KTM Super Adventure 1290 Ride and Review - Best Tourer on the marrket?
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- čas přidán 5. 02. 2016
- WhichBike.com staff member, Ade, takes out the 2016 KTM Super Adventure 1290 for a decent ride and a review. What does he make of this top performing tourer?
Bike Kindly supplied by Premier Bikes in Didcot, a main KTM dealer.
www.premierbikes.com/
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/ mrrampantrider
/ @dukeofdc (Duke) - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The suspension is semi automatic , and fully adjustable . If you use comfort setting it feels like you are gliding on air ! The bike is not fitted with a quick shifter , and frankly doesn't need one as the gear change is silky smooth and very precise . Despite its size it is a v competent off road bike , as well as being an awesome touring bike .Yes it's pricy ,but you pay for what you get in this life and with the 1290 SA you get one hell of a lot !!!
+lawrence nixon
Cheers, good info!
great video keep them going!
Test rode this bike and for a twin it was smooth to me the the engine modes were useless I just want fast. I ended up buying the Honda Crosstourer because it was so much smoother less complicated and the engine is so much better not as fast but reliability and quality is in a different league. Stil a fantastic bike and if you have one I am not criticising just not to my taste
+bampie1
Yeah, fair comment. The big Hondas are all incredibly well made.
I took out the DCT version:
czcams.com/video/OWQuAO349V8/video.html
Question for you. Can't leave a comment on the triumph explorer 1215 review but I really wanted your opinion on how it accelerates compared to my z1000sx. I am tempted.
+superbike1
Hi, this is a good question.
The explorer, like this ktm, has a lot of power but the delivery is a lot different and the z1000sx (love that bike! have you watched my review?) is a fair bit lighter so my impression is that the z1000 'feels' more fruity thriughout the rev range, and certainly more dynamic overall.
to move up to the explorer or ktm is more about comfort, practicailty and tech.
Cheers. Might try the ktm super Duke gt then.
+superbike1 Oh yeah, true. that looks damn good on paper... damn good.
nice one, looks like a top quality tourer!
+Reece Evans
It is!
Did the bike have a KTM accessory quick shifter?
Yes... I assumed it was standard. Loved it.
It's very expensive. Plus, are you sure it has a quick shifter? The KTM site doesn't list it as a feature
+VeeFour
Yeah, it is over 16K pounds but it does promote itself as the best on the market.
Yep, definitely had a QS on the up and down and it was super smooth and the equal of the BMW.
Maybe it was a third party one on it, no idea.
+Which Bike The new GT has a quick shifter from KTM. The US version of the 1290 SA does NOT have one.
+Steve Grasso
Ah, nice one. Interesting.
Steve Grasso , Nor does the UK model have Q/Shifter, 100% no.
"S1000XR pretends to be a tourer" ....you're very wrong. In 5 months I've put 10K on my XR touring Wales, SE to Scotland ...and across Europe to Germany. The XR is more than capable of doing 350 mile days comfortably enough.
Apologies for the delay.
Did you have those vibrations? If not, then, yeah, a great bike for everything!
It did have handle bar vibes, but not much more than my GS had. I fitted heavier bar ends and coupled with the mileage they are barely noticeable now. I have done many 100s of miles in a day including 100s on motorways and the bike has always been perfectly capable.
Nothing compares to the XR for me, the engine and overall ride is just addictive!
+Antonio Russell
Fair comment, the XR is great and very fast.
@@RevMonkey I agree but it's 2 deferent bikes. XR is sport tourring and ktm is adventure bike is my opinion 🙂
Could you ride an ER-6F or ninja 650?
+Toxic Chillz
Hi, will probably get on an ER6F soon and will make my way through all the Ninjas, probably starting to the new ZX10R
+Which Bike awesome to hear
1290 Super Adventure has a safety flaw in its design, the motorcycle has a major safety problem.
I bought mine six month ago and since day one I have been experiencing head wobble at speed ranging from 100 to 120 mph.
I contacted the dealer and they said “there is a software upgrade regarding the head wobble”
I took the motorcycle to the dealer, after the software upgrade I discovered that the four setting for the damping is not working any more there is not difference in the performance between sports, street, comfort or off-road.
Ah interesting. KTMs are known for their adjustability.
Can it not be manually adjusted?
