2014 KTM 1190 Adventure Review

When it came to big-bore Adventure-Touring shootouts, the KTM 990 Adventure was predisposed to win the off-road segment of the test. That motorcycle, with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, 8.25 inches of suspension travel (front and rear), and a lesser wet weight than its peers was simply better suited to the task.

“The KTM 990 Adventure is the only real choice if your idea of adventure takes you far away from the pavement,” said Dean Hight in our 2012 Adventure-Touring Shootout.

The old Adventure, however, was outpaced, technologically bereft and suffered from displacement envy. With the introduction of the 2014 1190 Adventure, KTM addressed the bike’s shortcomings but in the process has streetified its once dominant dirtbike.

Before we go any further, dirt-o-philes need not fret because an R version of the 1190 Adventure is on the way and it promises to be everything off-road the standard version is not. We’ll have a review of the 1190 R Adventure immediately following the Adventure Rider Rally in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, but for now let’s expose the new nature of KTM’s standard Adventure model.

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With the likes of Ducati’s Multistrada and Triumph’s Tiger Explorer gaining in popularity while also blurring the lines of what comprises an Adventure-Tourer, KTM set to hybridizing its new Adventure model. Wheel sizes are reduced from the 990’s 21/18 combo to 19 and 17 inches, front and rear, respectively, engine displacement increased from 999cc to 1195cc, and a slipper clutch was added to the new 6-speed transmission. An electronics package including electronically adjustable suspension, R-b-W throttle, Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), switchable ABS and Ride Modes is present. Adjustable windscreen, seat and handlebars conspire to easily customize comfort levels, while a steering damper helps keep the long-travel fork calm as the speeds increase.

KTM claims 150 horsepower from the 1195cc 75° V-Twin powering the Adventure. Calculating a pessimistic 15% drivetrain power loss (-27.5 hp) puts the LC8-based engine well above the Tiger Explorer’s 111 hp and in the neighborhood of the Multistrada’s 131 hp – a promising start for the new bike.

The DOHC four-valve cylinder heads feature two differently sized spark plugs per cylinder controlled by dual ignitions that ignite the spark plugs independently of one another. KTM claims the result is a 20% improvement in fuel economy and reduced emissions.

While there’s significant low-end power, a noticeable power surge resides above 6000 rpm. The increased propulsion is nice to have on tap, but the vibes that come with it are not. After an extended period of high-rpm canyon riding I grabbed another gear (my ass cheeks were getting tingly) which diminished the worst of the vibrations as well as the illumination of the MTC warning light.

Engine response from KTM’s R-b-W system operating two 52mm Keihin throttle bodies feels nicely cable-like, while minor throttle inputs (largely unnecessary due to its traction control system) results in smooth, controllable increases or decreases in engine revs.

When the MTC light does illuminate, it’s oftentimes surprising. While power is momentarily delayed, there’s no sense of engine surging, making the system’s operation very transparent. There are four different MTC settings that vary according to the Rider Mode selected. MTC can also be completely disabled.

KTM’s first suspension featuring an Electronic Damping System (EDS) comes by virtue of WP Suspension. Like similar units a rider can, via the handlebar-mounted mode switch, adjust preload settings according to load (Solo, Solo with luggage, Two-up, Two-up with luggage).

Separate from the preload are three damper settings: Sport, Street and Comfort. These are also selected from the handlebar-mounted mode switch and change the performance of suspension characteristics accordingly.

Like similar models we’ve sampled, WP’s version of electronic damping provides a balanced blend of suspension tuning to keep most motorcyclists happy with the pre-set damping selections. During our short ride we didn’t find any egregious suspension flaws, but we reserve the right to change our opinion after having a model under our butts for a longer period of time.

Controlling all these functions is the aforementioned Multi-Functional Cockpit including the handlebar-mounted mode switch, analog tachometer, a digital speedometer, and an LCD screen with readouts for fuel and engine temp, clock, preload selection, etc., and a separate screen for selecting Rider Modes, suspension settings, ABS and MTC controls and more.

The manually adjustable windscreen has a range of 25mm in vertical movement as well as a fore and aft range of 36mm. In the low setting I found the windscreen provided ample wind protection and diverted the stream over the top of my Arai XD4 helmet without catching the visor. A rider would have to be in excess of six feet tall to gain any advantage of the windscreen’s taller setting.

Considering the Adventure’s new on-road disposition, including an increased fuel load for longer, uninterrupted riding miles, we were surprised to find cruise control missing from its electronics suite. Maybe cruise control was omitted for pricing considerations, but it’s hard to speculate at this point because KTM isn’t releasing the Adventure’s MSRP until we test the R model at the Adventure Rider Rally.