KTM good and bad please

[(RIP) Mark H]

I ride a R1250rt currently it's a great bike, faultless I would say, I like all the bells and whistles,, Cruise, Hill start, quickshift, long distance capability, but sadly have to admit its getting heavy (I'm north of 70)

Met a nice german lady in Vercors riding this 790 adv, keep looking at pic and wondering if it would suit me, it's a lot lighter but I know nothing about the brand although been watching You tube reviews and generally reading up on it, The 1250RT will be a very hard act to follow, but could KTM do it?

I would want a mid weight tourer with good cruise ability some luggage capacity as I'm still a working photographer, some go in it, able to cruise happily at 80ish
for 3/400 mile daily legs, comfortable, reliability is important also

So does the 790 fit the bill, what's good or bad, real world opinions please, Thanks

I realise some sacrifices on luggage may need to be made

BMW R1250 Luggage by Mark Handley, on Flickr


.

 

[ossa eck]

I had a 1200LC and replaced it with a 790 , I love the bike, no regrets.
Only thing i miss is being able to scroll through sat nav with thumb wheel.
Fitted a comfort seat too, origonal was a bit hard.

 

[Yakker]

I saw this one earlier - it looked the part
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/600716-2019-KTM-790-Adventure-R

 

[Snowy]

I bought a new 790 Adventure in 2020 to use alongside my 1200GSA (the bike I said I'd always keep). After 2 years I'd done 14,000 miles on the KTM (including 970 miles in one day) and about 800 on the GSA and subsequently sold it because it just wasn't getting used. I use an Air Hawk seat pad because the seat is rock hard but that has sorted the comfort. The low-down weight is really noticeable and it's so much easier to shove about the garage and the drive.

 

[Allan Davies]

I saw this one earlier - it looked the part
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/600716-2019-KTM-790-Adventure-R

Good buy that...superb bikes...

 

[Arsey]

The latest 790 which is sold alongside the 890 is a much more rounded bike than the first reiteration.

But having met you and having owned most KTMs since 1998, a Goldwing DCT is more you .
Easy to move around with forward and reverse creeper gear .
Lower seat than RT.
More comfortable

 

[markymark]

I had a 68 plate 1200 RS from new (great bike) & upgraded it to a new 21 plate Sport Blue 1250 RT with adaptive cruise & topbox, good bike for long distance touring but after a tour to Spain I found it a bit too heavy & wide for my liking so sold it & now have an orange 22 plate 0 miles 890 Adventure instead.

Not been out on it yet but can't wait to run it in when I get home from work in 3 weeks time

 

[Deleted account 230818001]

Well, I’ve spent some hours on my recently acquired 1190 and find it refreshingly light compared to the R1200’s I’ve previously owned… BUT ffs could they not pad the seat just a bit? It is literally a PITA.

 

[Paul S]

Fit the KTM Ergo seat - most find them a big improvement and good value for money

 

[wilbjr21]

+ 1 for the Ergo seat.

I've had both a 790 and an 890 - both for two years each and I still have the 890.

There really isn't very much to choose between them. The 890 was brought out for emission regulations to replace the 790

The new 790 is not made in Austria - I think it's made in China but may be India.

 

[Dirty Ming]

Well, I’ve spent some hours on my recently acquired 1190 and find it refreshingly light compared to the R1200’s I’ve previously owned… BUT ffs could they not pad the seat just a bit? It is literally a PITA.

View attachment 568008

Seems to be a KTM strategy to make it as uncomfortable as possible so you'll invest in their Power Parts ones. I've had to do that on all 3 of my KTM's. The current one on the 790 Duke is good for at least 5 hours riding

 

[Joe narvey]

I’ve had a few and my worse was a 790. Too full of electronics ( unreliable) to be useful off road.

You can drop a 690 in a river and get going again, the 790 is poo.

I tried a 1290 as a loan bike, part down the motorway it cut out because the milage was over 100 miles and it hadn’t been configured as a sold bike yet, therefore milage limited. Bloody dangerous.

 

[steadysteve]

No problems at all with my 790 Adv R. It’s perfect for roadwork travelling to the trails and then riding the trails before morphing into a road bike again to ride home. Would happily tour on it although I suspect if you’re just doing road work then the S would be the better choice.
I’ve had no issues or failures with electronics on mine although the Bluetooth connectivity is crap. Don’t expect bmw levels of aftersales service either.
Plenty of power although it’s further up the rev range than you’ll be used to. Above about 5000rpm it just flies. Engine feels a bit agricultural but smooths out above 3000rpm.

 

[Rasher]

I’ve had a few and my worse was a 790. Too full of electronics ( unreliable) to be useful off road.

You can drop a 690 in a river and get going again, the 790 is poo.

Interesting, out with a guide from Sweetlamb 2 weeks ago, on his own 790 which he made us look stupid on, we were on a Husky 350 and a KTM 500 (both Enduro's) running mousses / low pressures on Enduro tyres, he was on 50/50 tyres and was getting this thing in over and through everything with ease as we struggled - I guess the talent helps, but he seemed to find it fine in offroad conditions few typical owners would dare of taking their bikes out in.

