KTM 1190 Adventure
KTM 1190 Adventure
.KTM already set standards in the travel segment with the new 1190 Adventure inits first model year. Already in 2014, the 1190 Adventure, together with its "R"sister model, has been turned into what is currently the world's safestmotorcycle - yet still with undiluted riding pleasure. It was the firstmotorcycle, offering Bosch's new MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control). MSCenhances the existing package consisting of lean-sensitive traction control andABS featuring a combined braking function with a world first: the first everlean-sensitive cornering ABS. As ever, it sets standards in the travel segment:150 hp with a weight of only 230 kg fully tanked combine to produce apower-to-weight ratio previously unheard of in this class and thereforedelivering unrivalled ride dynamics. At the same time, the powerful, economicaland cultivated engine enables either particularly relaxed and comfortable ridingor, if required, super-sporty propulsion - with every conceivable level inbetween. The chassis combines lightness with outstanding geometry and fantasticsuspension, allow undreamed of riding pleasure in all conditions and whateverspeed you desire, from very relaxed to very, very fast.
Review
KTM’s 1190 Adventure provesworthy companion for all kinds of exploring.
I am never quite sure where to start when it comes to talkingabout adventure bikes. It is a world of relative values, not so much absolutes.Much depends on the perspective and expectations each rider brings to the table.In the dirt bike realm it is certainly much easier to say what works and whatdoesn’t.
When it comes to testing the 1190, I had one real lingeringquestion from our short time testing the previous year model. Just how well doesit work off road? The sexy R model gets all the attention in that department.But as I talked with more riders and considered the possibilities, it seemedthat there were a few good arguments for considering the standard adventure asthe best all around ADV mount.
The first question is, just how dirty do you want your ADV biketo be anyway? I love fire roading. I love having that freedom to reach the endof the pavement and just keep going without any hesitation. I want to go rightto the end of the road. But once the road ends, that is about as far as I expectto go. After that, I want something smaller like a KTM 500exc.
I guess don’t see single track and ADV as really belonging inthe same sentence.Now, I have watched the videos of Chris Birch doing all kindsof wild things on his 1190R and that is fantastic. But it won’t ever be me doingthat. I am not looking to attempt single track on the big bike.
For the street side, the 1190 Adventure we already know to be anamazing package. Once on tarmac, the feel is pure street. Power, handing,brakes, electronic systems are on par with some of the best in class for bigbore standards.
About the 1190 Adventure
The heart of the big KTM is the 1195cc 75 degree V twin motor.It features all of the high tech features that are so common on the new bikes,such as the box-in-box piston design, DLC coated parts, sophisticated ignitionsystem and long 9,000 mile service intervals. The 1190 produces 150 horsepower.Switchable ride modes can bring that down to 100 horse for off road and rainmodes.
The electronics package features both ABS and MCS tractioncontrol that can be manually adjusted to suit conditions: street, rain or offroad. These controls are so sophisticated that they even compensate for leanangle. Perhaps no where is the electronic performance more obvious than off roadwhere limited wheel spin and aggressive braking power afforded by the ABS seemto magically keep the big bike in control.
In street mode, the front brake is linked to the rear to providethe best possible stopping power. In off road mode, this link is disabled andthe rear wheel can be deliberately locked to allow slide for better steeringcontrol.
The tubeless spoke wheels are 19″/17″ combination. The spokerims are claimed to be more durable for hard use than cast rims. Tire pressuremonitors are also included. The stock Continental Attack 2 tires are clearly astreet biased choice.
Unique to the Adventure is the EDS Electronic Damping Systemsuspension. There are 4 different pre-programmed settings for load and 3 forcomfort level (sport to soft). With just a push of the button the suspension canbe customized to the ride. There is 190mm (7.5″) of travel at each end. Groundclearance is 8.6″.
The cockpit is an impressive array of displays. This is pairedwith the left side thumb switch cluster that scrolls through the display screensand provides access to all the mode options. Some modes, such as tractioncontrol, require the motor to be off to access. I guess this is to avoid thepossibility of accidently unwanted changes while riding. The instruments are agray on gray scheme which become gray on orange at night. The contrast can bedifficult to read in some sunny conditions. The night time display is mostlyjust a blur to my eyes.
There is a standard steering stabilizer mounted to the lowertriple clamp. The distinctive open lattice design swingarm is said to produceoptimum strength and flex characteristics. Also new are the LED daytime runninglights. The array of 12 bulbs replaces the low beam during daytime use, allcontrolled via automatic sensor.
Our Testing
I decided that the only set up real change that was needed formy use was a front tire. The stock Conti is not very aggressive looking for thedirt. I would need something more confidence inspiring. To that end I went withthe Conti TKC80. This is a popular tire and comes in the correct 120/70 B 19tubeless size.
I ordered this tire online and actually got the order wrong thefirst time. It can be a bit confusing looking at all the size options and makingsure to get the tubeless version. It didn’t help that the tire was back orderednearly everywhere in the country. I finally went directly to the Continentaltire site to make sure I had the exact part number.
I had never changed a modern tubeless motorcycle tire, so Idecided to give it a go on my own. The first thing I discovered is that the 1190center stand does not balance the bike. It needs some hefty weight to keep therear held down. After scratching my head a bit I chose to run a tie down fromthe luggage rack to the rear bumper of the van to hold the bike in place. Itworked fine.
