KTM 1290 Super Adventure R
Take the engine
from the Super Duke R, give it a fiddle and a tweak, shove it in a huge
hardcore enduro chassis, and pull the pin. If you thought the 1190 Adventure R
was bonkers – this just stole its dinner money, pushed its head in the toilet
and flushed it.
In typical R fashion, there’s the orange frame and
crash bars, big laced wheels, and huge suspension travel – but let’s talk about
the engine first. At peak tune, the 1290 motor is kicking out 173 bhp – but KTM
have skewed its strengths to deliver 160 bhp, with 103.25 ft-lb of torque.
The R gets a rather distinctive new face, which
you’ll either love, or think looks like a baboon’s backside. At its core is an
aluminium carrier for the new LED lights, which also acts as a heat sink.
Integrated into the lower part of the headlights are LED cornering lights which
are controlled by the MSC lean angle sensor.
The 1290 gets laced 21in front and 18in rear rims –
which are shod with Continental Trail Attack II or Continental TKC 80 from the
factory – and are tubeless thanks to the unique rim design. They’re also fitted
with KTM’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which checks pressures
constantly, and warns the rider in case of pressure loss.
Those big rims roll on fully adjustable WP
suspension with a full 220mm of travel front and rear. Stiffer springs in the
inverted 48mm WP fork, and a progressively damped PDS shock absorber ensure the
chassis can take whatever is dished out.
The 1301 cc V-twin was used in the 2016 Super
Adventure, but for 2017 it gets Euro4 homologation, and its intake has gained
newly developed expansion chambers for improved refinement and smoother power
delivery, especially in the low and mid range.
At 2500 rpm there’s already 80 ft-lb of torque heading
for the back wheel. The engine and chassis are all tied together with the Bosch
MSC package in its top specification with integrated, lean-angle sensitive
C-ABS, Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC) and five riding modes (Sport, Street,
Rain and Off-road).
In off-road mode, the ABS will allow the rider to
lock the rear wheel, while retaining ABS on the front wheel. There’s also
keyless ignition, cruise control, and an options list that includes Hill Hold
Control (HHC), Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) and a bidirectional quickshifter –
all of which can be controlled seamlessly via the new 6.5 in TFT colour dash.
There’s even a waterproof mobile phone compartment with integrated USB charger.
And there are acres of luggage options, too.