trails for 200 kilometers, sat by the ocean eating a bread roll and then wicked it up on the bitumen coming home. It was an awesome day and although I would have happily done it on my DRZ, I may have been more inclined to stay in the scrub and not venture to beach in the afternoon. Sitting there, beside a new bike, with the sun dropping behind the horizon was pretty special.

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As far as comparison's go, I really haven't spent a lot of time on a 990 so I wouldn't want to put my foot in it. I can say that the 1190 makes a sensational road bike (bear in mind that I am primarily a dirt bike rider). It is smooth, easy to ride and feels light around town. In the dirt I can't really tell you how they would compare except to say that riding it yesterday I was thinking to myself that the bike would be capable of going anywhere I would want to reasonably take a big bike. It jumped erosion mounds, ploughed through some freshly bulldozed sand tracks (ie. loose powder) and skipped through muddy ruts.

Now this may be the new bike syndrome talking (quite likely) but I was really impressed with it and began to understand the LC8 obsession. I have mates who have been quick to turn over motorcycles (not unlike myself) who have purchased a 950 / 990 and held onto them like a pirate covets treasure. I could never really comprehend it but pulling off the beach yesterday and giving it a squirt on the bitumen, I am starting to come around. Hopefully this bike works out well because I feel it corrupting me already.

G'Day Al,

I nearly ended up with a Super Enduro not too long ago. Found one going really cheap in Brisbane but I dug a bit deeper and there was a bit more to the story.

G'Day Bill,

It was a hard decision to part with the Tiger. I put it on the Fleamarket to test the waters and in no time it was gone. I had some serious sellers remorse for a while but it was going to a good home and I consoled myself with that.

Good fun playing with a new toy though.

G'Day,

I reckon if I had an SE in the shed I wouldn't be parting with it in a hurry either. Having been fortunate to spend a bit of time on them in the past, they have always left me with a big grin. I had previously been looking around for a good one in Oz for a decent price but they have become a bit of a collectors item and are priced accordingly. The 1190 is a great compromise for me though, being used as an all rounder.

Finishing Touches​

Part of the learning curve on any new bike is figuring out it's quirks. The KTM has some really nice features that I have discovered so far but there are a couple of oversights that make you wonder, like the sidestand. Does KTM leave this job for the work experience students to design? Why must they bolt part of the bracket to the engine and why do they think that a 200kg+ bike will be supported by a sidestand with a foot the size of a small cracker? It's a minor detail I know but it sure makes it a pain to park in the bush on softer ground. Yesterday I resorted to leaning the bar against a tree because I couldn't work it out. An extension plate is on the way.

On the positive side the centrestand works really well, it is easy to get the bike onto it most of the time.

Another interesting observation is the Daytime Running Light. The run of LED's below the regular headlight are great for visibility and save running the regular light during the day but I can't seem to turn the option off permanently. When stationery, a menu appears that allows you to do so, but next time you start the bike it forgets that option and reverts to the DRL mode (ie normal light only comes on when it senses a drop in ambient light). I am guessing it's a software glitch but for now I am going to find the sensor and put some tape over it. In case you are wondering, the reason for doing so is that last night I was riding on a country road and the lights of an oncoming car seemed to trip the sensor and turn the lights off leaving me with the glow worm illumination of the LED's. Not my idea of fun at 100kph on a dark night?

Another idiosyncrasy at this stage is the ABS mode selection. Selecting the Off Road engine map doesn't change the ABS preference which still defaults to Road each time you start the bike. I guess it is a safety feature but it would be nice if the Off Road ABS feature (which works really well) stayed on while it was in that mode?

The positives are are numerous though. The bike is really put together to my eye. Most details are finished off nicely and I think it will age well, even with dirt use. The rear axle alignment bolts are exposed with the new design and won't be sitting in swing arm moisture. There is a plastic shroud under the bottom triple clamp that stops trail debris coming up through the gap and covering the rider and wiring with mud. The foot pegs are height adjustable and the bars can be moved forward and back to tailor the ergonomics. The screen works quite well but is noisy, albeit free from buffeting. Front header pipe is very exposed but nothing a decent bash plate won't sort out.

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hi 'mate' ,

Most interesting observations/review you have made so far... I have taken a testride on the normal 1190 and was impressed by it's road capabilities compared to my 990. Nevertheless I do not think of switching to a 1190 yet simply because I still have loads of fun with the 990 esp. off-road. A 1190R will probably be parked one day outside my door but that will not be the case in the near future. Untill then I enjoy reading your adventures with the 1190R
Once more my compliments for your photography

Regards from the North of the Netherlands

They made this mistake AGAIN? W T F! Really?

Great thread and pictures. This picture makes me want to trade my SMT...

Much thanks for your detailed observations and great review. The 1190r is in my radar for the near future, can't wait until the arrive here in the US.

NOW I see why you sold the Tiger... I cant hate, only congratulate

The standart version can do off road very well ! better then all the others like BMw, or and other japanesse bike. 990 not really a off road bike 990 r is more like a offroad bike i guess you can do anything with 1190 standart what ever you do with 990

Great unbiased views. Great views as well.

Hi Burren,

Great photos. Witch tires are those ones?
I have fitted on mine the Mitas E-07 Dual sport. It's not to much options in tubeless tires.. At least that what they told me. And also I have a problem with the rear sensor since I installed those tires.. Always shows "Low pressure at the rear"

Wow!! I have too many bikes but have to get this bike for sure. I can't part with any that I have. Maybe the Ducati has to go! Never thought I would think that. Awesome write up! Thank you!

I believe he said he's using a Tube Type Pirelli Scorpion Rally on the front and a Mitas E-09 dakar on the rear, obviously his TPS comes on because of the front tube.

By the way Burren(Danny), what equipment are you using for those fantastic pics???

I believe, the question was not about the tires on his Adventure R. The tires he asked about are the tires on the Adventure (non R) he tested/photographed. They look like Shinko 700 tires.