Ride Review: 2014 KTM 1190 Adventure

2014 KTM 1190 Adventure (test ride)

It was odd in some ways riding the KTM after the Wee-Strom (Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS) & I needed to recalibrate my expectations & senses...not because the KTM justifiable plays in a completely more sophisticated/powerful category/market segment, but because of how surprisingly good & capable the Wee-Strom is…it swings way above its weight class more than any bike I’ve ever ridden….it felt more satisfying & peppier than the BMW F800GT I rode earlier this year.

So I will try to recalibrate & compare to the Ducati Multi-Strada I rode a while ago. If I had only ridden the KTM I would be reveling in how good it is, particularly given it’s a brand new model. Like the Ducati it is a technology tour-de-force…the ride & suspension settings provide a greater range of adjustment in the simplest to operate format I’ve seen so far…including the ability to change ride modes (Sport 150hp, Street 150hp, Rain 100hp) while riding (all you have to do is momentarily close the throttle)…the soft damping setting provides a plush ride while the others progressively make it tauter but never stiff like the Ducati. 

The brakes are amazingly strong, but still easy to modulate….the motor is very strong once past 3k rpm, but nowhere near as flat as the Ducati below 3 k…its not that the KTM is weak <3k rpm (but you will need to pay attention to gear selection if you want quick pick up <3K rpm), just that it is powerful, direct, linear & strong from 3 to 7500+ rpm (new bike brake in limit red light warning)…both the Duc & this KTM did not like sub 2500 rpm in 4th, 5th & 6th gears, thereby not having anywhere near the low rpm flexibility & broadness of power band of the K1300GT. While not mechanically noisy &  without the visceral coarseness of the Ducati it doesn’t possess the sweetness of the Wee-Strom…although we are comparing 150 hp vs 67 hp motors with pistons 2x larger & mechanicals designed to accommodate double the torque….but you are aware of the power pulses of the big pistons…the vibration being much more pleasant than the Ducati & not bothersome. 

The tranny was butter smooth & light (maybe even more so than the Wee-Strom), lever pull was light, clutch take up was poor, with a narrow engagement at almost full out position of the lever (hydraulic, so likely no adjustment possible). 

 The handling was Wee-Strom superb with a little more top heaviness, yet the geometry allowed for quick side to side transitions. The riding triangle was roomy & comfortable, but I could not flat foot both feet at a standstill, even with the seat in the low position. 

 The windscreen has easy to adjust positions via 2 levers & provided decent coverage but I would want a wider, taller one or a full face helmet. This is a motor that begs for an aftermarket pipe & should be delicious on song, but quite sanitized oem…good for touring. 

The 1190 Adventure is an awesome bike, but is it worth $10k more the V-Strom 650 ABS that I recently rode…for many yes...undeniably it is superior on paper & possess far broader performance capability…but I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the V-Strom despite being used to my BMW K1300GT  uber-power output.