I have owned a 1090 / 1190 & 1290 (last gen 1290) and they have all been good, and all had utterly shit seats, luckily the Ergo ones were the same for all 3 bikes so when I upgraded 1190 to 1290 I could swap them, but had to buy second set for the 1090 as the Mrs used it for touring and she too found the stock 1090 / 1190 seats shit. I will always haggle an ergo seat into a KTM deal.

If you don't want to lose big bike grunt the latest 1290 is considerably lower than the earlier ones, and with the low slung fuel even better to manage, not tried a 790 / 890 as I never go offroad (well, not on these beasts!) and therefore would actually prefer a 17" wheel over the 1290S 19" and certainly don't want a skinny 21" (regardless of if a much better skilled rider than me can go quicker with one)

Having said that, prior to buying another new bike I really should test the 890 to be sure, also waiting for the new SMT to be available for test ride (and make sure a comfort seat will be available)

Another part of me tells me to get simpler bike, and tracers looked good until they stuck semi-active suspension and adaptive cruise on their simple "budget" sports tourer, which now costs more than what I paid for a new "premium" 1290 SAS just 4 years ago!

Honda Transalp 750 anyone?

 

[timeandtide]

Fit the KTM Ergo seat - most find them a big improvement and good value for money

Ok for the long legged!

 

[dave hendy]

Just had my first service on my 1290 and still getting used to it, we had a day out around Lake Bala yesterday and my wife said she likes it as much as the GS on the back using the Ergo heated seats. Not regretted the swap yet and definitely better value for money

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Arsey]

and therefore would actually prefer a 17" wheel over the 1290S 19" and certainly don't want a skinny 21" (regardless of if a much better skilled rider than me can go quicker with one)

………Honda Transalp 750 anyone?

Transalp has that front wheel that you certainly don’t want,though all reviews have raved about the handling.

 

[(RIP) Mark H]

I ride a R1250rt currently it's a great bike, faultless I would say, I like all the bells and whistles,, Cruise, Hill start, quickshift, long distance capability, but sadly have to admit its getting heavy (I'm north of 70)

Met a nice german lady in Vercors riding this 790 adv, keep looking at pic and wondering if it would suit me, it's a lot lighter but I know nothing about the brand although been watching You tube reviews and generally reading up on it, The 1250RT will be a very hard act to follow, but could KTM do it?

I would want a mid weight tourer with good cruise ability some luggage capacity as I'm still a working photographer, some go in it, able to cruise happily at 80ish
for 3/400 mile daily legs, comfortable, reliability is important also

So does the 790 fit the bill, what's good or bad, real world opinions please, Thanks

I realise some sacrifices on luggage may need to be made

BMW R1250 Luggage by Mark Handley, on Flickr


.

Well after a lot of thought I'm sticking with the RT for now, it's all booked on ferry for the Picos again this year, it is as I say heavy but still manageable, care needed where parking and travel light the answer.
KTM is still a contender if / when I need to downsize, but the RT is such a hard act to follow I will hang on as long as possible thanks for all the comments

 

[RobGreaves]

Interesting, out with a guide from Sweetlamb 2 weeks ago, on his own 790 which he made us look stupid on, we were on a Husky 350 and a KTM 500 (both Enduro's) running mousses / low pressures on Enduro tyres, he was on 50/50 tyres and was getting this thing in over and through everything with ease as we struggled - I guess the talent helps, but he seemed to find it fine in offroad conditions few typical owners would dare of taking their bikes out in.

I have owned a 1090 / 1190 & 1290 (last gen 1290) and they have all been good, and all had utterly shit seats, luckily the Ergo ones were the same for all 3 bikes so when I upgraded 1190 to 1290 I could swap them, but had to buy second set for the 1090 as the Mrs used it for touring and she too found the stock 1090 / 1190 seats shit. I will always haggle an ergo seat into a KTM deal.

If you don't want to lose big bike grunt the latest 1290 is considerably lower than the earlier ones, and with the low slung fuel even better to manage, not tried a 790 / 890 as I never go offroad (well, not on these beasts!) and therefore would actually prefer a 17" wheel over the 1290S 19" and certainly don't want a skinny 21" (regardless of if a much better skilled rider than me can go quicker with one)

Having said that, prior to buying another new bike I really should test the 890 to be sure, also waiting for the new SMT to be available for test ride (and make sure a comfort seat will be available)

Another part of me tells me to get simpler bike, and tracers looked good until they stuck semi-active suspension and adaptive cruise on their simple "budget" sports tourer, which now costs more than what I paid for a new "premium" 1290 SAS just 4 years ago!

Honda Transalp 750 anyone?

At a guess that was Rob Loupart on the 790 - damn good rider

 

[Rasher]

At a guess that was Rob Loupart on the 790 - damn good rider

Yes, great bloke, booked 2 more days out with him later in the year