First ride: KTM 1290 R Super Adventure - Walla! vehicle

2021-06-16T23:50:56.128Z

The KTM 1290 R Super Adventure is the Austrian manufacturer's answer to the madness around the big adventure motorcycles. There is a lot of money on the table and a lot of ego, prestige and respect

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First ride: KTM 1290 R Super Adventure

KTM has launched the new 1290 Super Adventure, we took the senior and expensive version of the new collection for a short and quick impression, literally, and came back with some question marks and lots of exclamation marks

KTM launches its new adventures in Israel

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Light, strong and friendlier than before (Photo: Shai Erez)

Lines to his character

The 1290 Super Adventure R and its counterpart aimed at the 1290 Super Adventure S (which is also cheaper and costs 145,000 shekels), is a completely new motorcycle;

With engine, chassis, racks, electronics, switches and even new graphics.

The new engine is 1.6 kg lighter than its predecessor, of course compliant with Euro 5 regulations, in a V-twin configuration at a 75-degree angle, 4-stroke fluid-cooled, with a double top camshaft and 8 valves that produces 160 horsepower at 9,000 rpm And 14 kg at 6,500 rpm.

The chassis is shorter and lighter than its predecessor by 10 kg, a new chassis tail that allows for example extra storage space under the seat, sliding back by 15 mm of the steering neck, a new LED flashlight with a RAM AIR air intake system on both sides, two radiators and thermostats, One per cylinder for more efficient engine temperature control, thanks to this cooling system it was possible to reduce the thickness of the block and thus save significant weight.

The chassis and V-twin engine are lighter than before (Photo: Shai Erez)

Lighter gear and Quick Shift, Cruise Control (non-adaptive, unlike the S model), mechanically raised reflector (easily and while driving if desired), 48mm WP Explorer shock absorbers with 220mm rack travel (forward / reverse ). The suspensions have the option of fully adjusting the spring load in both arms with one responsible for the contraction and one for the damping so that they are not interdependent. At the rear is a progressive PDS absorber and to complete the sense of absorption there is also an upgraded steering caliper, also made by WP.

On braking the entire machine: a Rambo-made system with a 320 mm double disc in the front and a 267 mm diameter disc in the rear. Bosch ABS includes cornering and can be detached in off-road mode, and a variety of auxiliary systems such as multi-position grip control, engine control to prevent rear wheel lock while lowering gears (slip clutch), stability control, anti-dive system (absorption limiter) to prevent "crash" on the dampers And strong braking, anti-willy (can be disconnected, not worrying), gradient control on the slope and more.

In this version, the direction is manual, but is also possible while riding (Photo: Shai Erez)

There is an option to choose between four standard riding modes - sport, street, rain, offroad and an option to add a RALLY mode that allows the rider to determine the throttle response and choose between nine (!) Grip control intervention modes.

All of these systems are controlled using no less than 16 different switches located on either side of the handlebars with all the information displayed on a 7-inch, fairly intuitive 7-inch TFT screen.

The seat is narrower at the front for a better and more comfortable hugging position of the legs, it is heated and 880 mm high with the option of lowering at the push of a button. The 23 liter fuel tank with electric lock is one of the most prominent and important changes in the current model. The sides and the third that connects them. The whole business is locked in tubeless tires in sizes 90 / 90-21 and 150 / 70-18 and weighs 221 kg on the road.

A war machine that is ready for battle with any route.

The screen is full of information, but still intuitive (Photo: Shai Erez)

Three question marks and one exclamation mark

Just before I get on the motorcycle I take a look at it.

The color scheme has changed to differentiate it from the previous generation and to the brand's requested orange is also added a blue color that is a bit reminiscent of the one from the mythological 990.

Maybe later they will add more hypocrisy.

Either way he's handsome.

shapely.

athletic.

No hint of the fact that he carries in his body an engine the volume of an average family car.

Maybe the exhaust is a little too massive for the overall look.

But other than that the look conveys friendliness and an invitation to climb into the saddle.

My reference point is the private KTM 1190R.

When people see him they ask who can ride such a beast.

And here we have almost the same motorcycle, with even more engine, and more power that seems so rider-friendly.

I happily accepted the invitation and swung my leg.

The seat is wider and lower than before, and can be further lowered if necessary (Photo: Shai Erez)

Again, what in the "smaller" private vessel forces me to stretch my right leg and swing it in the air as if I were at least Nadia Comanche in an exercise on the beam, mouth, easy ascent.

