2017 1090 Adventure

mcinlb

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Anyone in the orange section running one of the new 1090 Adventures(125bhp) , looking for some feedback on comfort / range / mods , etc.etc. :thumby:
 
Hi mcinlb. Are you looking at the 'S' or 'R' variant of the 1090? I have a 2016 1050 Adventure, which is essentially the same as the 1090 Adventure S, apart from having engine restricted to 95 bhp instead of 125, so I'll pitch in anyway.

I'm mostly happy with it, with a few reservations.

It's very easy to ride. The engine is smooth (at least, compared to my old hexhead GS) with strong torque from idle, and some real red mist-inducing fizz in the midrange. 70 mph cruising is a calm 4500 rpm, with licence-threatening top gear drive available on tap. The suspension, brakes & clutch all feel pleasingly premium. Handling is engagingly frisky after my GS's stolid neutrality, but without feeling skittish, and the WP suspension copes with scabby tarmac mid-corner without drama.

Comfort is OK, but not quite at GS levels. I seem to be one of the few people who's happy with the standard KTM seat. Strangely, if I wear my textile trousers, I get the wriggles after an hour. whereas in leathers, I'm fine all day. I'm 6' with 34" inside leg, and the KTM feels taller than my old GS, perhaps because the seat compresses about as much as a tractor tyre, but I can just about flat-foot it. The cockpit is roomy, even though overall the bike seems more compact than the GS (which felt to me like being on the bridge of an oil tanker - there's so much bike in front of you) Weight-wise, it's no lightweight, but it's not a millstone either, and it feels nicely centred, with no top-heaviness to catch you out.

Practicality-wise, there's plenty of room for luggage, and I specced my bike with a centrestand, heated grips, and 12V socket, which fits into a dedicated blanking plate beside the instrument cluster. The KTM heated grips involve ugly wires along the handlebars instead of the invisible BMW-style cabling, and are controlled with the handlebar cursor keys and left-hand LCD display, instead of having a dedicated handlebar switch. Fuel capacity is 23L (5 gallons) and I'm currently getting an average of 48 mpg. The fuel gauge works OK, but the range-to-empty readout is useless. The LCD panels are easy to read, feature all the information you need, and the left one is configurable to give you quick access to your most-used readouts & functions.

Things I'm not so keen on:

The standard screen was unacceptably noisy for me. I have a short screen from the 1090 Adventure 'R' for Summer, and a Madstad for long trips, both of which are an improvement over standard, but neither is as quiet as the Givi Airflow + winglets I fitted on my old 1200 GS. I tried an Airflow on the KTM too, and whilst better than the standard screen, it was a bit of a disappointment, and looked butt-ugly into the bargain.

The engine noise - I have the standard can, which is about the size of a scuba cyclinder, but the engine still sounds like a pneumatic drill. It's better on the move when the wind noise drowns it out to an inoffensive trill. However it does develop a surprisingly aggressive snarl from 5k onwards.

The low-speed fuelling on mine is jerky when the engine's cold, like it can't decide which map to use. I mentioned this at the break-in service, and the KTM engineer said that 'they don't like being cold'. However once the engine's warm, it's fine, and very precise on the throttle.

In summary
The 1050 Adventure feels a bit of a hooligan after the GS, but with enough comfort, practicality & versatility to have it as my only bike. It doesn't have quite the same overall 'easiness' & refinement as the GS, but (in my opinion) is more engaging & characterful to ride.
 
Hi mcinlb. Are you looking at the 'S' or 'R' variant of the 1090? I have a 2016 1050 Adventure, which is essentially the same as the 1090 Adventure S, apart from having engine restricted to 95 bhp instead of 125, so I'll pitch in anyway.

I'm mostly happy with it, with a few reservations.

It's very easy to ride. The engine is smooth (at least, compared to my old hexhead GS) with strong torque from idle, and some real red mist-inducing fizz in the midrange. 70 mph cruising is a calm 4500 rpm, with licence-threatening top gear drive available on tap. The suspension, brakes & clutch all feel pleasingly premium. Handling is engagingly frisky after my GS's stolid neutrality, but without feeling skittish, and the WP suspension copes with scabby tarmac mid-corner without drama.

Comfort is OK, but not quite at GS levels. I seem to be one of the few people who's happy with the standard KTM seat. Strangely, if I wear my textile trousers, I get the wriggles after an hour. whereas in leathers, I'm fine all day. I'm 6' with 34" inside leg, and the KTM feels taller than my old GS, perhaps because the seat compresses about as much as a tractor tyre, but I can just about flat-foot it. The cockpit is roomy, even though overall the bike seems more compact than the GS (which felt to me like being on the bridge of an oil tanker - there's so much bike in front of you) Weight-wise, it's no lightweight, but it's not a millstone either, and it feels nicely centred, with no top-heaviness to catch you out.

