KTM 1090 Adventure R 2022 and KTM 790 Adventure R 2019
In our editorial office, I am considered the main touring enthusiast. Why? It’s just that I have a 2022 KTM 1090 Adventure R, and it’s my job to keep an eye on the news in this segment. So I spotted the KTM 790 Adventure R before it even went on sale. I have studied all the materials about this model. I saw its prototype in Germany. My colleagues even began to worry about me, whether I would collapse because of this (I then told them this: guys, don’t worry, I won’t sell the 1090, and having two orange Tourandas in the garage is a sure sign of madness). But KTM promised some damn interesting things - and I waited.
About a year after the model's launch, I finally got my hands on the KTM 790 Adventure R, and not for a fussy get-together with other journalists. The 790 lived in my garage for about 3 weeks (colleagues, by the way, were in a panic). I even had time to ride it on my lawn, and then the 1090, gave the 790 a name and began to spend a lot of time with it.
Don’t worry, self-isolation did not affect my condition at all. The point here is this: I recently got involved in an interesting project in which a couple of smart guys and I are converting Ryzhik into a KTM 790 Adventure R Rally. However, this is a slightly different story, which I will tell you about later.
In the meantime, the story will be about my first ride on the KTM 790 Adventure R. That day I called a friend, handed him the key to my 1090 Adventure R - and we set off. A friend of mine is a big fan of hard enduro and has never ridden elephants off-road, so he turned out to be an excellent impartial judge and at the same time an experienced accomplice in outrages in the mud. We swapped motorcycles all day and compared them in the same situations.
As a result, instead of a review, we got a full comparison.
Motors
The KTM 1090 Adventure R is equipped with a 1050 cc 75-degree V-twin engine that produces 125 horses and 108.5 Nm of thrust. The engine is a direct descendant of the KTM 1190 Adventure R and 1050, inheriting many components from them and acquiring a couple of its own (for example, the crankshaft and flywheel).
KTM 1090 Adventure R
The KTM 790 Adventure R borrows its entire 799cc inline-two from its brother, the 790 Duke. True, the engine on the Adventure R has been retuned for more traction and low-end power. The new KTM 790 Adventure R produces 95 horses at 8250 rpm and 89.5 Nm at 6500 rpm from the crankshaft. Compare with Duke: 105 horses at 9000 and 86.7 Nm at 8000.
Thanks to this, power is available earlier on the KTM 790 Adventure R. If the Duke is dull and sluggish until about 4500 - 5000, then the Adventure needs to be cranked up to about 3000, and it begins to hint that it could switch.
Neither the 1090 nor the 790 like to rev hard, preferring to cruise at mid-range revs, but the 1090's engine is easier to control at low speeds. The fuel map of the 790 was clearly ruled by environmentalists, and its mixture is rather lean, especially from the bottom, and the engine turns accordingly easily. So it requires more careful handling of the gas and clutch than the 1090.
Okay, to be honest, my KTM 1090 is modified from the Rottweiler catalogue, particularly the intake and fuel maps. Modern motorcycles, which must comply with Euro 5 standards, are forced to balance between ecology and performance. I believe modifications will be available for the 790 that Greenpeace will not like, but will delight riders.
KTM 790 Adventure R
We ride the KTM Adventure 1090
Again the road led me to new emotions and gave me a ride on the KTM Adventure 1090. I don’t even know where to start, with the fact that the road led first to Bike Land, or with the fact that I arrived on my 48... But the fact remains a fact, fan HD, I can barely reach the ground and look at the screen with the driving mode...
Sports, road, rain and off-road... It seems dry, I’m going to take a quiet ride around the area.. Well, of course the road... I didn’t bother going into the settings further, and so it will go. Hand protection, windshield and other utilities, well, here we go...
The sound of the engine immediately reminded me of a Ducati. Clutch, first, handle towards you. Normal, a little twitchy, feet on the pegs. The landing is good - I sit high, I can look far away. A curb, a bump, a hatch... Wow, I didn’t understand... Another bump, another hatch... You can go nuts... A bigger hole, standing on the pegs like in a video about endurists... Lightweight, perfectly balanced motorcycle.
I understood the hint. Where is the turn off from the road? The brakes are good, especially after Harley ones, but here it’s clear that they’re in a completely different class. Sand, some kind of crushed stone, grass, clearing, hummocks... Standing, faster, even faster.. How to convey emotions in words? I’m like Susanin, follow me, I’ll show you the shortcut.
The KTM 1090 Adventure produces 125 horses and 205 kilograms of net weight. After just five minutes of driving on asphalt and fifteen off the road, the avid Chepperyuga felt ready to rush onto 1090 to Vladivostok. Leaving the highway and soaking in the beauty of our vast homeland.
The sensations are comparable to those after purchasing the Jeep Wrangler 4.0. I just stopped thinking “will I get through or not?” I stopped clearing the snow from my car in winter, and I don’t wash my car often in the warm season. What for? For those who do not participate in competitions and do not stir up dirt, there is no need to ask such questions, just as there is no need to wash the KTM too often. After all, there are more interesting things...
The time of sports tourers is passing and the era of touring-enduros like this one, like the BMW GS, Ducati Multistrada and Triumph Explorer, is coming. Each has its own characteristics, each has its own approach, but they are all made for one thing - to travel without limiting yourself.
