KTM has raised the bar

[Cruiseman]

180 HP KTM Super Adventure 1290. How cool is that?

[jmohme]

Wow!
That looks really good. Looks like it has attachment points for bags too!

[Grandpa1]

Wonder if there's a trike kit for it. Ha!

[jmohme]

Wonder if there's a trike kit for it. Ha!

I would need one. I don't think my feet would reach the ground!

[Yellowbird]

What a nice looking Ride.

[MMR]

Okay, it is a cool looking bike, however.....as someone that has done a lot of adventure riding in many different countries, and continents, I can tell you that in true adventure riding, that much horsepower, and that large of displacement engine, is wasted. Having owned a '05 BMW R1200GS, and ridden it over 125K miles, and owned a '12 Yamaha Super Tenere', and ridden it 47K miles, I would now choose to buy a Suzuki wee-strom....the V-Strom 650...and dress it out myself with adventure boxes and gear. The larger displacement and bigger horsepower bikes do not get into their proper powerband when riding offroad, or...425 miles of gravel from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, or the early dawn to late dusk ride out to Happy Valley/Goose Bay. You need the mid-sized adventure engines to be riding in the proper powerband of the engines, when spending long hours off the paved roads.

For blasting down a paved canyon road....that is a different ball of twine, and for that, there are much better street bikes that this KTM. Even KTM makes better bikes for that purpose.

Lesson learned.....don't buy large displacement bikes for riding off-road. Mid-sized...lighter weight...that is the key.

[530ktm]

I kind of agree with MMR. Too much bike for what? I think this is geared more to the street than any dirt or off road riding, I will keep D/S 530 KTM as it suits me just fine for off road and on road if needed. It certainly is no highway cruiser though and that is not what I look for it a dual sport bike as I ride mine mainly off road in the desert or mountains.

[azsandrider]

IF the KTM has a lower gear ratio at the bottom like my GSA, it might do OK...

Does the V-Strom 650 have enough HP to cruise easily at 85 mph while loaded down for a month adventure trip? Can a smaller displacement Adv MC easily & quickly pass slow traffic on a steep uphill on a two lane road?

I bought my BMS 1200 GSA specifically to carry too much stuff on a 30 day + trip and be able to cruise at 85 mph (until I get to Canada) to go to Alaska & Deadhorse AK (Prudoe Bay) this coming June.

[MMR]

azsandrider, yes, the V-Strom 650 can do all that. And having owned a '05 R12GS, I know what you mean, but the reality is that once off the paved roads....like when riding the Haul Road, and up to Prudhoe Bay, you do not ride at 85 mph all day. The V-Strom 650 is a remarkable bike for street use, and many LD/Endurance riders use it as their 2nd bike. I have seen several of them used on the multi-day Three Flags Classic, which is 99 % paved roads. But when off the paved roads, and doing more sedate speeds, like...45 to 70 mph...hour after hour, gravel roads, creek beds, forest service roads, etc, the V-strom really shines, whereas the heavier and alrger displacement bikes such as the R12GS, or the Yam S-10, run around in 3rd or 4th gear, because there is rarely enough speed to get them into top gear.

I have done Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego on three occassions, and from my experiences, I would buy a mid-sized engine adventure bike. I have also owned a Honda Africa Twin 750...a bike that should be sold here in the USA, but Honda just doesn't get that we would all buy one if they offered it. I have also owned a Honda Varadero 1000...and to me the Afrcia Twin is a far better bike offroad than the Varadero is.

[azsandrider]

Ummmm....I ride the gravel Forest Service roads at 70mph + at times in Az too...My trip to AK is a one time thing and if I was buying a new MC for the trip I would seriously consider the new V-strom....but still don't think the 650 will keep up with a fully loaded GSA up hill or all day at 85+....

{Heck I've had my GSA up to 125mph on my way to Payson without panniers and still couldn't keep up with the Rs I was following. They wanted me to get a faster bike to ride with them and I told them I'll ride my Goldwing next time, they looked at me funny when I said that...

Last time I rode my GW with a sport bike crowd down Yarnell Hill they were a little surprised I passed some and kept up with the front 3 riders. At a stop they asked me why I didn't have a faster MC. I replied I ride the GW (and the GSA) to 85-90% of its and my abilities; if I had a sport bike and did that I would be dead or in jail or both. Also I can listen to music, have cruise control, carry to much stuff with me, and have a drink holder on my GW while their sport bike can't....

The GW and GSA limits my top speeds, but it is fun to have two MCs that can be fun but the GSA can go off paved roads. Heck I've seen some guys ride their GSAs places I would think twice before riding my WR250 MC....}

[Cruiseman]

What do you guys think of the new V-Strom 1000?

[MMR]

What do you guys think of the new V-Strom 1000?