Practicality-wise, there's plenty of room for luggage, and I specced my bike with a centrestand, heated grips, and 12V socket, which fits into a dedicated blanking plate beside the instrument cluster. The KTM heated grips involve ugly wires along the handlebars instead of the invisible BMW-style cabling, and are controlled with the handlebar cursor keys and left-hand LCD display, instead of having a dedicated handlebar switch. Fuel capacity is 23L (5 gallons) and I'm currently getting an average of 48 mpg. The fuel gauge works OK, but the range-to-empty readout is useless. The LCD panels are easy to read, feature all the information you need, and the left one is configurable to give you quick access to your most-used readouts & functions.

Things I'm not so keen on:

The standard screen was unacceptably noisy for me. I have a short screen from the 1090 Adventure 'R' for Summer, and a Madstad for long trips, both of which are an improvement over standard, but neither is as quiet as the Givi Airflow + winglets I fitted on my old 1200 GS. I tried an Airflow on the KTM too, and whilst better than the standard screen, it was a bit of a disappointment, and looked butt-ugly into the bargain.

The engine noise - I have the standard can, which is about the size of a scuba cyclinder, but the engine still sounds like a pneumatic drill. It's better on the move when the wind noise drowns it out to an inoffensive trill. However it does develop a surprisingly aggressive snarl from 5k onwards.

The low-speed fuelling on mine is jerky when the engine's cold, like it can't decide which map to use. I mentioned this at the break-in service, and the KTM engineer said that 'they don't like being cold'. However once the engine's warm, it's fine, and very precise on the throttle.

In summary
The 1050 Adventure feels a bit of a hooligan after the GS, but with enough comfort, practicality & versatility to have it as my only bike. It doesn't have quite the same overall 'easiness' & refinement as the GS, but (in my opinion) is more engaging & characterful to ride.



a very concise review, thanks for that.

:thumby:
 
+1, yes thanks for your views, just about in line with what I thought re GS to KTM swap.

I was looking at a move to Orange for something a bit lighter and more nimble on the road, but don't really want to sacrifice the comfort and wind protection I have with my GS.

A test ride would be the way to go and see what could be done to address the comfort / wind protection.
 
I also was looking to downsize from the GS, and in fact the KTM doesn't really feel much lighter despite the raw numbers - the GS carries its weight remarkably well and mine always felt light on its feet. The KTM feels more compact despite being about the same length, but it's narrower of course, and doesn't have all the trelliswork and beakery at the front.

The GS's neutral, forgiving handling is a coin of two sides. For all-day riding on unfamiliar roads, the effortless wafting around bends minimises fatigue build-up, but the lack of involvement & feedback numbs the experience somewhat. The KTM feels darty & eager, but of course you have to concentrate more & manage the inputs with more finesse if you want to be smooth. It's more involving & rewarding, but after half an hour of flick-flacking, I start to acquire the thousand-yard stare. It doesn't help that the brappy engine eggs you on, although it's plenty flexible enough to hold a high gear and just bimble when I've used up my supply of A-game.

I have to admit, I miss my GS. My 1100 & 1200 were the only bikes I've owned where the prospect of big-mile days inspired pleasant anticipation without a twinge of anxiety about my skill & stamina levels, and the prim, viceless handling & linear power felt like a blessing on nadgery foreign roads in foul weather. However, for anything less than a full day or a trip, I wasn't really all that excited about riding it, whereas the KTM's character makes even short rides feel like an occasion.

Plus of course, every KTM Adventure implicitly broadcasts the Proclamation of Orange: "LOOK! NOT A GS! RUGGED INDIVIDUALIST ON BOARD!" It's just a shame that it bears a sticker with the word 'Adventure' on it, which seems a bit Fisher-Price to me.
 
Yea, basically the GS is a hard act to follow, worth holding on to as long as possible. I do also run an older Triumph Tiger 800 which does give that lighter , more nimble feeling on the road.
Maybe the way to go is for one of the new Triumph Tiger 800s , "but not yet, not yet"....
 
Good discount at Fowlers currently £10499 with touring accessories, but thats a mistake apparently as is the £104999 price shown in the e-mail.
 
Don't miss my GS or Super Tenere one bit after buying the old 1190S model, a fantastic and superior bike in almost every way, the only things I would rate my (2008) GS as superior for would be no oily chain (not a big issue) and a shade more pillion room - no concern as the Mrs has her own bike....

....and considering upgrading her steed to a 1050 as used ones are becoming really cheap, probably due to much more powerful 1090's at the same money as the 1050's were, and more 1190's coming on the market used - which are great buys with a chunk more power than the 1090, better quality and electronically adjustable suspension, centre stand and power socket - tidy 1 year old 1190's are around for less than a new 1090 so well worth considering as well.
 
Late follow up here, but I have just added a 1090 to the garage, not had a chance to ride it much due to shite weather, but did get an hour or so on it and rode it back-to-back with the 1190.

TBH it is much better than anticipated, it is very smooth (a shade smoother than the 1190) and has a good pull from idle, where it misses out against the 1190 is it does not take off and go mental at 3500-4000 rpm with a handful of throttle, instead it just builds its power in a very linear manner - but compared to the latest GS I test rode a while back it is probably not that far off below 4,000 rpm and will piss all over the LC GS from 6,000 upwards, and it does not have the horrible flat spot in the mid range either.