The seat has been lowered to a height of 88 cm and at the push of a button it drops a few more inches for the benefit of those who want it. Sits. The seat is incredibly comfortable and narrower than its predecessor, allowing a comfortable sitting position , And the mobile phone goes into the useful charging compartment above the handlebars. Although it interfaces with the system I refrain. We came to ride, not talk on the phone. A short press on the solution brings the screen to life. In sport mode and happy to find that unlike in the past, the choice of ride mode is maintained as long as you do not change it.

Two radiators and two separate cooling systems for each of the cylinders.

The amount of heat emitted is lower than before (Photo: Shai Erez)

motive.

A pleasant gurgle in the back is reminiscent of the all-too-familiar and beloved rough sound of the 8LC engine.

Releases clutch.

Five minutes from the moment I got on it and left the first turn I realized I was riding something different from what I had known so far.

The connection to the motorcycle is exceptionally instantaneous.

Almost a quarter of a ton that transmits a much lighter feeling.

He picks up the rider in his comfortable saddle completely and from the first moment of releasing the clutch, the tool transmits to you, ride Dad, I'm here with you for whatever you want.

Then a question mark flashes in my head, how do I get back in the car now on my private vehicle?

The difference is so substantial that I begin to consider whether it is worthwhile to continue and not aggravate the rift that is beginning to form in the head.

Excellent comfort on the road, in daily riding or covering hundreds of kilometers (Photo: Shai Erez)

Quite a problem at the moment I say and what I want now is mostly to cross the Ayalon routes of midweek at noon. Tens of thousands of cars fill the four lane adjacent to meet. Nightmare. To my surprise and delight, this monster is easier to ride on the open road than I thought. The steering is light, the engine is incredibly flexible, the weight is not noticeable. The level of security is rising, and I am starting to travel at the rate of the Shiite suicide of the apostolic societies. On a daily basis, I let them get around so as not to delay, now they are chasing me. Do not keep up. Crazy how easy this tool is to control. summer. And hot. And the low speed in the traffic jam gives its signals and heat begins to be thrown at the legs. Less though than before but still noticeable. Both radiators do a good job. I finish the urban section and exit onto the open road. Here it is only you and your courage because in terms of the tool, the power is almost endless. The motor is round, the power strip is very wide,He does not punish for slow entry in high gear for a turn but knows how to get you out of it like an Iron Dome missile that detects a hostile launch from the direction of the Strip. Not of power, of Gaza.

Smooth and flowing power supply (Photo: Shai Erez)

The roads start to twist, the gear shifting via the quick-shift turns out to be very convenient.

There is no need to shut off gas or lose engine speed or pulse.

Practices and learns the braking and braking system.

The brakes give a bite like that of a hungry crocodile in the swamps of Florida.

But the front does not sink too much even in very strong brakes.

Absorbs my and Netivei Israel's sick nonsense and evil without blinking an eye.

Now I'm behind a convoy again.

White line.

A white line is a wall.

Just as you do not enter a wall, you do not cross a white line.

Then the speed goes down.

is very.

The tool has no problem, the slow riding on it does not in any way change its ease of control.

The clumsy exhaust impairs the athletic design of the tool (Photo: Shai Erez)

The miles go by, the landscape changes and the color of the road changes from black to brown and asphalt to dirt.

Does not take unnecessary chances and stays on controls.

Riding on dirt roads is just as easy as on the road, even though it is delicately equipped with road tires.

It is no problem to get with him in the field to very high speeds with great confidence thanks to the controls that hold him very well and what made him light and flowing on the road, intensifies the feeling in the field.

On the free ground, it is easy to leverage the power, control the handlebars and enjoy the intervention of the controls when needed in terrain mode.

The size of the tool is no longer a real obstacle or a deterrent.

In tight turns I can barely wag his tail.

Reminds myself of a reminder to go back to him at the first opportunity when the pressure goes down and see how he and I behave in the field without inhibitions, he is electronic and I am conscientious.

From turn to turn, the confidence between me and the tool is built (Photo: Shai Erez)

Confidence rises and references tighten.

When I stop in the middle of an ascent with unstable ground, the wheel locks and does not slide backwards.

A feature that many will bless.

Mostly I am because usually in these situations the private camel tends to lose grip and I tend to fall off it.

Nothing here.

Cast and glued.

The lowering of the seat also allows two feet to be planted in the ground when needed.

blessing.

