KTM 1190 Adventure: Real World Road Test

Away from the glamorous settings of new model press launches, our man Scott is on hand to see how the latest models stack up in real life situation. Each week, he takes a current model and goes on his own little adventure to see how the bikes work on real UK roads, checking out tank range, comfort and passenger provision, before giving his real world verdict on how the bike fares. This week, KTM’s 1190 Adventure…

Dominating my immediate vision, in the clinically clean surroundings of the KTM headquarters that is perched on the outskirts of the Silverstone race circuit, is the reason why I’m here on a perfect summer morning. The 1190 Adventure is a large motorcycle, it’s big on technological rider aids and boasts a massive 150bhp from its 1195cc V twin engine. All I could think about though was how it looked like a bottle of Lucozade. The trademark KTM orange is given a shot of extra orange on its minimalistic bodywork.

Wheeling the bike outside I was given a tutorial in the various electronic gadgets that grace this motorcycle. The left hand side of the clock display is where you can see your settings and with the five buttons on the left hand switch gear you can faff about and change everything from the suspension and braking to performance modes via the Nintendo inspired display unit. KTM's Luke Brackenbury ran me through it, I nodded and convinced him I had taken it all in, which of course I hadn’t.

With half a tank of fuel, suspension set to one person and some luggage (thanks Luke) I headed for home.

Jumping on any motorcycle you’re unfamiliar with is both exciting and a slightly nervous affair, more so when it’s not yours. The 1190 Adventure retails around the £14k mark, not a cheap motorcycle, but there are more expensive offerings in this popular adventure bike class. I had to head back to Peterborough, a dull ride along the A45/A43/A605, still a good opportunity to get used to the Lucozade.

My first port of call was to Bennetts HQ, to grab some Bike Social stickers with which to sticker bomb the perfect paint on the Adventure. I parked up next to Michael Mann’s Honda Africa Twin long termer. In the heat of the morning sun we stood and nattered about the two bikes before us. Visually the Honda bossed it, it’s a good looking bike. The KTM looked awkward next to it in my opinion. It's like the two girls from Bucks Fizz (cheesy 80's pop band for those of us younger than Scott - Ed), both are easy on the eye but suddenly one draws your retinas more than the other. The KTM looked longer than the Honda, but checking Google it’s actually the other way around, the Honda is 14mm longer at 1574mm, or 62 inches in old money. I hadn’t blagged the KTM to look at it though. My purpose, as the custodian of its key was to do one of my tank of fuel road tests, with the Bike Social stickers applied I bid Michael farewell and went to think about my route.

The test

I am not a geek, and being honest many of the electronic gubbins that adorn the Adventure are wasted on me. They’re nice to have at my disposal, but not something I’d place high on a list of must haves if I was looking to buy a new machine. My Dad used to say the more bells and whistles you have the more potential for expensive repairs later down the line. This flashed through my mind when setting up the electronic suspension via the Gameboy display panel. I also opted for the street mode for the cornering ABS, but again if being honest I only fiddled with it because I felt I had to do so. I was going to tamper with all these electronic settings during the ride, but I’m obviously a technical wizard, because everything from power delivery to braking felt perfect, so with my Dad’s wisdom in my ears again, if it ain’t broke don’t poke. I left my initial settings be until the tank was empty.

I wasn’t travelling alone, my missus (aka Nicky) was up for a mooch, so with the suspension mode set to the two people icon, me and Mrs Mario were all set for our ride.

Not everything on the 1190 is controlled by the left hand switchgear and circuit boards, the riders seat pad can be raised up by 15mm via a simple but effective method, and likewise the screen is adjustable by hand. I set the seat to its highest setting, and repeated the process on the screen. There’s no actual fairing, there’s a screen that sits proudly in front of the clocks. Flanking it to the left is a 12v power source, ideal for charging your mobile phone or powering your sat nav if that’s how you navigate? On the right hand side is a cubby hole, not really sure what you’d fit in there, my attempt to cram my iPhone inside it was futile, maybe you could bung loose change in there for tolls etc? My sense of adventure meant I had no sat nav, or the need for pound coins rattling around in the secret pocket, instead I was going to head for Southend.

The Gameboy display got my attention once I’d slung 20 litres inside the tank, as it was telling me I had a range of almost 400 miles! This could be a long ride but, then again, I had also noticed the range indicator was like a bad gambler and way too optimistic.

Leaving Peterborough I hopped on the A1(M), checking with the other half to make sure she was comfy before I wound the Adventure’s wick up a bit. The chassis is a mix of steel and alloy, the main frame is steel tube, strong and though heavier than an alloy item it’s still not a bunter. The swing arm is a lattice cast alloy type, finished in a smart black, which makes it look like it could be steel. With a full tank of fuel it weighs in at 235kg. 

With a good hour or so of dual carriageway on the A14, that ultimately gives way to the M11, eventually I took the opportunity to try to upset the chassis. Not that I succeeded, as criss crossing white lines and the copious amounts of seams in the road did nothing to upset the KTM's arrow like progress.

Not even the rutted lanes that are the result of HGV traffic trundling along the A14 could create a hiccup. The Adventure comes with road friendly tyres, and with a 19 inch wheel up front you might expect steering to be a bit old school, but it isn’t at all. The rear wheel is a 17 inch item, both wheels are spoked, the black anodised Akront rims look top notch, and Brembo braking kit hauls it all up.

I have ridden these types of bikes in the past, and often have found the suspension to be soggier than that last spoon of cornflakes, the Adventure though doesn’t suffer here. The WP forks and shock absorber are superb, no nasty sagging that you’d expect when you jump on board. Even two up it keeps its stance, tugging on the Brembo calipers doesn’t create any unwanted diving either, perhaps those electrical gizmos really do work, very impressive.

Numb bum break

After 40 miles we pull off the M11 for a quick stop, and roll in to Duxford where the missus informs me she’s got a numb bum! This isn’t too much of a surprise, the Adventure does give you vibrations. Anything over 6,000 revs creates a vibe through the chassis, the tingles from her footrests had mixed with the hardness of the pillion pad. The pad might in time soften up, this is a new bike after all. We both stretch our legs and then get back on the road.

The M11 junction between Duxford and Stansted goes on forever, and once we reach the exit for the airport and services we leave the motorway and head east on the A120. The services offer Nicky the chance to stretch her legs again, not even 30 miles since she last had to disembark the good ship KTM. I was coming out in sympathy, my buttocks too feeling the pains of the saddle.