No only with the software. Which is disabled by KTM dealer due to design flaw
Besides the software issue, maybe you shouldn't in any event be doing 120mph with a bike of this design and intended purpose.
I do agree with however if this is the case KTM should have said something about it
Am not sure what you mean??
smooth and vibration ? can you actually read about what is the meaning of smooth ?
Sure, for me, this bike had a really smooth engine giving out minimal vibrations. The smoothness did not really get any worse as you get faster.
The whole bike seems to be more dialled in for pure touring. It has a less 'sporty' feeling than the BMW S1000XR.
gs? xplorer?
+Jake Allen
Well, I would personally save money and get a versys 1000.
for similar money would consider the bmw xr
So, the heated seat was on, or was it from the engine?
+Jimo368
Good question Jim! No idea :)
I certainly didn't think it was putting off too much heat and I should know as I have a Panigale and its like sitting on a fire. :)
The seat was on. I have put hours on the bike and it never got hot.
+Mike Price
Yeah, a good bike all round.
+Mike Price Me too, have done thousands of miles on the bike. Seat is cool, no heat at all.
I have noticed a few things in Ride magazine ( German speaking bike making lovers ) about this bike, namely the appalling headlights and panniers that touch down when cornering at modest lean angles.
+jeff birchall
Wow, not heard that. You;d have to be leaning over a LOT to achieve that!
Both absolutely not true. I have toured the bike two-up with full luggage over mountain twisties (fast) and have never even come close to scraping the cases. And i have used the whole tyre up to the edge. There's a lot of bs being written and said about this bike. I guess bmw pays more for advertising.
kees ketsers
Thanks Kees for all your recent comments as an owner bringing some balance to the conversation.
It was a while ago that I rode the bike, My biggest memory was the speed! I thought it was pretty flawless as a lon distance tourer.
Living in Africa, the phrase "all rounder" and "off road capability" carriers a lot of weight. I have watch a lot of you tube videos and reviews about the KTM 1290 SA, but no where i have seen a proper test with this bike on long open hard & loose gravel roads. If you say " but this Bike is not built for this long open OFF ROAD gravel roads, then KTM didn't achieve their goal to take on the BMW 1200 GS Adventure....sorry to say. Then this bike is not a reliable all rounder.
I have owned the KTM 990 R and this Bike was purposely built for the gravel roads in my country. Yet the BMW 1200 GS joined me on all country gravel roads. I'm in the market to by another KTM and my hart say 1290 SA but my mind say, NO !!!!, this is Africa - buy the 1190 R. So my question is: Can the KTM 1290 SA really takes on hard / loose off road gravel roads, with sometimes nasty bumpy and jumpy surprises ?? I'm not talking about heavy 4x4 off road condition...just long open African gravel roads. (On many of these roads you can easily cruise at 140km/h) Will this bike handle nasty surprises and these types of roads?? Can this KTM 1290 SA, with all the high tech and electronics, take you beyond African boarders and back or will it leave you high and dry in the African sunset....... I have done 20 000 km's on my 990 and half of that was gravel roads - exploring the country. Isn't this bike maybe too soft and is it really reliable and tough enough????
Great post, thanks.
Indeed, living in places such as Africa, South Africa or Austalia, bike choice is really important.
You are right, you hardly ever see reviews of an Adventure bike actually used for an 'adventure' or off-road.
If you can do a review of this type I will gladly add it up on this channel.
Looks too fast! i wudnt wanna be on the back of that thing! LOL
+Nat Jacobs
Nor me!
best tourer on the market? "no" certainly not the most reliable,
+Peter Gunton
I did like the tech and the accessories. Since then I have been on the new 2016 Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 XRT which I prefer actually.
Really, so what known problems are there? I have researched the crap out of this bike and have found none.
GS is better
+TheHappyRider
I still have not ridden the GS.
Believe it or not I have one in my garage! haha. Seriously.
Which Bike how many bikes do you have man?
+TheHappyRider
Well, right now, one! My Honda PCX scooter. My Panigale is still sitting at the insurance company as I haven;t decided if I want it back after dropping it.
In my garage there is a Honda 600RR, a BMW GS1200 and a Honda SP1 - however, they all belong to my othger half's boss and I daren't touch the buggers :)
Which Bike so your garage is like strip club, look but no touch
TheHappyRider
Ha - yeah, excellently put.. bloody frustrating.