I leave the area happy and kind-hearted and return to the asphalt for a few more tens of miles of fun.

It's getting dark, the LED front lighting is shining great, all the switches are on and the TFT screen is bright and clear.

In another moment I come home and ask myself how I pass on the experience of the last few hours to a woman so that she understands that I have found my next tool without her having a heart attack and I will get a sprout in my head.

Looks weird, Meir is great (Photo: Shai Erez)

Comes home, camps it respectfully, locks in and enters.

We will spare you the encounter of a child who refuses to grow up with the responsible half of the family but will only find that he passes in peace.

relative.

"Do not confuse the mind" she tells me and I feel she is not outright rejecting the idea and not sending me to spend the night on the couch so I can think where I went wrong.

Morning.

I'm on it again, this time on the way back.

Takes advantage of last miles to enjoy it as much as possible.

Accelerates, brakes, dives into turns, comes out of them with a smile and thinks to myself, this tool has the acceleration of a sports motorcycle, the comfort of a cruiser and the stability of the Swiss franc.

What needs more than that ?!

Shai is debating whether to return the motorcycle at the end of the test days (Photo: Shai Erez)

last question

Well how is he? The guys on the test drive ask "OK" I answer Balconies and do not reveal the storm of emotions that is taking place inside me. That's what I want! Yes. It's clear to me. No other motorcycle is as versatile, comfortable and fun as the new Super Adventure 1290R.

In the online world we live in, it is easy to find opinions on everything. From the moment the tool was launched, within days the network was filled with videos from around the world of the best riders. Chris Birchs of all kinds show off their phenomenal abilities and those of the instrument. It's amazing what they can do with it and it's amazing what he knows and can do in any route. Asphalt, dirt, mud, sand, shuffle, rocks. A perfect war machine have we already said? He's good, maybe the best. And it competes in a very tough environment, one where there are tools like the BMW R1250GS (much more expensive than it is) which is the father and the benchmark of the category. But what makes him such is not what Chris Birchs of all sorts manages to get out of him.

Soft or tough?

Sporty or relaxed?

The adjustable dampers and engine management will arrange for you whatever character you want (Photo: Shai Erez)

It is so good because of the pleasure and abilities that any beginner and intermediate or just popular rider will be able to produce and enjoy from the first moment, not to mention experienced riders who will find a perfect motor partner who will most likely be able to exhaust it all, which is my biggest advantage.

And after all the question and reading signs, I have one last question left, how do I convince the bank manager to lend me NIS 159,680 so that he will be calm and I am happy?

Unlike previous generations here there is confidence and abilities even in the hands of a very unskilled rider (Photo: Shai Erez)

A bit of historology and mythology

An article recently appeared here about the history of the genre of large dual-use motorcycles that began in the 1980s.

High-volume motorcycles, cc and suspension moves aimed at traversing the thousands of miles of Sahara deserts, still over the years in favor of the use of popular adventurers and spawned a segment of tools that can travel long distances on the road with luggage and mates without breaking the tailbone and at the same time deal with All types of bumpy and technical roads.

Ahh ... Wasn't it worth all this scrolling for the picture of the KTM team in Dakar 2004?

(Photo: Manufacturer's website)

KTM joined the evolving genre of adventures with a bit of a fashion delay and after a variety of singles, dupam and dedicated grasshoppers from its production, it gave birth to the 620 Adventure in 1997. In 2003 the real entry into the segment was completed with the 950 he brought For the first time the 8 LC engine. The company's first twin motorcycle bought its fame mainly thanks to the suburbs of the late Honi who won the Paris-Dacker race in 2004. The volume continued to grow and in 2006 we got the mythical 990, which was the first to go from carburetors For injection.

A few more years passed and in 2013 the huge 1190 mountain and trail air came out that replaced the 990 which was also not really a dwarf anyway.

By the way, on the same chassis of the 1190 were also dressed the 1090 and 1050.

990 Adventure (in its advanced model years) the first to receive an injection (Photo: Manufacturer's website)

In 2015, the Super Adventure 1290T first appeared in the field, and a year later, it also appeared in versions S and R (road and terrain) and just before the end of the decade, KTM presented its answer to the evolving mid-size Adventure field with the innovative and interesting 790 .

Another two years pass, as does the Corona, and here we are in mid-2021 exposed to the 890 Adventure on its three versions and the 1290 on the S and R versions.