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2020/07/27

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S (2017-on) Motorcycle Review

The KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is the direct replacement for the 1190 Adventure, and comes with everything the R boasts, but skewed firmly towards tarmac riding, rather than being genuinely dual-purpose.

The biggest and most obvious change, beside the lack of orange frame and crash bars, is the use of 19in front and 17in rear cast wheels in place of the larger laced items on the R. They are then complimented by shorter travel suspension to lower the centre of gravity – and seat height (from 890mm on the R to an adjustable 860/875 on the S).


That suspension is WP semi-active front and rear, allowing riders to select the best option for their load and conditions, from Comfort, Street, Sport and Off-road via the control menu – even on the go.

The S gets all the same electronic assistance for the rider, too – including Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC), multi-mode and lean-angle sensitive combined ABS. Just like the R, you can monitor all those systems via the all-new 6.5in full-colour TFT dash.

The S model comes on Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres as standard fitment in 120/70 R 19 and 170/60 R 17 tyre sizes.

Once you've read this review and our owners' reviews, you may want to join an owners' community like this one on Facebook.

The semi-active WP suspension has four settings – Comfort, Street, Sport and Off-road – which reacts according to your chosen riding mode, and can be swapped on the fly. The new S is sportier than the old Super Adventure.

The steering is light for such a big bike, which encourages you to really throw it around with relative ease. When the semi-active suspension is working overtime the 1290 remains composed, stable and boosts confidence.


The 1301cc V-Twin is now Euro 4 compatible and KTM have cleaned up the motor with a new exhaust, new cylinder head, including valves and cams, plus changes to the fuelling. Even though the engine is cleaner and quieter than before KTM say the power and torque figures remain the same as the old model, 160bhp and 103.25ftlb of torque. It makes 79.6ftlb of torque at just 2,500rpm!

KTM’s reliablity and quality is improving and the 160bhp is near proven in other models such as the 1290 GT and Super Duke.

We've got 7 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S owners' reviews on the site, with an overall score of 4.4 stars out of 5. Reliability has been a problem for some.

The base price of £14,299 means it's cheaper than the competiton and for that you get a decent level of specification. However, the bike we tested would cost £16,777, which isn't too bad and puts it much closer to the competition.

The KTM 1290 comes with an impressive spec sheet. Four rider modes, cornering ABS and lean senstive traction control, all controlled by the fancy new colour dash. Other neat touches include LED cornering headlight, keyless ingnition, cruise control, illuminated switchgear, self-locking manual screen and even a waterproof phone storage compartment complete with USB input. Heated grips are an optional exta.

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