By Nick Zarras, Managing Editor
This is a wonderful time to be a motorcycle rider. Even more so in a machine that can provide high performance on the street and off the road. KTM is famous for its 990 Adventure that provided outstanding off-the-road use but suffered some compared to its competition for power and handling on the road. In 2014 KTM started with a clean slate and created a revolutionary machine that balanced on the road sport touring capabilities while enhancing the off-the-road prowess that KTM is known for. That bike is the KTM 1190 Adventure R.
The KTM dramatically upped the competition by moving from the 999cc 990 engine to a modified 1190cc RC8 R engine from their sport/track bike. They added a PASC anti-hopping clutch vs. the multidisc. Even the frame has gone from a lattice frame to a tubular space frame. Brembo brakes now grace the wheels, managed by the Bosch 9Me Combined ABS system (C-ABS). A WP suspension now manages your ups and downs in life with 220 mm of travel.
Enduro bikes are traditionally very tall machines to provide the needed ground clearance on serious terrain. The KTM 1190 Adventure R has a 21 inch front wheel (90/90 ZR tire) and an 18 inch rear wheel (150/70 ZR tire) and 9.84 inches ground clearance. When you first get on the KTM 1190 Adventure R, you realize that the side stand angle puts it more vertical. It is one of the easiest enduro bikes to mount. A center stand is standard. The seat is fixed at 35 inches. A 32 inch inseam puts your feet fall flat on the pavement. Like the RC8 R the KTM 1190 Adventure R’s ergonomics are adjustable. There are two handlebar positions, the hand brake lever, the clutch lever, the footrests, the food brake lever, the shift lever can be tailored to your needs. The adjustments from the factory fit me so I made no changes. I was also pleased to see a luggage rack, hand guards, crash bars, and skid plate installed. There is a long option list.
Going through the controls shows impressive upgrades from the KTM 990 Adventure. The clutch is light, hydraulically operated and self-adjusting. The handbrake operates the front and rear brake unless the Offroad ABS mode is switched on, then only the front brakes are actuated and managed by the C-ABS On the left switch array is the menu switch with four arrowed buttons. The up and down button scrolls the selector window, the set button sets your choice, and the return button brings you back to your previous window. Prior to start the electric immobilizer secures the vehicle. With the optional alarm there will be an indicator light on the VDO central LCD screen. Upon engine start the combination instrument (CI) LCD display illuminates and goes through a test profile with the next service interval being displayed. The CI neatly houses a matrix display, tachometer, shift warning light, segment display and indicator lamps. Screen brightness is automatically adjusted. The matrix display on the left houses the menu items. The segment display is the screen on the right and has the fuel level, time, mph, actual speed, gear display, “drive mode,” coolant temperature, and ice warning. On the indicator lamps section under the tachometer the non-standard lights are C-ABS, and Traction Control.
The Matrix Display not only houses the selection menu but warning messages each warning light, to include icy roads, fuel, and tire pressure. There are multiple menu screens. The Favorites Menu allows you to quickly choose from five such as Trip 1, 2, odometer, fuel range, battery voltage. The regular menu screens are Trip 1 which has odometer, average speed, average fuel consumption, riding time, and fuel range. Trip 2 mirrors the same. In Settings you can select language, distance, temperature, volume and pressure standards, DRL (daytime running light). Another screen can select two shift light points. The Warning screen broadcast shows item of serious interest. The next is Heat Grip with three settings. The MTC (Motorcycle Traction Control)/ABS can select on/off, and ABS road or Offroad mode. The Drive Mode selects Sport, Street, Rain, or Offroad. The TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) shows your tire pressure with readouts for both tires. The General Info screen shows air temp, date, ODO, Battery Voltage, and Oil Temperature.
The KTM 1190 R is put in the Travel category on the KTM site but is an enduro bike. It is designed for world travel for on-the-road or off-the-road. The road test started with a day one familiarization ride, then four more days of on and off-the-road testing. On the road the bike handled differently than other enduro bikes. It feels 100 pounds lighter than its 517 pound weight. Immediately the feel of the bike was familiar to its RC8 R lineage. The clutch was one finger actuation light. The transmission shifted like a sport bike. Low speed turns with the wider bars and management systems are very easy. The bike does not feel top heavy when stopped. There is a stability that gives you the confidence to push it through any road at any lean angle without concern. On the road the gear indicator was very easy to see but I could tell my gear by my speed and rpms. At approximately 4000 rpms 1st = 20 mph, 2nd = 30, 3rd = 40, 4th = 50, 5th = 60, and 6th = 70. Most of the time I was in 4th or 5th gear.