He rarely travels around the city and doesn’t go to the turnout, doesn’t know the opening and closing dates of the motorcycle season, doesn’t know the biker scene or gas stations with delicious coffee. But he remembers very well that cafe on the highway, between Omsk and Tyumen, where he warmed up after two frosty days in the pouring rain. It has good textile equipment, windproof and waterproof, with linings and ventilation. He services his KTM himself, everything on time and according to the manual. During the season, he covers thousands of kilometers of roads, far from large cities, far from the center... He has something to keep quiet about, he is at peace with himself.
Well, now for the introductory notes. The KTM Adventure 1090 costs quite reasonable money for such a motorcycle - 899,900 rubles, the 1090 R costs 969,900. If you buy it now at the Bike Land store, you will receive iron panniers as a gift, which cost 76,000.
And until August 31, by paying 20% of the cost, you can get an installment plan for 12 months. A kit to make your dream come true and rush across Russia to Vladivostok. This is not an advertisement, I just have information and am sharing it with you. #ktm #ktmadventure #ktm1090adventure
Controls
One of the main differences between the two engines is the clutch. The 1090 features a Magura hydraulic clutch and shorter clutch and front brake levers, while the 790 Adventure R has a cable-operated clutch and full-length levers.
And here a problem with the 790’s clutch emerged: the information content of the lever. The 1090 has a wide gray area with excellent information content and control. The 790's clutch resembles a bell button: pressed and released, there is no other option. And at the very end of the lever stroke. Over time, I got used to it, and it worked quite well, but I somehow prefer the luxurious, informative clutch from Magura.
A big plus of a mechanical clutch drive is the possibility of repairing it with resin and sticks somewhere in the forest (if you don’t have a cable repair kit, I always have it with me). And there is practically nothing that can be done if the hydraulics are damaged. Although there were also different cases with test motorcycles...
I also like the 1090 brakes better - their initial grip, their informativeness. The front brake lever, after all, has two adjustments: travel and sensitivity, allowing you to customize the brake character to suit conditions and even different pads. The 790 Adventure R's brakes don't look very good by contrast.
What we liked about the 790 Adventure R is the adjustable rear brake pedal. In the first half of the day, my friend and I took turns suffering from an unadjusted pedal. Unlike the 1090, in which the entire lever is adjustable, the 790 simply unscrews two bolts and flips the pedal itself. One of its sides is designed for riding in a standing position, and the second, more toothy, clings to the boot better.
The pegs on my 1090 have been replaced with rally ones - KTM Rally. A simple and cool modification that I will definitely do with the 790, but that’s another story again. On that particular day, the 790 had standard running boards, from which I removed the rubber bands. I highly recommend this mod to owners of 790s: rubber bands are not particularly needed on asphalt and are definitely a hindrance on off-road conditions.
Weight and ergonomics
My KTM 1090 Adventure R, filled with cork, with tubes in the tires (I definitely recommend installing tubes in the wheels if you want to ride off-road) and with several protective things weighs just over 240 kg. The KTM 790 Adventure R with a full tank, crankcase protection, levers, but without tubes in the tires weighs 213 kilos (however, we forgot to weigh it in stock: when we remembered this, it already had WP Pro suspensions, they are most likely a little lighter stock).
KTM 1090 Adventure R
The 27 kilograms difference is noticeable. The 790 Adventure R is much lighter and more manageable not only than the 1090, but also than any adventure bike I've ridden.
KTM claims the seat height of the 790 to be 87.5 cm, but for some reason ours turned out to be 90 cm. In theory, this means that it is a centimeter higher than the 1090, but in fact you don’t feel the difference.
Look at the frames of these motorcycles. The 1090's wider frame carries the swingarm mounts inside its lowest point, while the 790's frame is so narrow that the swingarm wraps around the outside of it. It looks flimsy, but it significantly reduces the overall width of the bike - just like the tank, which tapers towards the seat.
So the KTM 790 Adventure R feels significantly more compact, especially off-road. The difference in weight seems not 27, but all 100 kilograms - and despite the seemingly identical figures for the seat height, on the 790 it is much easier to reach the ground with your feet. However, it must be taken into account that both of these bikes are too brutal for those who are comfortable only when both feet are firmly on the ground.
KTM 890 Adventure 2022: first 3000 km.
“ The KTM 890 Adventure produces 105 hp. at 8,000 rpm. The rotating mass is also 20% heavier, which makes it easier to maintain balance.
One of the significant improvements is the low fuel consumption of almost 23 km per liter at a speed of 120 km/h. The 23-liter tank provides a range of over 400 km - something every traveler will definitely love. The 890 Adventure also meets Euro 5 emissions standards.
The electronics of the KTM Adventure 890 motorcycle correspond to the latest technology. In addition to the “normal” riding modes (Street, Rain, Offroad), customizable ABS (Street, Offroad, OFF), Bluetooth and TFT display, the new 890 Adventure is equipped with MTC traction control and MSC dynamic stability control.”
“The new and improved APEX brakes and suspension provide excellent feedback: I was able to apply plenty of braking force both on and off-road by applying light pressure to the lever. Often I found myself locking up the rear wheel after setting the ABS to Offroad mode. So yeah, with a low center of gravity and those brakes, drifting is a piece of cake on this bike!
The rear shock's rebound is now adjustable, as is preload, with a knob on the left side of the bike just under the seat for adjustment.
