KTM 990 Adventure 2009
In the 1990s, for most, the single-seater KTM 640 Adventure served as their only adventure touring motorcycle. It was a capable but noisy and uncomfortable mountain bike, ill-suited for long trips despite its large fuel tank. In the late '90s, hints began to emerge that the company was developing a larger, more street-ready Adventure 900 series motorcycle. I remember staring at the LC8 V-twin prototype on the European Intermot show stand, lamenting that KTM still didn't have an ETA for the big AT bike it was about to launch. Finally, the 950 Adventure motorcycle appeared in Spain in 2003. With 90 percent of its chassis and engine components taken from KTM's Paris-Dakar Rally race bike, and while well-mannered off-road enthusiasts and rocky desert racing enthusiasts sang its praises, our brand of off-road touring bikes seemed somewhat left out. With its hot, snarling mufflers, exorbitant 35″ (890 mm) seat height, and pointy engine with light throttle response, hanging the bags on it and heading off for adventure was like trying to tame a stallion. On my first long ride, the mufflers literally melted the legs of my waterproof tracksuit.
But as you'd expect from a successful off-road focused company, the first 950 Adventure was a really big, powerful off-road bike. And if you didn't have the nerve to get out of your seat and send its 490 pounds (222 kg) and 98 horsepower at full throttle up to the rear wheel, as Paris-Dakar racers do, then it's best to keep it on the pavement. It certainly provided great fun there, although it wasn't any better on long trips than the 640. To its credit, KTM has since tamed the big Adventure for riders who prefer to sit in the saddle, but without giving up all its capabilities for those who like to stand on the pegs. After all, the bike's main competitor is definitely the BMW R1200GS, which is more of a Jeep than a dirt bike. Without starting a "virtual" comparison, the KTM 990 seems to still be more capable in the dirt than the R1200GS (I'm not so sure about the F800GS...), but it is also quite comfortable and has comparable capabilities and accessories to handle it. could be considered as an alternative for long trips on the streets. For 2005, KTM gave the 950 Adventure a less show-offy, less overtly off-road look by shortening the suspension throw by an inch and setting the seat height to a more reasonable 33.9″ (861mm). The engine was then enlarged in 2007 to 999cc, with a slight increase in bore and stroke. It also gets fuel injection and a new electronic engine management system. In addition, ABS was offered for the first time. Well...lower seat, more low-end torque, ABS...this beast was starting to feel more adventurous.
And now KTM has offered the 2009 KTM 990 Adventure . The engine is liquid-cooled, with two cylinders, V-shaped at an angle of 75 degrees. With a balancer and dry-sump lubrication, a new camshaft, pistons, combustion chambers, and an optimized crank drive all brought the previously stated 8 horsepower and 3.4 pound-feet of torque to a whopping 106. and 73.8. A chart from Jett Tuning's measurement center shows the bike falling short of those numbers, showing actual figures of about 92 horsepower and 62 lb-ft. By comparison, our latest test of the R1200GS produced 96 horsepower and 73 lb-ft... but it weighed 25-30 pounds (11-13 kg) more. One element of the 990 update was the elimination of valve pre-adjustment in the LC8 engine. The oil and filter now need to be changed every 600 (965 km) miles, although you still need to perform regular final drive chain adjustments.
Loosely spaced instruments contain digital speed and an analog tachometer. The button located between them at the bottom turns ABS on and off.
Other improvements to the 990 are both functional and cosmetic. Many components are darkened, and the rear lights have frosted lenses. Hazard lights have been added, activated from the cab, where the multi-function digital speed panel, standard 12V socket and ignition switch are located. The shape of the panel allows for the installation of optional KTM GPS. The Bosch ABS system has been improved with an easy-to-use switch and dual-channel, separate wheel modulation. The storage compartment located on the fuel tank is now lockable. The fuel tank itself can be filled through two locking openings on either side, initially through the higher opening when the bike is on its side stand to avoid overfilling (although the risk of petrol getting into the EVAP charcoal canister if the tank accidentally overflows has been eliminated by repositioning it and supplying drain).
The skid plate and the exhaust piped into it indicate that this bike is truly intended for off-road use.
