2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Review
Review of the 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
The KTM 1290 Super Adventure represents the pinnacle of modern motorcyling. It's fitted with cutting edge of technology yet the rider aids are only as intrusive as you want them to be. The 1290 Super Adventure comes with almost every imaginable gadget yet the focus is still on riding and it plays the role of sportsbike, tourer and off-road capable adventure bike all in one.
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The origins of KTM’s flagship machine come from an unlikely source – the KTM 1290 Super Duke R which is regarded as one of the most insane naked motorcycles ever built. Most motorcycle companies would have slapped a fairing on the Duke and released a sister sportsbike, but not KTM. Instead they decided to take an 180hp engine and create an adventure bike with it – one that actually has dirt capabilities.
Taking a step back, the idea of doing so seems quite ludicrous and yet riding the Super Adventure it all makes sense. A big part of that is thanks to the electronics that KTM has bolted onto this bike which makes it close to being the most sophisticated motorcycle you can buy today. It’s also probably because KTM decided to tone things down slightly by reducing the power of the engine to 160hp – still plenty of grunt in anyone’s book.
KTM implemented new cylinder heads and a new crankshaft with a greater flywheel mass and the modified engine management system which provides a very useable power band. Despite the decrease in power from the Super Duke R, the 1301cc engine still dishes out an immense 140 Nm @ 6,750 rpm. Looking at the torque curve 108Nm is available from as little as 2,500 rpm. It’s almost like an electric bike’s power plant. When the engine setting is set to sport mode, acceleration is viciously quick and would put some sportsbikes to shame. Despite the immense power on tap, fueling is near perfect – it’s completely manageable and controllable even when accelerating hard out of turns.
If you’re after a more sedate ride, things can be dialed back by choosing one of the other engine modes. Street mode maintains the use of the engines full potential but with a more moderate throttle response. The rain and off-road modes reduce power to 100hp and the throttle is less aggressive on the power delivery. Depending on the selected ride mode, the traction control will allow different amounts of wheel slippage: soft slippage in street mode, controlled wheels spin on sport and up to 100 per cent slippage for off-road riders when in that mode. If desired, traction control can even be switched off entirely.
Accompanying the choice of engine modes and traction control are settings for the semi-active suspension. It’s here that the technology really makes an impact on allowing the KTM 1290 Super Adventure to be both a luxury tourer and dirt capable adventure motorcycle at the same time. Selectable modes of comfort, street, sport and off-road change damping settings while the onboard computer ensures that the actual damping is
continuously adjusted in real-time to the riding style and surface.
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