The standard seat height is 830 mm; it can be raised to 850 mm with a standard seat and up to 870 mm if you buy and install a Powerpart seat on the KTM 890 Adventure .”
“Overall, the KTM Adventure 890 performed well on all types of terrain that I had to tackle. The windshield provided excellent wind protection and the ride produced virtually no steering vibration. Considering that I did not use rubber pads on the footpegs, I did not feel any vibration in my legs at all.
Dry weight is 196kg, which came as a surprise to me as the bike feels much lighter than any other bike I've ridden before (my old 1190 weighs around 210kg).
I added a handlebar bag that was big enough to charge my phone, sunglasses, and everything else I needed on the road.
Overall, the KTM 890 Adventure was an incredible surprise for me. I decided to call it "The Claw" because it can be really smooth and enjoyable to drive, but can also be instantly ferocious and give you that "ready to race" feeling. Now it will be difficult to go back to my old 1190 Adventure!”
(Paolo, November 2020)
Pendants
My 1090 is currently sitting in the garage disassembled for fork modifications, and the 790 Adventure R has received WP Pro suspension components. So it’s somehow pointless to compare the suspensions of these two specifically - let’s talk about the stock options.
The KTM 1090 Adventure R is equipped with a 48-gauge fork with adjustable compression, rebound and preload. The rear shock absorber with PDS system is adjustable for fast and slow compression, rebound and preload. Both suspensions on the 1090 have 218 mm of travel.
The 790 Adventure R's suspension also features a 48-gauge fork with virtually identical adjustability, minus the preload adjuster, which has three positions. The rear shock absorber with the PDS system is identical in adjustment. The main difference is that the 790's suspensions have about 24cm of travel.
Over a short asphalt run, we did not feel any significant difference between the suspensions of the two bikes. But off-road conditions immediately put everything in its place.
The 790's suspension turned out to be strikingly better than that of the 1090's. Of course, part of this is the lighter weight, but either way I can ride the 790 faster and harder, and it will still be more controllable and balanced. As we picked up the pace, the 790 ate up roots, rocks, bumps and jumps much more confidently and held the ground better.
KTM 790 Adventure R
Electronics
The KTM 790 Adventure R features a much more sophisticated electronics package than the 1090. It has ABS and traction control with lean angle monitoring on board, as well as anti-wheelie. All this is controlled using the TFT display of the instrument, including three driving modes: Road, Off-road and Rain.
In Road mode, the motorcycle works with the most aggressive fuel map, and the influence (and interference) of electronic assistants is reduced. In off-road mode, the bike has a muted throttle response and minimal electronic intervention. In rain mode, the motorcycle responds to the gas quite smoothly, and electronic assistants have a decisive voice in matters of safety.
In addition, the KTM 790 Adventure R has a Rally mode. In it, electronic assistants can be finely tuned: 9 levels of traction control (plus the ability to turn it off), Off-road ABS mode, which allows minimal slipping in the front and complete locking of the rear, or the ability to completely turn off ABS. Anti-wheelie is also completely turned off, and throttle response can be selected from Road, Rally and Off-Road options, where Road mode still operates the most aggressive map, and Rally's response is somewhere between Road and Off-Road.
I discovered an unpleasant feature: if you turn off the engine (with a key, kill switch or accidentally) with the traction control turned off, then after starting the engine the traction control will turn on again. This is extremely sad given the fact that the 1090’s traction control is activated only at the will of the owner or after turning the ignition key. This allows the rider to use the kill switch to turn off the engine and not have to navigate through the menu to set everything back up, as if turning off the key.
Specifically, my 1090 is equipped with an “ABS dongle” - a small electronic unit connected to the diagnostic connector. When the ignition is turned on, this block connects to the brains of the motorcycle and sets the parameters I need. At the same time, the motorcycle very coolly displays on its simple (compared to the 790) tidy the blinking inscription “illegal” - something like Jackie Chan, who is on my side.
The electronics of the KTM 1090 Adventure R, in contrast to the 790, seem quite simple, which is perhaps not bad if you are not chasing the latest innovations. It is equipped with conventional traction control and ABS with the option to allow limited lock-up for off-road use. But I don’t have tilt angle tracking, and I don’t have anti-wheelie.
The 1090 Adventure R has four riding modes: Sport, Road, Off-Road and Rain. The main difference with the 790 is that here the mode affects not only the response, but also the maximum engine power. In Sport and Road modes, the engine delivers full power and responds to the throttle as aggressively as possible, and the difference between these modes is the degree of traction control intervention. Off-Road and Rain modes reduce power by about 25 horsepower and limit throttle response. At the same time, in the Off-Road mode the intervention of electronic assistants is minimal, and in the Rain mode it is the maximum of all.
After playing with the modes on both motorcycles, my friend and I left the Off-Road mode, turning off the traction control and ABS, and then my friend set the same settings after each engine stop.
Orange mood: test drive KTM 1090 Adventure
Remember the first KTM Adventure? Not the small 640, but the real, unbearably heavy and brutal first 950, and then the 990: these motorcycles did not forgive weaknesses and mistakes, requiring incredible driving skills and physical training from the pilot, offering in return the opportunity to travel thousands of kilometers in conditions that are not very compatible with the life of many other touring enduros.
