The Next Best Bike in The World Ever......Thread :-)

[JohnnyBoxer]

Nope, I'm sticking with the S.

It arrives at the dealer next week.

Hope you don't regret it?

Cookie thought the electronic suspension on his S was crap and much prefers the improved manual suspension on the R model, I think Giles and Andres are very much of the same opinion

Hope you find it ok

 

[Nutty]

Hope you don't regret it?

Cookie thought the electronic suspension on his S was crap and much prefers the improved manual suspension on the R model, I think Giles and Andres are very much of the same opinion

Hope you find it ok

Nope, I'm sure I won't. The electronic suspension on the 1290S is completely different to that on the 1190S.

If it's no good, and I really like the bike, I could always take it to get Wilbered, or something similar.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Nope, I'm sure I won't. The electronic suspension on the 1290S is completely different to that on the 1190S.

Aye, that's what the brochure says.............time will tell, I think the R would be more up your street

 

[Davy F]

Didn't have a problem with the electric suspenders on my 1190....it was very very good IMO.

 

[Nutty]

Aye, that's what the brochure says.............time will tell, I think the R would be more up your street

We'll see, once I get some miles on it.

The S is meant to be better for road riding, and I'll have the Rallye if I want to do any off-road.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

We'll see, once I get some miles on it.

The S is meant to be better for road riding, and I'll have the Rallye if I want to do any off-road.

I'd be interested to see how they compare. As you say, the 1290S has different suspension to the 1190S. The 1190 just had different modes, the 1290 is active.

On the 1190's most reports preferred the R as a road bike to the S but, IIUC, the 1290S has had it's steering geometry changed to be the same as the R (they were different on the 1190's)?

Andres

 

[Arsey]

Lovely day today so took the current best bike in the world for a potter .....

Oh and the Husky

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cookie]

Nope, I'm sure I won't. The electronic suspension on the 1290S is completely different to that on the 1190S.

If it's no good, and I really like the bike, I could always take it to get Wilbered, or something similar.

I'm sure the suspension on the S will be absolutely fine unless you're carrying any load out of KTM's design parameters, which i dare say you're not, but the chances of getting Wilbers or Ohlins shocks are mighty slim if the aftermarket options for the 1190EDS are anything to go by.

 

[Rasher]

Even with the 1190 EDS stuff I understand the shocks are not serviceable / rebuildable which is bad news when they get a bit tired, bad news for people buying used bikes as once the suspension is shot it is going to be massively expensive to repair - same with the GS stuff these days, instead of swapping your knackered OE shock for a higher quality Wilburs / Ohlins you are left with a bill probably around the £2k mark.

I would prefer manually adjustable suspension that can be re-worked by suspension specialists or easily replaced with aftermarket stuff. But at least the stuff KTM do fit is pretty good (Best OE suspension I have ever had) but a real shame it is not serviceable so instead of a £100 service it will be £1,000+ when it gets a bit tired - and few shocks get much beyond 20k without being noticeably tired.

 

[cookie]

The 1190EDS shock certainly looked like it could be rebuilt with cutting and welding the body.

Edit: I just checked and some parts are available from KTM separately. Other bits are probably serviceable by a specialist. However. last time i looked, no aftermarket replacements were available from Wilbers or Ohlins.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

................or just replace with quality manual suspension when the EDS stuff is shagged

Having said that, I have never heard of a shock or fork that can't be rebuilt by a specialist and that includes ones that aren't supposedly serviceable.

Andres

 

[cookie]

................or just replace with quality manual suspension when the EDS stuff is shagged

Having said that, I have never heard of a shock or fork that can't be rebuilt by a specialist and that includes ones that aren't supposedly serviceable.

Andres

trouble is, no one does manual replacements, although I'm sure you could get a shock built by someone like Nitron, maybe Wilbers, then get the errors turned off by KTM dealer? Personally, I'd just buy quality manual stuff in the first place. Can't see how electronically adjustable or active is any use to me as the situation is at the moment. In fact it's a deal breaker.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I'd just buy quality manual stuff in the first place.

Can't see how electronically adjustable or active is any use to me as the situation is at the moment.

In fact it's a deal breaker.

I like your thoughts, my views are similar on electronic suspension on any bikes

If you look on the KTM Forum, there are plenty of disgruntled owners of their EXC range - who don't like the forks and swap to better ones

 

[Rasher]

Can't see how electronically adjustable or active is any use to me as the situation is at the moment. In fact it's a deal breaker.

If it was not that I bought this bike with no intention of long term ownership it would have been a deal breaker for me as well, not so much the electronic adjustment, but the fact it is not a serviceable item, with the WP name being used on these bike I was expecting it could be serviced, seems KTM are just (ab)using the WP name to make the spec look more impressive.

At least you can get the shock body separately from the Spring and pressure unit if the damping has gone awry, but would still be very annoying to need to spend £500 because the £10 worth of oil in the shock is shagged or a 75 pence oil seal has failed.

I am guessing the whole assembly in one would stretch out to Ohlins money (Around £1,000) but with the issue that nobody is likely to make a replacement for EDS models.

Having said that, I have never heard of a shock or fork that can't be rebuilt by a specialist and that includes ones that aren't supposedly serviceable.

Good point, MCT worked on my ZZR 1400 and the Mrs TDM 900 shock absorbers to great effect.

 

[cookie]

I'm pretty sure it is serviceable, just probably not officially by KTM.

The bottom of the shock body unscrews. I looked before i bought one, but it is a lower spec emulsion unit that is under sprung and under damped for my requirements. because it is a proprietary KTM unit, it is not easy to change the spec. but it's almost certainly possible. the fact that the damping also fades under heavy use suggests to me that it is not worth bothering with anyway. the beefier unit fitted to my R is near ideal for what i want having tested it under similar conditions. Even if it wasn't, I could fit a number of alternative shocks from Wilburs, Ohlins, Tractive etc. I like that option more than a number of servos that adjust settings a couple of times a year when i take a passenger. I've ridden the semi active 1290SA and it was good, but it's no better than my trad WP setup, there's shit loads to go wrong + you're stuck with it. The 1290SAR has got a PDS shock, and that would be an improvement worth having IMO.

 

[RedRick Esq.]

In my humble opinion WP suspension on KTM is better than WP suspension on anything else !

The WP units on the SDR are sublime


Fuck I am talking myself into one

 

[Nutty]

My bike is now with the delivery company, so won't be long before I get my filthy mitts on it!

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

In my humble opinion WP suspension on KTM is better than WP suspension on anything else !

The WP units on the SDR are sublime


Fuck I am talking myself into one

Possibly 'cos KTM own WP and yeah, the first thing that struck me upon riding Melch's SDR was just how refined the suspension was and secondly......................all 180bhp of that amazing engine

Andres

 

[RedRick Esq.]

Possibly 'cos KTM own WP
Andres

I thought that was a Given so didn't bother mentioning it as for that tatty old SDR SE with a burglars boot print .........

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I thought that was a Given so didn't bother mentioning it as for that tatty old SDR SE with a burglars boot print .........

Oooooooh, check her out!

It's either hormonal or you need a Guzzi...................................................

Andres