That stability comes from a comprehensive Bosch MSC assistance package C-ABS, based on their 9ME modulator, and the MTC-ABS system. Coming off power resulted in a smooth no drama deceleration. The management system makes adjustments based on wheel speed differential, acceleration, roll rate, and lean angles. Power adjustments are through the ride-by-wire throttle control rather than ignition or injection interruption. You can select intervention degrees on the matrix display using the multifunctional switch on the left handlebar. This integrates with the EMS (Engine Management System) to assure a safer ride but transparent intervention. Braking is equally impressive as the Brembo 320 mm front radially mounted four piston brake calipers, and at the rear a 267mm disk with dual-piston calipers both supported by MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control), C-ABS and Offroad mode. It did not matter which brake lever I chose, braking was very controlled and powerful. The WP steering damper made slight road stimulus or kick-backs off-road irrelevant.
Let’s look at those power/intervention modes. The computer system reacts in milliseconds adjusting permissible rear wheel slip for the riding conditions. The ride-by-wire system alters the power. Sport mode: 148 hp, allows the most street wheel slip and drift at a full power setting. This is where I kept it most of the time. Street mode: 148 hp, power comes in smoother, excellent for daily riding. Rain mode: 100 hp, early intervention with minimal slip; but at 5000 rpm it hauls. Offroad mode: 100 hp, allows 100% slippage, with double wheel speed for off road drifts; makes you look good. Off mode: for the professionals who feel they can handle the bike better without any assistance.
The four days of test had me in the Red Rock National Conservation Area, Calico Basin, Mount Charleston National Park, Valley of Fire and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Riding in Red Rock National Conservation Area allows you to get a feel for the bike in 50 turns in 13 miles. The bike just flows through the turns. The strong torque curve allowed me to keep the bike in one gear and power through the turns. The perceived lightness of the bike in the turns just facilitated the timing of my lines and power inputs. A light off road area gave me a chance to try the Offroad mode. The ride was smoother and power inputs seemed to guide the bike easier. Near Mount Charleston National Park I was able to ride some off-the-road areas which had gravel and larger rock formations. The Offroad mode is impressive, you can brake aggressively going downhill. The Continental Attack 2 stock tires work well on the street and gravel, and hard rocks of reasonable size. It was cold there and I regretted this bike did not have the heated grips installed. I returned at night and the two H1 55w headlights had a three lane wide fan fog like pattern in low beam, and the high beam had good distance with light concentrated vertical center. Due to high LED use the 450 watt alternator will have sufficient capacity for auxiliary lights and heated gear.
Valley of Fire is a 50 mile drive up I-15 and a great location for photo shoots. I was joined by Kurt Asplindh, and a Dave Amiss both on BMW R1200GS’s. Kurt and Dave provided photographic support. The weather was in the high 60’s, and clear for this final day. The manually adjusted windshield was easy to adjust through its 25mm range. It provided good wind protection. A taller screen is available for taller riders. As on the other days, the 3D foam padded seat was comfortable. At higher speeds the bike with its fully adjustable WP suspension’s 48mm inverted fork and rear monoshock continued to display excellent road manners. The bike’s linear power curve from 2000 rpms up gives you impressive acceleration without having to downshift. 4000 rpms seems to be the sweet spot. The Continental Trail Attack 2 tires displayed excellent traction. They are rated up to the 150 mph reported KTM 1190 Adventure R’s top speed.
Before we entered the park we rode on some unprepared roads. The Continental Trail Attack 2 tires that just rolled over heavy gravel and rock, understandably was not as capable in the soft silt and sand. For this terrain a Continental TKC 80 would be a good choice. One important reminder for those riding off-the-road when in off the road mode the ABS works only on the front wheels. Most riders can be untrusting of new technology. A test was done by another magazine using their “pro” Baja 1000 off-the-road rider to test the system’s worth. The test was on dirt, loose rocks, and sand. Each stop with the system on was shorter and better controlled.
I headed back on Lake Shore Drive, Lake Mead National Recreation Area. From the Valley of Fire exit it is 96 miles home using the southern most route closest to Hoover Dam. It had been a very busy week and I wanted to relax. I had wished for “clear skies and clear roads” and I was granted that. The route back allowed me to unwind and the stress from the week just disappeared. It was my vacation time, where I could be there with just the bike in God’s country. This was a longer route, but with the 6.1 gallon tank, and the 40+ mpg observed fuel economy the KTM 1190 Adventure R made the extra distance irrelevant. My time with the KTM 1190 Adventure R was a treat. It has excellent manners on or off-theroad. With a 453 lb. payload you can bring your significant other with plenty of gear. It is a very stylish machine that checks all the right boxes.
My thanks to Carter Powersports Las Vegas (6275 S. Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89118, phone: 702.795.2000,
www.carterpowersports.com) for the use of their KTM 1190 Adventure R for this road test. Ride Safe my friend...Clear skies, clear roads…
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