But the years passed, and the Austrians first began to comb the wild beast, and then completely tame it - the 1190 Adventure rode no worse than its predecessor 990, but was distinguished by a revolutionary set of electronics and smart stabilization systems at that time. It was they who were elevated to the absolute level with the advent of the 1290 Super Adventure, but the price tags for these devices rose to such a height that they could easily reach the stars with their hands.
The new KTM 1090 Adventure fully retains the DNA code of the big tourer family
Meanwhile, the popularity of the Adventure family only grew, and new motorcycles, in our opinion, began to squeeze the little-worn “orange” ones from the secondary market, and competitors, it must be said, were not asleep. It is logical that it was precisely for those who do not have enough for the “older” model and those who simply do not need such rich functionality, and first the KTM 1050 Adventure was created, then the 1090 Adventure, which appeared this year.
KTM 1090 Adventure replaces 1050 Adventure in the model range
The 1090 family includes two motorcycles: the “off-road” version 1090 Adventure R and the “asphalt” 1090 Adventure, which we decided to test. Why him? Firstly, today it is the most affordable representative of the legendary family, and secondly, it is incredibly interesting to try out the Austrian crossover, because recently its competitors have been multiplying like cats. Judge for yourself: the 1090 can be compared with the liter Kawasaki Versys, Suzuki V-Strom 1000, the Yamaha Tracer and Triumph Tiger Sport are a stretch, but the main thing, of course, is the Ducati Multistrada 950 that appeared this year.
The cost of the new KTM 1090 Adventure is 799,000 rubles, which makes it one of the most affordable in its class
In general, we chose the most interesting device. But what about his appearance? Of course, it doesn’t look as cool as the 1290 SuperAdventure, which has a lot in common with the “younger” one, but the head optics from the “old” 1190 Adventure with incandescent lamps do not hurt the eye with their radical appearance. Judging by the feedback from our readers, the radical look of dual blocks of diode spotlights with a metal radiator in the middle was not to everyone’s taste; it’s good that the Austrians left buyers a choice and took care of the conservatives. Although even they won’t have to look retrograde - the diode strip of running lights is also in the head optics of the 1090 Adventure, which makes the device look very elegant both in photographs and in life.
The front optics, familiar from the 1190 and 1050 Adventure models, cope well with their duties.
The windshield with a cutout for the headlight is also pleasing to the eye, which, moreover, has a new height adjustment mechanism with two eccentrics. It’s difficult to call it comfortable, because for normal fixation you have to tear off not only your left, but also your right hand from the steering wheel, but it’s probably reliable: the steel elements look durable and will certainly be more durable than plastic latches.
The windshield has a convenient mechanical height adjustment, but on modern touring bikes this is the norm rather than the exception
The plastic armor on the sides, acting as sliders, also looks interesting - the design is stunning, and the soft elements absorb impacts well, protecting the tail and the 23-liter tank of the motorcycle. The instrument panel remained old, having migrated unchanged from the 1190 - at the head is an analog tachometer with a bright needle and a blinker, on the sides there are a pair of monochrome monitors, informative and well readable. The 1290 Super Adventure, of course, cannot be compared with the wide-diagonal color tablet, but its design and ergonomics are close to perfection.
The dashboard comes straight from the 1190 Adventure.
These small and not so small touches create a mood and charm, but a trained eye immediately clings to annoying little things - the right remote control is noticeably different from the left one in the quality of workmanship. The gaps between the halves are large, and the red keys for the starter and emergency stop of the engine shine cheaply and boldly against the background of the noble matte red emergency light button on the left control panel. In addition, the throttle handle is too playful - a trifle, but a sediment remains. However, let’s chalk this up to the fact that a particular instance was “worn out” by test riders and journalists.
The only complaint about the controls is the deliberately cheap engine stop button and the throttle play.
By the way, the grips, as the inscription on them proudly says, are made by Domino, the court supplier of the stables of the Irbit motorcycle plant. Ural Gear-Up, for example, has remote controls and handles from the same company.
Thanks to the convenient keys on the left remote control, navigating the menu is easy
The glove compartment, located to the right of the tidy, also did not produce delight. What should I put in it? The phone doesn’t fit, neither does a pack of cigarettes, and the molding of the lid, like its latch, is not striking in its elegance. But to the left of the dashboard there is a neat hole, clearly designed for a cigarette lighter - a smart solution that will relieve future owners of a lot of problems with installing an outlet. But regarding the plastic tail, I don’t have a definite verdict - the wing, the platform for the trunk, the passenger handles and even the brackets for the side luggage containers, in addition to the stern tail itself, are made entirely of plastic. Only the subframe and muffler bracket are metal, and even those are painted with matte black paint to look like plastic. On the one hand, it’s stylish, sometimes noble and certainly practical, on the other – well, “ready to race”! Just hearing this phrase brings to mind bright orange pipes, steel elements, deliberate rigidity and sportiness. However, the taste and color of felt-tip pens are different.
The platform for the trunk with integrated plastic passenger handles looks simple but functional
But the saddle is definitely comfortable: the cushion is moderately soft, it doesn’t sit too high, with a height of one meter and eighty, both soles stand confidently on the asphalt, the steering wheel is high and equally comfortable for riding in a sitting or standing position. The footrests, on the contrary, are not high and are somewhat shifted back, comfortable and with an eye to a sporty mood. You can easily spend 10-15 hours in such a saddle, and it’s quite comfortable to ride in a stand-up position - the motorcycle has the right waist, the knees literally grab the tank themselves.