Like most KTM motorcycles, the 990 Adventure comes fully ready to ride with high-quality components such as Renthal tapered aluminum handlebars and fully adjustable WP front and rear suspension. It has high quality 21″ and 18″ (533 and 457 mm) wheels with aluminum spokes, and with excellent semi-knobby (tubeless with tubes) Pirelli Scorpion A/T tires. clearance with the road, the motorcycle is equipped with a thick bumper plate. KTM also offers a lot of cool accessories for the 990, such as optional 35-liter luggage bags made for KTM by Touratech, which add 30 pounds (13.5 kg) to the weight but allow you to take extra luggage. My wife and I easily loaded the bike's bags with a weekend's worth of supplies, and the rear rack could fit another tracksuit (the new mufflers now provide more clearance from the heat source, too). Riding the 990 solo means you're ready for anything. While it still feels like a big sports tourer and its power tempts you to go off-road faster than most of us are comfortable with, a skilled rider can make it go very quickly on any road. Throttle feel is still there, but it's now much more comfortable, more controllable, and less harsh. And the 6-speed gearbox is smooth and quiet. The updated engine is smoother, with more torque, and still feels tamed enough for all-day highway cruising, but it's still lively enough for those who like wheelies and power-hugging (not for me though!) . It retains the urge to go fast that made the 950 Adventure (and now the departed 950 Supermoto) a real traffic offender, as it uses an almost cruising V-twin engine that allows you to take the road in peace and enjoy more fun. drive slowly. You can get a lot of extreme thrills out of it, but I personally recommend driving at a slower pace, more like Jeep off-road speed, and using luggage bags as they can save your legs in rollovers or extreme leans. Falling to the ground on a 250 lb (113 kg) dirt bike is very different from having 500 lb (226 kg) on top of you.
With the body removed, the 990 shows off its compact SUV frame and lightweight components.
More than 8 inches (203 mm) of travel at each wheel absorbs almost everything you can run over except for really big jumps, although the bike can use a little more spring capacity on each side for double the load approaching the maximum. But then it bounces around a bit during fast cornering, even with the spring preload set to maximum. The handy switchable rear shock spring tension adjuster makes this easy, and you can change the tension for the front suspension too, along with adjusting the compression and rebound of the dampers front and rear, although this will require tools. The handling of the bike is as you'd expect from a lightweight liter bike with big wheels, a long wheelbase, and a wide handlebar - it's reasonably quick and requires little effort. At the same time, the motorcycle is stable and maintains any angle of inclination, as if glued. The three-disc Brembo brakes are capable of handling any braking task with great feel and power - the trend of locking the rear wheel with ABS disabled now seems to have disappeared as well. The upright seating position of the driver is surprisingly comfortable, both on the streets and off-road.
The 990's performance on the highway feels like riding a 650 sports tourer that's been injected with steroids. More comfort, more smoothness, more range, and of course, more power - a lot more - but if you don't look down, the wide handlebars, narrow body and roaring, smooth power feel strangely familiar. If not for the vertical windshield, which prevents the wind from blowing into your chest, but creates vibration and noise. Passengers talk about the comfortable seat and rear space, but it's hard to compete with the comfort and legroom in the riding position of a dirt bike, with a comfortable seat for him even though it's still very tall, and it takes me a while to climb onto it. you have to put the motorcycle on a side stand. Once I'm on it, my 210 pounds put enough pressure on the suspension that I can get my heels into the road quite well, even with my 29″ legs. My aging eyes can easily read the large numbers on the instrument cluster's LCD display, and all the other driver amenities—shifts, knobs, hand guards, adjustable steering wheel length—are well thought out. And under the snap-on seat, you'll also find the most comprehensive tool kit you've ever seen on a motorcycle. Lightweight, mid-range torque, cornering clearance, and a wide steering wheel make the 990 Adventure a joy on the streets.
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Paris-Dakar enthusiasts who missed out on the fire-breathing 950 don't have to worry - the 990 Adventure R is now available to them. It's a bike with more power, longer suspension travel, good ride distance and, of course, seat height which is no lower than that of a skyscraper. Well, you hop on it and we'll take a look... and take a stock KTM 990 ready for the big adventure.
2009 KTM 990 Adventure Specifications:
Basic price: $15,398
Test price: $16,158 (Touratech 35L bags and mounts)
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse two cylinder, 75 degree V-shaped
Volume: 999 cm3
Bore and stroke: 101.0 x 62.4 mm
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Valvetrain: DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
Valve adjustment interval: 9,320 miles (15,000 km)
Fuel Delivery: Keihin Serial Port Fuel Injection/Dual 48mm Throttle Body
Lubrication System: Dry sump, 3.2 quart (3 L) capacity
Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically controlled fluid coupling
Final drive: ring chain.
ELECTRICAL
Ignition: electronic on transistors
Charger output: up to 450 W
Battery: 12V 11Ah
The spoked wheels and dual piston calipers along with ABS are great for the street and work great off-road.
CHASSIS
Frame: Tubular steel perimeter/Aluminum square section swing arm
Wheelbase: 61.8″ (1,570 mm)
Steering wheel tilt/trail: 26.6 degrees / 4.7″ (119 mm)
Seat Height: 34.7″ (881 mm)
Front Suspension: 48mm trailing fork, fully adjustable with 8.3" (210mm) of travel
Rear Suspension: Single WP shock/separate reservoir, fully adjustable, 8.3″ (210mm) travel
Front Brakes: Twin floating discs/2-piston sliding pin calipers with ABS
Rear Brakes: Single floating disc/2-piston caliper with sliding pins and ABS
Front wheel: spoked, 2.15″ x 21″ (54 x 533 mm)
Rear wheel: spoked, 4.5″ x 18″ (114 x 457 mm)
Front tire: tubeless / with tube, 90/90-21
Rear tire: tubeless / with tube, 150/70-R18
Weight with tank filled: 534 lb (242 kg) (test unit)
Load capacity: 414 lb (188 kg) (test unit)
Total weight: 948 lb (430 kg)
CHARACTERISTICS:
Fuel tank capacity: 5.2 gallons (19.7 L). When 1 gallon (3.8 liters) remains, the indicator lights up.