My thoughts...negative. Great bike for the street. If a rider wants to use the new V-Strom 1000 for street use only...good bike. But the category it fits into is adventure bike/dual sport bike. For that purpose, the V-Strom 650 is a clear winner over the 1000.

[MMR]

Ummmm....I ride the gravel Forest Service roads at 70mph + at times in Az too...My trip to AK is a one time thing and if I was buying a new MC for the trip I would seriously consider the new V-strom....but still don't think the 650 will keep up with a fully loaded GSA up hill or all day at 85+....

First, please don't allow your upcoming trip to AK to be a one time affair. Plan on doing it 10 more times, in your lifetime.

Secondly, I agree that the V-Strom 650 will NOT keep up with a fully loaded GSA...up hill or all day at 85+ mph. That is where the additional CCs of the GSA engine will shine...fully loaded...uphill...and at speeds like 85 + mph all day long. But the reality of the issue is that adventure riding/off road riding...is not all "uphill"....and is rarely at 85+ mph all day long.

As I stated before, I rode my '05 R12GS to 125K miles over several continents, dozens and dozens of countries, to the top of the world, and the bottom of the world. And while the R12 engine is great on torque, and loves higher speeds, those kinds of speeds are not always advisable, or accessible on adventure rides/off-road riding. Sure, there are a few gravel forest service roads I can do those speeds on, but my point is that when riding the PanAmerican Highway in Central America, when crossing the Darien Gap in southern Panama, when going through Ecuador, Chile', Argentina, Bolivia, there are many, if not most roads, that riding along at 50 mph is a good pace. Sure there are stretches that you can open it up to over 100 mph, but those are few and far between. Yes, a lot of world travelers have used the R-GS bikes for their trips, primarily because of the endurance factor of the bikes, and the ease of on-road repairs. But those days are fleeting, and we are seeing a new series of bikes becoming popular within the adventure class, which is the mid-weight bikes that are easier to pull out of a mud-bog, cost less to repair, and are as reliable as the good-old GSs of the old days.


{Heck I've had my GSA up to 125mph on my way to Payson without panniers and still couldn't keep up with the Rs I was following. They wanted me to get a faster bike to ride with them and I told them I'll ride my Goldwing next time, they looked at me funny when I said that...

Last time I rode my GW with a sport bike crowd down Yarnell Hill they were a little surprised I passed some and kept up with the front 3 riders. At a stop they asked me why I didn't have a faster MC. I replied I ride the GW (and the GSA) to 85-90% of its and my abilities; if I had a sport bike and did that I would be dead or in jail or both. Also I can listen to music, have cruise control, carry to much stuff with me, and have a drink holder on my GW while their sport bike can't....

Oh, I love Yarnell Hill, and have several stories of battling sport bikes, going UP the hill to, while I was riding an Electra Glide. That is a fun hill, and the whoops on the stretch of road south of Yarnell Hill are as much fun...at speed.


The GW and GSA limits my top speeds, but it is fun to have two MCs that can be fun but the GSA can go off paved roads. Heck I've seen some guys ride their GSAs places I would think twice before riding my WR250 MC....}

Yeah, I have gone places with my R-GS, and with my S-10...that I probably should not have....but the experience was fun. I have several street bikes that I can do high speed rides on, so for me....when riding off road, adventure riding...I prefer better bike control on unpaved surfaces, than I do higher speeds.

Back in 2003 I was riding my '03 Wing all over Alaska, and I ran into Dr. Gregory Frazier in Tolkeetna (sp), and he was amazed that I would be riding a Wing all over Alaska. He was on a KLR-650 at the time. I told him of my other bikes, and that I had already done Alaska on the Africa Twin 750, so...doing it on the Wing was more for the challenge, than the adventure.

[azsandrider]

I wish I had the funding to ride all those places. I have to find the money for the Alaska trip....I might even have to find a job to pay for the trip, and I like being retired but I have expensive hobbies (MC riding is just one, Jeep, ATVS, and sand dunes too) on a cops pension is getting difficult. No more OT to work to get extra money for a trip.

If I went to South America I would probably figure out how to pack light and take a KLR650 or a DR650.

If I won the lottery, it would be a round the world MC trip and I could pay several others way who had experience to go with me...dreams....

[azsandrider]

I got dirt bikes for real off ride riding. The GSA is for rough pavement and gravel roads. I know it can do more, but if I'm going to ride off road I'll take my DR350 or WR250, both are street legal in Az too, but not fast....

[MMR]

If I went to South America I would probably figure out how to pack light and take a KLR650 or a DR650.

If I won the lottery, it would be a round the world MC trip and I could pay several others way who had experience to go with me...dreams....

The KLR was a popular choice for a "minute", and that minute has passed. Like others are doing, I would choose the twins...like the V-Strom 650, over the single cylinder bikes.
What is also nice is the fuel injection on the Wee-Strom, the dual headlights, the tubeless tires, etc, etc, etc. When hitting the elevations that some of the southern countries have, it is nice to have the F.I.