The high, wide steering wheel coupled with toothy footpegs allows you to move comfortably in a standing position.
Otherwise, the breed obliges! What was it based on? On the electronics: no frills, there is only a gentleman’s set of three engine operating modes associated with switchable (if desired) traction control and ABS, as well as a function for automatically turning off the turn signals. That's all. No heating, cruises, quick shifters, electric suspension, headlights that look into turns, keyless entry and prostate massages.
However, it’s difficult to call this set insufficient: the Sport, Street and Rain modes, in which the power of the 125-horsepower engine is reduced to 100 horses, and traction with ABS increase attention, are enough for the city and trips outside its borders. In addition, according to company representatives, additional functions, such as the Off Road mode, can be installed for an additional fee. And as you wanted, the twenty-first century is just around the corner, just a little more, and the tuning will be available for download on the Apple Store!
On light off-road the motorcycle feels confident, thanks to the long-travel suspensions
What you really won’t be able to download is new suspensions and chassis, and it’s not necessary - the current ones are quite decent. The steel tubular frame is very, very rigid, the aluminum swingarm is good, and the fork doesn’t play. But for active driving, the rigidity of the “shifter” hydraulics is not enough - pushing in the city is comfortable, and on a rough road too, but the first small jump, and the fork, despite the good travel, collapses completely.
The same problem is with the dives during braking - they are not scary, the fork does not compress completely, but any decent hole will put pressure on it, and at the same time it will damage the 19-inch aluminum front disc, so you will have to pay for mistakes. It is clear that the problem is not with a specific model, but with all telescopic forks, however, I lack adjustment, if I bought such a device for myself, the first thing I would do is order tuning springs and fill in thicker oil.
The WP inverted fork has 185mm of travel and 43mm of stays.
But the rear shock absorber is adjustable both in terms of spring preload and hydraulic stiffness, so you can just tighten it up and land on the rear wheel, thereby eliminating the softness of the front end. KTM engineers love fast driving on rough roads too much; they don’t leave even budget models unarmed. That is why the 1090 Adventure behaves well both on broken asphalt and without it, even on road tires.
The rear suspension has a full range of adjustments, although only in manual mode
But still, the main merit and breakthrough of the device is its lightness. No Adventure in my memory has ever felt so weightless! The motorcycle follows the wheel religiously, swaying is countered by opening the gas and loading the rear suspension, nothing betrays the habits of the obedient device as a liter tourenduro. Just look at the clutch lever, which you can squeeze without straining with one finger!
The engine power is enough to lift the muzzle and move the wheel over an obstacle or jump onto a curb.
But don’t be fooled, behind this obedience and lightness lies a peppy V-twin with the legendary name LC8. And even though it produces “only” 125 forces, it begins to pull confidently from 3500 rpm and right up to the cutoff, and it spins up at lightning speed, so the crazy acceleration can only be marred by the Austrian-style long travel of the gearbox pedal with not the most intelligible engagement. However, the feeling of a bicycle pedal instead of a gearshift lever quickly passes, you get used to the peculiarities, and by the end of the test day you even begin to catch the “neutral” the first time, so by and large there is nothing to blame the gearbox for.
V-twin LC8 engine producing 125 hp, coupled with a six-speed gearbox
The traction control is also good, which, as on older models, cuts not the fuel, but the air supply. This happens so delicately and unnoticed that you only learn about the operation of the system from the flashing display on the dashboard! But ABS is without revelations, modern, but nothing more. It detects wheel locks clearly, you can’t complain about too early activation, but you traditionally expect more than just good from KTM.
Switchable traction control gives greater freedom when choosing routes, especially off-road
The brakes live up to expectations - the opposed Brembo calipers with radial mounts, it seems, cannot work at all in four. The feedback is sufficient, there is enough tenacity, so you can brake confidently and, most importantly, safely even from 220 km/h, to which I managed to accelerate the 1090 Adventure at a special testing ground.
Brembo opposed calipers with radial mounts and standard ABS are responsible for effective deceleration.
So is the game worth the trouble and is the new 1090 Adventure really that good? Definitely good, in some places sufficient, in others great, but before purchasing you will have to weigh the pros and cons for a long time. Yes, this is a real KTM, without discounts on the price tag and equipment, but the Austrians offer too many options for them to just grab a crossover just like that.
The new 1090 feels great both on and off pavement
What if in a year the need to jump on curbs will be replaced by a craving for real adventure, for which you will need at least a 1090 Adventure R, or even a 1290 Super Adventure? There is no definite answer to this question and there cannot be; only one thing can be said with confidence - the 1090 Adventure is balanced, self-sufficient and has every right to bear its big name.
Video review of the KTM 1090 Adventure motorcycle:
We thank the Bike Land Motor Show for providing us with a motorcycle for testing.
Accreditation and organization of test drives – Denis Sokolov | | +7 (999) 851-49-71
Service
The service intervals on both motorcycles are identical. A small service is performed every 15 thousand, and a large service with checking valve clearances is performed every 30,000 kilometers. I have heard more than once from people who have never owned a KTM that they cannot afford the maintenance of these motorcycles. It seems logical: if you’ve already bought it, then you’ll somehow manage the maintenance. But seriously, my 1090 is a completely trouble-free bike. My year there was a recall campaign for the fuel pump, during which they replaced it for free, while checking some other components (especially if you are on good terms with the dealer’s mechanic). And the service intervals are among the longest in this class. By the way, the 790 has two important advantages over the 1090.
