2022 Adventure Bike Shootout
These asphalt-eating ADVs don’t mind getting their tires dirty. Last year’s winner, the Harley-Davidson Pan America, takes on Triumph and KTM in a Utah showdown.
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Adventure riding is many things to many people. For some, it’s exploring gnarly mountain double-track after riding there in total comfort. For others, it’s touring on the asphalt and exploring some dirt roads along the way. Others simply like the comfort and capability of an ADV bike and don’t really intend on leaving the predictability of blacktop. In this case, our shootout is focused on that exploratory middle ground, emphasizing the pavement while still taking the bikes’ capabilities on dirt into account. With that in mind, we left the stock road-centric rubber on these 19-inch-front-wheeled machines.
In 2021, we held a Big-Bore Adventure Shootout which included the BMW R 1250 GS, Ducati Multistrada V4 S, and the new-to-the-scene Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special (KTM had no appropriate test units available at that time). Those three bikes were all equipped with off-road-oriented wire-spoked wheels and knobby tires. When the Utah dust settled after a week, the Harley-Davidson Pan America emerged as the winner.
As the big-bore incumbent, Harley is back to defend its title. For this year’s test we received a 2022 Pan America 1250 Special G.I. (Enthusiast Collection) with its exclusive Mineral Green Denim Deluxe paint and graphics celebrating H-D customers who have served in the armed forces. As delivered, the bike came equipped with spoked wheels ($624 option); however, they come in the same diameters (19-inch front, 17-inch rear) and with the same Michelin Scorcher tires as the cast wheels. It also came with the optional Adaptive Ride Height, which adds another $1,200, bringing the sticker price to $22,623.
There is no denying that the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is the sledgehammer of this group. For 2022, the bike got a whole host of changes: a new frame, a 15mm-longer swingarm, and a ton of engine updates to help it meet current emissions standards while still delivering monster power. Like its little brother the 890 Adventure, the Super A gets fuel tanks that straddle the engine for a lower center of gravity. A new pair of split radiators improves cooling. Other highlights include a new airbox and exhaust, updated clutch and transmission, and revised electronics. Our bike came equipped with the $969.99 Tech Pack, bringing the total price to $20,469.
Triumph has made no bones about the new Tiger 1200s targeting the BMW R 1250 GS as the performance benchmark. In the case of this shootout, the Union Jack will have to go up against both the Stars and Stripes and the Unchained Eagle, as the BMW was defeated in our last comparison. While there are five different Tiger 1200 submodels, our Snowdonia White model is the $21,400 GT Pro, the middle offering of the three more street-oriented bikes. For 2022, the Tiger is completely revamped from the ground up with a brand-new engine, an all-new chassis, Showa semi-active suspension, and updated electronics. The GT Pro comes pretty much loaded, with the only real options being heated seats ($225 rider, $200 passenger) and tire pressure monitoring ($250). Road-focused but adventure-capable wheel and tires sizes align the GT with our two other models.
Location
As they say in the world of real estate, it’s all about location. So we once again found ourselves in southwestern Utah, in the areas around Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, Esclante, and the Highway 89 corridor framing Panguitch. The region absolutely sings of adventure, thanks to winding ribbons of pavement, a seemingly endless supply of gravel roads, and magnificent scenery. Our group of three test riders included former Cycle World staffer, current contributor, and former FIM World Endurance champion Doug Toland; young buck Evan Allen, the newest CW staffer; and my humble self. As the early July heat was making itself known, we planned our routes over higher terrain, into the pine forests when possible. By day 3, however, we found ourselves exploring the beautiful region between Lake Powell and Boulder, finding it well worth a little extra sweat in the triple-digit heat. Over the course of our testing we recorded around 1,000 miles on the three bikes, at least a quarter of that on dirt.
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