If you win the lottery, can I come along, if I pay for my own way ? I have been wanting to do that ride, around the world, but want to have at least one, and preferably no more than 3 others riders to do it with. I can afford it, but won't do it all alone. Sitting in a cafe' in Bogata all alone...is just too lonely. I like to BS at the end of the day, sharing stories about the day's ride. And there is security in small numbers, for bike repairs, for sharing rooms, and meals, and for being able to talk to someone else...that speaks the same language.

[bozodriver]

Okay, it is a cool looking bike, however.....as someone that has done a lot of adventure riding in many different countries, and continents, I can tell you that in true adventure riding, that much horsepower, and that large of displacement engine, is wasted. Having owned a '05 BMW R1200GS, and ridden it over 125K miles, and owned a '12 Yamaha Super Tenere', and ridden it 47K miles, I would now choose to buy a Suzuki wee-strom....the V-Strom 650...and dress it out myself with adventure boxes and gear. The larger displacement and bigger horsepower bikes do not get into their proper powerband when riding offroad, or...425 miles of gravel from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, or the early dawn to late dusk ride out to Happy Valley/Goose Bay. You need the mid-sized adventure engines to be riding in the proper powerband of the engines, when spending long hours off the paved roads.

For blasting down a paved canyon road....that is a different ball of twine, and for that, there are much better street bikes that this KTM. Even KTM makes better bikes for that purpose.

Lesson learned.....don't buy large displacement bikes for riding off-road. Mid-sized...lighter weight...that is the key.

Your opinion please ... Starting in CT riding west and eventually riding from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay .. I'm looking to do this next year and am not opposed to buying a bike specifically for this trip. At present I'm siding toward a '14 BMW R1200GS with Adventure bags in OD green.

[azsandrider]

You must have some extra cash...I still say for riding in North America at the highway speeds you would be doing most of the time, a BMW 1200 GSA is a good choice. Most of the trip will be pavement anyway...

I plan on going to Prudoe Bay this June on my GSA and already have gone on rides on smooth but wet gravel forest service roads and some rough, washed out forest service roads on my GSA with Tourance Next tires. I plan on getting more aggressive tires for the Alaska trip or have tires waiting in Alaska for the Haul Road. Either Mitas E-10s or E-7s or Heidnua K-60s.

Spend time riding whichever MC you chose is all conditions you expect to find on your trip (wet, dry, dusty, smooth, rough, muddy, etc.) Take numerous rides with the mileage you expect to do daily. Then start buying the 'farkles' to make your MC more comfortable.

But, I don't have the other posters world riding experience and can't comment on his choice of MCs to ride.

My requirements for an Adv MC were: Fuel Injection, Anti-lock brakes, large fuel capacity, powerful enough to haul me & my stuff all day at highway speeds (out west that's 85mph) and able to easily pass slow traffic quickly up hills, shaft drive, and tubeless tires. A BMW 1200 GSA fit the description and I found a nice used 2009 that I bought with 6000 miles on it in December. I've put a 1000 miles and several scratches on it already.

[RaConnol]

Your opinion please ... Starting in CT riding west and eventually riding from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay .. I'm looking to do this next year and am not opposed to buying a bike specifically for this trip. At present I'm siding toward a '14 BMW R1200GS with Adventure bags in OD green.

Do you already have a GW? If so, slap on a Alpin PA3 on the back and bugger off to Prudhoe Bay. My buddy in Portland just did a trip from Portland though to Fairbanks and spend a week hiking though Denali and he was riding a Harley Softail and just love the trip. He did report seeing many new R1200GS and GSAs along the route, but that seems like major overkill.

The only challenge will be the ride to up to Prudhoe Bay. And with the snow and winter tire of the Alpin you would be fine. The GW will take a week to clean when you return, as I am finding out having just landed from Mexico. The expert to talk to would be AKLDRIDER on the old forum (In Alaska, Not every road is paved).

You wing might get a little road rash, however, replacing every part possibly damaged along the route is still a heck of a lot cheaper then a new 4 BMW R1200GS. And this GW has a much lower CG which is very helpful on the dirt and gravel.

As for me I love the KTM 1190r and the new KTM 1290. IF I had the cash I would pick up the bike and install Rumbux full cage and bash plate up front and their luggage rack on back, and then Adv Spec panniers on back. Hard bags are too easy to damage if tipped over.

However for my budget, I am seriously looking at a ABS Vstrom 650 for all the very valid reasons stated above. I will get a full cage and still use the Adv Spec panniers on back.

Another choice would be to trade in the GW for the 1290. And I am thinking about it. The 1290 will eat the highway miles almost a good as the GW and do all the roads in Mexico and further south that I would still like to ride.

Rick

http://www.rumbux.co.za/products%20continue.html

http://www.adventure-spec.com/defaul...ers-mk2-1.html

[jfink]

The force is strong with this one!