I watch a Youtube video for instructions on breaking the bead.It is a little bit of a tedious process, but I was able to accomplish it withstandard tire irons, the same Ty Davis model I use for mousses. Basically thetechnique is to use one iron to wedge the tire down and a second iron, faced theopposite direction, to work directly against the bead. It takes some time andpatience because it seems that nothing is being accomplished. But after a fewminutes of work, it popped right down.
Other than putting a few scratches on the painted rim, I wasable to get the whole job done without too much effort. But I change a couple oftires nearly every week, so I may be more in practice than the average homemechanic.
Off To Mexico
Nothing says adventure bike to me more than Baja. There areendless miles of dirt roads. Many of the paved roads are hardly any better thanthe dirt. So I partnered up with Dean Potts of Bonanza Plumbing fame, you haveprobably seen his riders in Baja or the WORCS series. He would ride his dualsported 450xcw so we could really focus on rougher tracks.
Jumping into the dirt on the big bike always brings a bit ofapprehension, simply because I only do it a couple of times a year. But the 1190had me feeling at home in the dirt in no time. The TKC80 gave me good vibes fromthe get go. With the exception of one or two stretches of deep sand I felt incomplete control.
As for the rear, the Attack 2 was not bad. With all thefly-by-wire throttle, traction control and ABS the 1190 is amazingly wellcontrolled. It sort of goes against the grain for me, I want bikes to be simple.But there is no arguing with the performance in this case. The sophistication ofthe ABS is so far beyond the old 990 or 690. Those systems were worthless in thedirt. But the Bosch9ME C-ABS system is a big leap forward. It enhances dirtperformance and does a lot to overcome lack of grip by the tires.
The MCS traction control is interesting. For the most part Ifound that I liked the street mode best. This allows almost no wheel spin,compared to the off road mode that will allow the rear wheel to spin twice asfast as the front before kicking in. In street mode, the “no spin” simplyequaled a super smooth ride. You can actually hear the delay in throttle whenyou give it too much. You might be able to pick up the sound in the ride video.
For dry conditions on rough dirt roads this is a great set up. Iwas able to just concentrate on the ride and have fun. In the wet or mud, a reartire would certainly be called for too. There is not really anything for sidegrip on the stock tire. But all in all the 1190 worked as well or even betterthan I expected. I was always more comfortable than on a 990. It feels so muchsmaller and more agile.
For suspension settings, I settled on solo rider with baggagefor load and sport mode for comfort setting. Overall these settings worked well.Once I decided on them, I didn’t make any changes. I used the same for streetand dirt. The Adventure is quite smooth on the dirt and mild rough spots. It isprobably best to keep the pace mellow enough keep the wheels on the ground.
Riding behind me, Dean commented on how much action seemed to begoing on at the rear wheel, lots of movement. But at the seat level the bikeconsistently stayed very smooth. The suspension seems to be doing its job well.The 1190 will never feel like a 450, but I was surprised at times to think howmuch it reminded me of the 690 Enduro in the dirt. Much of handing is not thatfar off and the suspension is probably smoother in most conditions.
As for comparisons, certainly the 1190 R model would probably dobetter in rough conditions. The larger 21″ front wheel should track better. Thelonger travel suspension might handle more. But on the other hand, it doesn’thave the electronic suspension and may not handle as well in all aroundconditions.
Another plus for the standard is the lower seat height andcenter of gravity. The spec sheet show the R model as 30mm (1.18″) taller atseat and ground clearance. As the seat heights are adjustable, that is not anabsolute number. But you can see the standard model is a bit lower and thatwould have a positive effect on most handling.
For dirt riding I ran the seat in the lower position. Overallseating is okay, but I am not quite sure I found the exact spot to make me happyfor long miles on the street. The adjustable wind screen gives a bit ofprotection, but also left me with just a bit of buffeting at the helmet. It isalso just a tad tall when standing in the dirt. I might consider swapping it forthe tiny R model screen. Regardless, it is still much better than the old 990screen, I would routinely hit my helmet on it off road.
The bar position is also a little low for standing. It wasbetter once I removed the foot peg rubbers. I would want to look into somerisers, like those from Rox Speed, for my own use.
Once out on the tarmac, it is just a flip of the switch to sportmode to get the 1190 motor back into full song at 150 horse. No, you don’treally need it, but it sure is fun. Actually, putting the motor in street mode,instead of sport, gives a bit more torque and nearly all shifting becomessuperfluous. Third and fourth gear will handle everything from 0 to 90 mph.
The KTM is just an amazing street bike. Considering it does suchan admirable job in the dirt, it seems to lose all notions of ADV bike once ithits the pavement. It is pure street in feel and very fun.
Our test bike came to us with about 9,000 miles on the odometer.I have added about another 1k to that. Everything seems to be holding up well.It looks and feels like new. It has developed a small oil weep near thesidestand, but I have not had a chance to inspect it closely to determine thecause. The fuel gauge was not working properly when we first got the bike, butseems to have cured itself over the last few tanks of gas.
The time with the KTM 1190 Adventure has been very positive. Ithink there are some good reasons to consider it over the flashy R model. Butthen again, the flash may just be the real selling point. Either way, it is agreat riding bike, both on and off road. It will do everything I expect of itwith both style and performance. If I want to do more in the dirt, I will justchoose a smaller bike. As for the road, there isn’t much the 1190 won’t do withease.
Source enduro360.com