You've probably heard the funny ritual KTM has come up with for those who want to check their air filter more than once every 15 thousand. Well, for example, you found yourself in a dusty steppe or in the desert - and decided that your faithful motorcycle could use a little attention and a new filter. What needs to be done for this? Well, it’s logical to remove the tank. The owners of the 1090 did not escape this misfortune.
But the KTM 790 Adventure R, or rather its happy owners, is completely deprived of this pleasure. The air filter is located under the seat, and it takes a couple of minutes to remove it for replacement or cleaning.
The second advantage of the 790 is simpler, but also worth mentioning: checking and adjusting valve clearances on a rower is easier than on a V-shock. One cover - and there they are, and there are fewer camshafts.
KTM 1090R 2017
A new model in the KTM 2022 Adventure line, but essentially it is a copy of the 1190R that appeared in 2013. With the previous model, the new 1090R still has many differences in small things, important and not so important, but at the core everything is the same. That is, the motorcycle is not “raw”, all the main points have been worked out and all the mistakes seem to have been fixed. Plus something new has been added or simply more developed over time.
KTM does not hide the point of releasing this model - to squeeze out the Africa Twin in the segment of liter enduro-tourers on the market (although they are still alone in this segment), that is, the point is to kill the AT 
Main characteristics of the KTM 1090R: twin 1050 cc, 125 hp, ABS/MTS Bosh - 2 modes, 4 driving modes (sport, street, rain, off road), complete shutdown of all this, electronic throttle, hydraulic clutch Magura, fully adjustable WP suspension (48mm fork, linkless shock absorber), Brembo brakes, tubeless spoked wheels, seat height 890mm, ground clearance 250mm, almost complete information on the dashboard (two LCD displays), tank 23l, weight 230 kg in curb condition .
In stock it comes with tank protection bars, TKS80 tires, plastic lever protection, plastic engine and radiator protection, a small windshield (can be adjusted in height), a small plastic trunk (accordingly, all this plastic had to be replaced with additional aluminum ones, plus side luggage racks were installed) frames and a larger windshield). Before that, I rode a KTM 690Enduro for 8 seasons and before that for 4 seasons on a Honda TA650XL.
Before purchasing, I only had the opportunity to sit on the 1090R in the cabin. That was enough for me.
Being 178 cm tall, while sitting on a motorcycle, I cannot place my feet completely on the ground (with one leg on the footrest no problem).
To understand the dimensions, here it is next to the well-known 800 Goose
Go! After cycling the 690, I had to get used to the weight of this new KTM for some time, but not on the move, but in static conditions and with turns on a limited surface, although the steering wheel turns more than on the 690. I am completely satisfied with the ergonomics, the mirrors are gorgeous , the seat is incredibly comfortable, the brakes are excellent (well, after the previous motorcycle, of course)), it’s very convenient to ride in a stand-up position. All the information on the device is easy to read, all the settings are intuitive and you can reconfigure something on the go or look at it further.
It is stable in strong winds (it blows me away, but he doesn’t care - he rushes forward). I didn’t have to get used to the electronic throttle – everything was clear. Gear shifting is almost the same as on the 690 (except for a louder and cooler click), with the trademark not always clear capture of neutral), here you just need to adapt. During the run-in - above 6.5 thousand rpm. You can’t turn it, and the blinker always reminds you of this on the dashboard (after running in, the blinker can be adjusted to your own, but the instructions recommend no higher than 8.5). The engine is bottomless, at first, even with a limit of 6.5, I didn’t understand why there was another 6th gear :), but this is of course after many years of driving the 690, due to the small stock windshield and evil tires. There is enough power reserve and you feel it very well both during acceleration and overtaking, and just flying along the highway. In some rpm ranges there is vibration either in the steering wheel or in the footpegs, such as itching, but after 690 we can say that there is no vibration at all, and if we compare it with the TA650, then yes, there is.
It seemed to me that when leaving the asphalt onto a field road with ruts and potholes, the weight of the 1090R would not allow me to enjoy the ride and it would be as dull as it once was on the TA650. And I was very wrong. On dry primers you can keep the same pace as on 690 and get the same thrill from moving over uneven surfaces. Where did the weight of 230 kg go, it’s not clear? I think it’s the balanced operation of the engine in the “off road” mode plus the suspension. But on a dirty primer, when it began to slide, it was not pleasant and the weight was immediately felt.
I liked all sorts of features, like auto-off turn signals, a clutch with compensation when shifting down at high speeds, switching driving modes on the fly, automatic LED daytime running lights, prompts on the display.
At a moderate pace, gasoline consumption is very low, the on-board computer shows 5 l/100 km and a range of more than 400 km. If you’re sick of Moscow’s congestion, then it’s already 7 liters and, according to rumors, the same figure if you fuck it up to the fullest.
The service interval is stated at 15 thousand km, but I can’t imagine what will happen to the oil there, although new technologies and materials may already be with us.
If anyone is interested in anything else about the 1090R that I haven’t written about, please ask.
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On the run
We carried out sea trials in a deep but sparse forest. This place is adored by jeepers: here you can get stuck in the sand, drown in the mud, grab water at a couple of deep fords and knock off all your insides on kilometers of bumps. And all this is a couple of hours drive from my home, where we started.