Fuel consumption mpg @ 91 octane (max/avg/min): 41.9/35.8/28.2 (5.6/6.6/8.3 L/100 km)
Range 186 miles (300 km)
RPM at 60 mph (96 km/h): 3300
History of creation
First introduced in 2003, the KTM 950 Adventure S (at first the name included the letter S, but then the manufacturer got rid of it, releasing two versions in parallel) was incredible - it combined the reliability, power and style of the racing bikes that inspired the designers to create it. The LC8 V-twin engine, installed from the very beginning, had a displacement of 950 cc. see Adventure 950 was a true on-road and off-road motorcycle, the engine of which developed an impressive 98 hp. With. (71.5 kW) at 8000 rpm with maximum torque of 95 Nm at 6000 rpm. The KTM color was orange.
The 2004 model featured the addition of silver and black colors, which were not retained in subsequent years. Because in 2005, the S modification became an exact copy of the Dakar Rally motorcycle, while the standard version was black.
In 2007, the cylinder capacity was increased to 999 cc. see. The V-twin engine acquired fuel injection and an adjustable catalytic converter, which made it possible to meet Euro 3 requirements. ABS came naturally, just as pleasure comes with increasing mileage while riding this motorcycle.
In 2011, the Dakar model was added, and in 2013, the Baja.
Aggressive appearance
Usually, when presenting a dual-purpose model, one tends to miss the streamlined external design, which in this case is decisive. But the brain seems to refuse to accept the presence of a plastic coating that looks like it was molded specifically to give an aggressive and fashionable appearance. This is the only way to explain the sharp design lines found only on the KTM Adventure 990 and Adventure S motorcycles.
The design of the machine is all geometry and similarities. For example, the combination of the front view of a motorcycle, especially the shape of the fairing as it moves towards the observer, and the shape of the headlights, despite the difference in size, simply cannot be missed. The windshield is positioned perfectly, at almost a 90-degree angle, so it provides good wind protection even when the driver is standing up.
Fully faired and with a distinct look, the KTM proves that the designers have done their job. Regardless of the color (orange, black or blue), the lower part of the fairing is not painted, but is made of a durable material that will be difficult to scratch when driving over rivers and tree branches or anything that may require a trip to the paint shop.
Behavior on the highway
Once tired of slow maneuvering, you can move on to testing it on the freeway to get a feel for how it performs under hard acceleration at relatively high speeds. Great! Regardless of which gear was engaged or the number of revolutions per minute at a given time, the engine produced the necessary power, allowing the KTM to easily overtake cars without any difficulty, reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h. The fuel injection system provides great throttle response and the bike will lunge forward, surprising you with every twist of the throttle.
Check in the city
The on-road and off-road performance of the KTM 990 Adventure is described by customers as impressive because the feeling the motorcycle gives is truly unique and worthy of bragging. Those who wanted to keep their iron horse as clean and shiny as when they bought it, and preferred to ride on paved roads for as long as possible, found that it was quite effective even when used in the city. The 98 horsepower of the LC8 engine allows you to drive effortlessly, while at the same time keeping it balanced even at low speeds. But when it comes to maneuvering, a problem arises here, as it leads to a loss of stability. KTM built the bike for hard use in all conditions, so being tall and demanding isn't going to help matters. But fortunately, the driver can choose the driving style that is convenient for him, whether in a residential area or in deserted areas of the outskirts.
Design Features
Built with adventure in mind, the KTM 990 is a great riding partner as it can handle anything asked of it. Thanks to its dual nature, the motorcycle feels equally comfortable on asphalt and rough terrain.
The secret to its top-notch ride is the durable tubular frame made from thin chrome-moly steel with an attached subframe and lightweight 10.5kg alloy. A two-cylinder four-stroke engine with forced ignition and a 75-degree V-layout, liquid cooling and a volume of 999 cm3 is installed on the frame. The engine produces a maximum power of 84.5 kW (113.3 hp), which is tamed by a six-speed gearbox.
Other features of the KTM Adventure 990 include a clearly structured multi-functional cockpit, 19.5-litre fuel tank, engine guard, electrical connector and storage compartment.
There are many touring enduros produced. But when the asphalt comes to an end, the motorcycle journey often ends too. On the other hand, thanks to its authentic racing pedigree, it is unlikely that the KTM 990 will avoid long journeys through the deserts, with V2 power, stable protective frames and a sports seat. With a stable chassis, switchable ABS and a host of touring features from frame-mounted fairing to lockable luggage compartment, the bike is the most off-road touring enduro in the world.
