2019 bikesales Bike of the Year: KTM 790 Adventure R

It feels like a big enduro bike in the bush, and is impossibly enjoyable on tarmac. KTM has nailed this one…

There’s something in the Austrian water that’s producing magic, because KTM continues to forge ahead in leaps and bounds with off-road, adventure and on-road offerings that are fresh, dynamic and, in some cases, take exhilaration to another level. I’m thinking the 1290 Super Duke R….

We’ll leave that hypersports forum for another time, as there’s plenty to get enthused about on the new 790 Adventure R.

An overall score of 88 out of 100 for the middleweight adventure bike in the 2019 bikesales Bike of the Year Awards five-day test ride reflects the sort of heady heights it actually reached.

In the four-year history of BOTY, only one other machine, the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR in 2017, has been met with a similar resounding nod from the entire judging panel.

The 790 Adventure R’s appeal is universal. There’s an abundance of robust and useable power from the parallel-twin engine, it’s light at 189kg (dry), and the chassis (a steel trellis frame with WP suspension) is an absolute delight.

Harnessing all those elements is where KTM has really excelled, and during BOTY this author saw some riders do things on the tarmac (mainly the twisty mountain passes) that I hadn’t seen from them before – and all this while the bike was wearing Metzeler Karoo 3 off-road focused rubber! Not to mention having a 21-inch front wheel… You don’t get that level of confidence from a cocktail that isn’t up to scratch.

And that’s poignant, as the odds are that adventure riding in Australia, based on the massive distances we have to traverse, will always involve a fair bit of tarmac. If your bike is flaccid on the shiny stuff, life isn’t going to be a lot of fun.

The $20,995 plus on-roads KTM 790 Adventure R certainly isn’t that, and its excellent handling characteristics – even with a full payload of juice thanks to the low-slung rally tank – is another big tick, while the 95hp/89Nm LC8c engine is a fine specimen – but with a few aggressive edges. Cruise control and heated grips would be nice as standard, though – and I’d be happy to see the uni-directional quickshifter go as part of a trade-off!

Another factor to consider on the road is that there is some turbulence from the small screen – the sizing typical of an adventure bike that is also extremely sharp off-road.

There are multiple riding modes to find your ideal throttle response, while ABS is set independently of riding modes, unlike traction control. Both rider aids can be deactivated.

Although BOTY was, for the most part, a road ride, a few of us did take the 790 Adventure R into the bush, and it does handle a serious amount of punishment before that 238mm of WP suspension travel is seriously tested. Adventure bikes often suffer with forks pushing through the stroke with way too much haste (often because of soft springs), but the KTM holds its own in that regard.

On the practical side of the 790 Adventure R equation, the air filter also lurks under the seat for easy access, the TFT dash is easy to digest, both levers are span adjustable and there’s a 12-volt socket.

KTM now has two rip-roaring 790s: the Duke and now the Adventure R. They’re fast, fluid and exciting X-factor machines where the hype matches the reality.

Specs: KTM 790 Adventure R

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke DOHC parallel twin
Capacity: 799cc
Bore x stroke: 88mm x 65.7mm
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection with 46mm Dell’Orto throttle body

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 95hp (71kW) at 8250rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 89Nm at 6500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Slipper

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Chromium-Molybdenum steel trellis frame, powder coated
Front suspension: WP 48mm Xplor upside-down fork, fully adjustable, 238mm travel
Rear suspension: WP PDS Xplor monoshock, fully adjustable, 238mm travel
Front brakes: 320mm discs with Brembo four-piston radial calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 260mm disc with Brembo twin-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Metzeler Karoo 3 – front 90/90-21, rear 150/70-18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 189kg
Seat height: 878mm
Wheelbase: 1529mm
Fuel capacity: 20 litres
Measured fuel consumption: 5.9lt/100km

OTHER STUFF
Price: $20,995 plus on-road costs
Test bike supplied by: KTM Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

2019 bikesales Bike of the Year: KTM 790 Adventure R

Specs: KTM 790 Adventure R

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