Not "problem" of not being able to adjust the suspension whilst moving has been resolved by getting the springing and damping set well out of the crate, feels similar to the 1190 in "Street" mode, it really does a great job of handling well on smooth roads and soaking up the pot-holes / broken / bumpy roads near me.

Handling seems spot on as well, again not that different to the 1190, if anything it feels smaller and lighter, possibly due to narrower tyres, or maybe some other subtle change to suspension or geometry, but certainly is not ruined by the budget price tag. Similar story with brakes which are every bit as good as the 1190 (possibly identical, not really looked that closely)

Even better for many - it looks like they have fixed the fuel gauge programming!!! (on the 1190 it always showed range in Km, even when you had the thing set to Miles, confused the hell out of me for a while, and still a bit naff unless you are good at working out the displayed figure and multiplying by 0.625 whilst zooming along to get a mileage in Miles)

Only thing I did not like was the seat, but the PP Ergo seats from the 1190 at are a straight swap, I expect the Mrs will prefer the standard seat as it makes it easier to reach the ground as it is narrower and a smidge lower.

Ignoring the comparison with the 1190 (which is not fair as the 1190 was KTM;s premium offering when new) the 1090 is a really good bike, I would much rather have one of these than the other bikes at a similar price point (Tiger 800 / 1050, Honda AT, Suzuki V-Strom, Kawasaki Versys) I suspect the Ducati 950 MTS might give it a good run, or possibly better it on the road - but I fear the cost of servicing with Ducati's and reliability once past warranty time, the 1090 is really a de-sized and simplified 1190 so is now fairly well tried and tested.

Probably a great upgrade for anyone coming off a 9x0 and wanting something a bit newer, I would imagine the R version is a decent off-road option, and the S seems an ideal Adventure Tourer for anyone not wanting to pay £14k for a 1290 (or even more for the BMW / Triump / Ducati competition)
 
Yes indeed, will be used as a "run-around" (weekend hack about machine) for me and maybe a "touring bike" for the Mrs.

If I fancied some off road work I would probably go for the 1090R over the 1290R, much cheaper to drop for a start, but with the lack of off-road near me an R makes little sense, for the odd gravel track I do know of the 1090S will do fine in summer.
 
How’s that bike going now Rasher??

Collecting mine next week.
Any accessories?
Stick up a few pics of u get the chance! 👍🏻
 
Due to awful weather I have only been on it once more, just a 90 minute round trip in the countryside, original comments still apply, it is a very good bike, in isolation (i.e. not compared to 1190 or 1290) it is a great machine, if I look back at my GS and Yamaha Super Tenere it is definitely lighter, faster and better handling than either of them, only the seat lets it down (and some may say lack of shaft drive)

Compared with other new bikes at similar money it must be very competitive, I certainly would not want to swap it for a V-Strom or Versys 1,000, and probably not a Tiger 800 either, although I have not ridden one so cannot be sure. Only the 950 Multistrada looks like a threat, KTM should of thrown Cruise Control on the 1090 for the few quid it would of cost them, that is the only other let down IMO.
 
They say in reviews it’s lighter than the 1290Sa... I thought then it would be lighter than the GS...
Looking at the specs on motorcycle specs.co.za the 1090 and the 1200 gs both seem to be 205kg dry? Is that accurate?
 
They say in reviews it’s lighter than the 1290Sa... I thought then it would be lighter than the GS...
Looking at the specs on motorcycle specs.co.za the 1090 and the 1200 gs both seem to be 205kg dry? Is that accurate?

No, BMW's idea of Dry is without the battery, toolkit, anything that is an option for the most basic version and with the engine, brakes, suspension, clutch, gearbox and handlebars removed and the tyres filled with helium.

In the UK BMW claim 245kg ready to ride for the latest GS, but this is the lowest spec bike money can buy, admittedly the 1090 is the lowest spec KTM, but where I have seen tests in the past with bikes being weighed BMW tend to be furthest away from the claims, assuming this 245kg is correct it would still be about 10kg more than a fully fuelled 1090 (and it holds 4L less fuel that the KTM) so my guess is the BMW weighs 15-20kg more in the real world.
 
No, BMW's idea of Dry is without the battery, toolkit, anything that is an option for the most basic version and with the engine, brakes, suspension, clutch, gearbox and handlebars removed and the tyres filled with helium

In the UK BMW claim 245kg ready to ride for the latest GS, but this is the lowest spec bike money can buy, admittedly the 1090 is the lowest spec KTM, but where I have seen tests in the past with bikes being weighed BMW tend to be furthest away from the claims, assuming this 245kg is correct it would still be about 10kg more than a fully fuelled 1090 (and it holds 4L less fuel that the KTM) so my guess is the BMW weighs 15-20kg more in the real world.

Well that does sound good!! Looking forward to collection on Tuesday hopefully now 👍🏻
 


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