If I were a good person, I'd get on my 1090 and give my friend the key to the 790 Adventure R, since he's never ridden a touring bike before. But I waited too long for this opportunity - so I drove the 790 out of the garage and drove it the entire asphalt part of the road.
The forest road began with a classic turn-off with two deep ruts interspersed with islands of sand. I immediately felt how confidently the 790 walked and how easily it steered. I immediately had confidence in it as an off-road motorcycle, and this was the first time this had happened to me: I just looked cheerful, in fact I’m a cautious type and it takes me a while to get used to the off-road motorcycle, looking for balance in the stance and all that. But that wasn't the case with the 790 Adventure R.
KTM 1090 Adventure R and KTM 790 Adventure R
Having turned off the main road onto a narrow path consisting of ruts and bumps, I opened the gas and raised the gear. The suspension absorbed this and the bike remained impressively balanced. The KTM 790 Adventure R feels like a big enduro bike, the key word being big. It is, of course, controlled by the transfer of the whole body's weight, like any other tourenduro, but it handles just fine.
My friend's first impressions of the KTM 1090 Adventure R were surprisingly positive, something I didn't expect from someone riding a 240kg elephant into the sand for the first time.
“It’s got a great engine,” the comrade said with a laugh. -Only he has so much power that he is always trying to escape from me. But in general I had no reason to be afraid.
Moreover, he told me this right after a long stretch of deep soft sand. Here, motorcycle instructors teach beginners not to be afraid of loose soil, because it’s supposedly not painful or dirty to fall and it’s not scary to touch the bike. It was the only time in my life that I was faster than my friend off-road - and it was all about the bikes.
Here we changed motorcycles several times to understand how they differ on loose ground. And while I've always maintained that the 1090 is a well-balanced off-road bike, it doesn't hold a candle to the 790 Adventure R.
790 is so light compared to yours,” a friend noted, picking up the freshly fallen 1090. -It is easy to control and has a different weight distribution.
That's for sure. The KTM 790 Adventure R was the most balanced and comfortable touring bike I've ever ridden. But it's time to compare, so I handed over the keys to the 790 and saddled up with my 1090 Adventure R. Perhaps because I've been used to it for a long time, but I immediately felt at ease: the throttle is more precise, the clutch lever is more informative. The 790's frustratingly narrow gray area is especially acute off-road.
Meanwhile, my friend disappeared somewhere and, apparently, moved forward. We walked along a fast and narrow path with only one small bump, and I managed to keep up with him for a minute or two, but at high speeds the 1090 chassis completely merges with the 790. I drove over three bumps in a row, and on the third it seemed to me that the rear wheel was trying to hit me on the helmet.
I decided to sit back a little and accept that the extra weight and less suspension travel did limit the 1090's off-road capabilities in fast sections. However, the same extra weight and additional power make it a better road performer.
And despite everything, we both had a very good ride.
KTM 1090 Adventure: test drive from a sports tourism point of view
I, the owner of a sports-touring motorcycle with a 1200 cc engine, from another popular European manufacturer, who rode this most refined tourist (and this is not even RT, this is G.T.) 100 km of northern dirt road of medium severity, could not remain indifferent to this proposal. I passed them without losses, both on the move and in a standing position, as taught by the previously existing Transalp, but frankly speaking, this pleasure turned out to be very doubtful. And here below me is a device on which such a grip should only bring pleasure. Let's see, we'll see... I didn't manage to arrive in advance, but the managers of the motorcycle dealership managed to complete all the documents in ten minutes, and I spent most of this time reading the contract. Leaving 15,000 hard-earned deposit, which in case of trouble will go towards paying off the unconditional franchise, I receive the keys to the device and half an hour of its undivided use. I immediately asked how much I could roll, to which the answer was received that in 15 minutes, no one would shake a finger at me. Nice words, after them I obviously didn’t make it in half an hour. While I was asking the Bikeland employees where I could find the nearest dirt road, the previous lucky guy, who was clearly an endurist by the slapdash sparkle in his eyes, expressed the opinion that the motorcycle was wonderful, but this device was not particularly suited for dirt roads, it was purely asphalt and the tires were unsuitable—road tires. Well, comrade, look at the truly unsuitable one, here it is, I parked it nearby.
I’ll note right away that the device is very high, but the only inconvenience that this causes is that it’s a little difficult to push back (my anthropometric data: height 180, weight 90, that is, not a small guy). The center of gravity is somewhere in a reasonable place and shifting when maneuvering is absolutely not difficult. Wide, high steering wheel, comfortable seating position. Moderately hard, but very wide seat. I think there won’t be any difficulties on a long trip. The fifth point will not fall off. The instrument panel is functional and strict to the point of boredom, but it is superbly readable; at a quick glance, everything is captured, even the icon of the engaged gear (looking ahead, I will say that the younger models could not boast of this). The wonderful sound of the engine with rough notes, but not too loud, greatly satisfied my ears; if I happened to buy it, I definitely wouldn’t change anything.
