The latest addition to the KTM Adventure line-up, the 1090 R, promises more power, spoked wheels, better suspension and much improved off road potential…
From its original 950 Adventure in 2003, KTM has made a name for itself making the sportiest and most off road capable adventure bikes on the market. Stands to reason of course when you are the most successful manufacturer of off road motorcycles on the planet that you would make the most capable off road adventure bike on the planet too. It’s the very least we could expect.
The adventure bike market is obviously huge, in the UK and around the world the multi-purpose bikes are the biggest selling large capacity machines. KTM’s breadth of models in this adventure market has grown from that one 950, shifting to 990 before more recently the 1050, 1190, 1290 arrived.
The ‘R’ versions have always positioned themselves as the sportier, more off road capable model and it’s the same here with the new 1090 R. The R takes the 1090 Adventure with its well-ploughed furrow of steel trellis frame and V-75 LC8 twin engine and adds more power, stronger spoked wheels, a narrower and bigger 21-inch front tyre, crash bars and 220mm suspension travel – it’s a list which points immediately as much to dirt trails as it does to adventure travel.
The new version of the LC8 engine has been reworked to meet Euro 4 standards but not, as previously, as an afterthought to meet the restrictions. This time around the engine and exhaust system have been designed to meet the EU laws from drawing board forwards.
The changes become apparent between the models when you open the throttle. There’s 150cc less than the 1190 R, ok, but a heavier crank and more responsive throttle make it seem not such a drop. On the road or trail the differences between 1190 R and 1090 R are hard to feel in all honesty.
Though the 1090 R’s 1050cc displacement is the same as the 1050 model, the bore and stroke have both risen slightly for the 1090’s engine to 103/63mm. It’s a small amount on paper but the old 1050’s 95bhp top line figure has upped dramatically on the 1090 R to a claimed 125 horsepower. The 1090R does have something in common with the old 1050, it too weighs 230kg with 23litres of fuel on-board.
Rivals come in many shapes and guises and are hard to directly line-up. It is a rival to its 1090 Adventure sibling. At 900 quid more, the R is distinctly more versatile and useful because of its power and suspension. The Triumph Tiger 800 XCx is broadly as capable and a ballpark price comparison but it isn’t close to being as useful off road and the engine isn’t as strong on it. The Honda Africa Twin is potentially as good on the dirt trails but the engine, again, is not a patch on the KTM and really the spec of the suspension is not close either. The BMW GS 1200 Rallye? Hmm. Possibly. A rival in many ways but to make it perform as well as this on or off road you’d need to spend a significant amount on up-speccing the BMW. It’s an interesting comparison but the sport attitude of the KTM, particularly the suspension performance wins every time. The 1090 R either beats every one of its rivals or is in a class of its own.
The launch route deliberately took in a mixture of grippy Southern Californian roads, single track mountain lanes littered with rain wash and gravel and a huge variety of trails which took in everything imaginable. It was as good a test of an adventure bike as you could dream up and it is no coincidence this is also where the bike’s suspension was developed. It isn’t hard to understand why KTM Austria is increasingly using KTM USA as a valuable R&D arm for its adventure bikes.
Road manners are very much of the same ilk as any of the 1050, 1090, 1190 or 1290 models – but for the bigger tank the 1290 S too. The narrower front tyre size (21inch on the R compared to 19 on the Adventure) makes a difference, but a bigger difference off road where you need it. On road it obviously means a smaller contact patch but it doesn’t remove any confidence I felt in front tyre grip.
The riding position is slightly taller than some adventure bikes. At 890mm the seat height is taller than a BMW GS 1200 (850mm) notably but also the standard 1090 (850mm). Never-the-less it is a typical Adventure bike riding position with higher, wider handlebars dictating a positive outlook on the road your riding.
The handlebar and foot peg position is adjustable by 10mm respectively which makes quite a noticeable difference – so you shouldn’t be put off by the numbers. That all adds up to a slightly taller bike but it is natural position and having greater ground clearance (250mm) is almost a necessity if you’re intending to ride as much off road as on it.
Back on the road the 1090 R doesn’t provide the wind protection some of the bigger adventure models can with their bigger fuel tanks and larger screens. Though the 1090 R’s screen is quickly adjustable and deflects wind away from the helmet, the optional larger screen available as an extra would be my preference.
In fact there’s a decent range of aftermarket accessories including; panniers, nav-mouting systems, the 6mm aluminium skid plate you can see in the pictures and the fatter and longer footrests you probably can’t see in the pictures. The handguards, the same across many KTM ADV models, keep most the weather off the hands – heated grips as standard wouldn’t go amiss.