But this is all so unimportant! Urgently, urgently, get me off the asphalt. Of course, I didn’t get 100 kilometers of the White Sea coast, but almost immediately, I discovered under the high-voltage power line running along Marshal Blucher Avenue, many paths, quite hard and quite uneven, and along a field with grass would also work. There were few passers-by; a couple of surprised dogs and their owners remained aloof and safe. Yes! Here it is! The toothy pegs dug tightly into the soles, the steering wheel, the very tall and wide one in the stance ended up exactly where it was needed most. The knees slid along the tank and took the most comfortable position, where they rested against something slightly soft and completely non-slip. This seat runs over the tank at the top, so that riding in a rack is not only convenient, but also comfortable. In general, the device was clearly created with the expectation that people would ride it a lot and often while standing.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a hard enduro school behind me, so I didn’t try to fly from ditch to ditch two meters above the asphalt, as in KTM commercials, but an understanding of the basic principles and experience of off-road riding on a two-wheeler was enough to use this device on dog enjoy the trails to the fullest. It's comfortable to stand, easy to shift, pleasant to turn. Therefore, I then went to a trashy street leading to a neighborhood under construction; I remember there was one nearby. And oh, joy, it wasn't fixed. Gullies, mostly soil, traces of asphalt, preserved in rare places, form gouges and even small springboards, complicating the already difficult passage; cars, even pseudo-off-road ones, sneak at a pace. What a beautiful, terrible road, just what we needed. He stood up and started walking, as they taught, if there’s a hole, open up, if there’s a ditch, open up, wow, how fun! I wouldn’t leave a deposit, it would be even more fun... The suspension swallows absolutely everything and control over the motorcycle is not lost for a second. This piece ended quickly, easily, fun, and, remarkably, comfortably. Asphalt you say? Not his element? Oh well. Asphalt tires, in my opinion, are absolutely appropriate; I wouldn’t get into the mud on it anyway - it’s expensive and tiring. You will definitely drop it, but there is still quite a lot of plastic and attachments on it, there is a lot to scratch and break. Well, it’s also not a piece of cake to lift. 200 + kg, you lift it once, twice, five, but I remember lifting Translyap (the same 200 kg) for the ninth time, I lay down next to him. In general, I think that directions with hard surfaces are the element created for this motorcycle, sorry, I got carried away, of course, the element for which this motorcycle was created.
Initially, it was not my plan to go to the roundabout, but... But for some reason the engine turned out to be sufficient not only at the bottom, which is self-evident and expected, but also at the top, which surprised me at all. The engine picks up and picks up before the cutoff and allows you to accelerate a little faster than you plan. Therefore, I managed to understand that at one hundred and forty it was already blowing strongly. And this is secondly. After all, tourism potential is not even the second line in the destination column: Tour - (and only then) - Enduro. Therefore, to the ring, but first the city. So he feels great in the city. It’s comfortable between the rows and in the flow, but this is generally the fault of most turundurs. The engine is torquey from idle, there is minimal plastic, the steering wheel is still wide and high, it’s easy to maneuver, while being higher than the mirrors of cars, its own mirrors are higher than the mirrors of most jeeps. Plus, curbs and even some curbs become accessible; in terms of the amount of the fine, they are the same. Just in case it gets really crowded in the aisles, but of course I don’t do that, no, not even once, as much as possible, come on, it wasn’t me. The only thing is that when cornering at speed and during particularly aggressive lane changes, the rear starts to wobble.
At the exit to the Ring Road, the same costs of off-road potential made themselves felt. He stands on the arc clearly, predictably, and just as predictably and politely lets you know the limits of his capabilities. I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to play with the suspension settings; it probably would have corrected the situation, but I doubt it much. Long travel suspension, however. It was tight on the highway, but there were several hundred free meters, the speedometer showed the numbers 196. There was a reserve, the maximum speed remained unknown, but even these numbers were enough to understand that I didn’t need or want any more. There is some walking, perhaps due to the fact that it is blowing, with gusts and chatters well. It’s comfortable to drive 130, at one hundred and forty it’s so-so, of course you can keep “one hundred”, but without joy.
And then I remember how a year ago, in the same Bikeland, when I went to buy some equipment, I observed the following picture: a respectable, personable guy walks around 1290 Adventure and, wincing critically, although with obvious interest, asks objective questions. “What, there’s no standard music?” “Is the center stand good, electric? What about the windbreaker? The manager, a girl in an angry headscarf, burdened with official responsibilities, smiles patiently and restrainedly flashes lightning with her eyes, kindly answers questions. I am not burdened with official responsibilities, so I voiced the seller’s thoughts: Dear, that’s not what the motorcycle is about, Golda and all sorts of Glides are not sold here. Adventure is about freedom of movement, and about freedom from asphalt as well. Therefore, returning to what it is about. Him and his competitors.
If we compare it with its classmates, then the eight hundred cc representative of touring-enduro, another popular European manufacturer, did not stand next to it. That one has a smooth engine, but sluggish and characterless, a high center of gravity, and... and I just didn’t like it. The translation was not bad, but this one, with almost twice the engine, is just as light, so the comparison is not correct, and the new Afri.. I haven’t tried the Equatorial Continent. However, by far I would prefer a 1200 cc touring-enduro from the same European manufacturer, less off-road, more asphalt, but also more comfortable, and with a little better wind protection. But this comparison is also not correct, because the KTM range includes the 1290th. To summarize: I would definitely go to those same hundred kilometers of the White Sea “grader” on this and only on this device. But. But up to these hundred, thousand four hundred asphalt, I would still prefer to overcome it on my own, refined one. It will be doubly interesting to try a sports tourer if one ever appears in orange.
(c) Maxim Timofeev, specially for Bikeland.ru Photo: KTM
