Test rides thread

Get on yer bike and lets rumble!!

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AMCQ46
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Re: Test rides thread

Post by AMCQ46 »

Moved this up to a sticky so others can add their test ride feed back as they temp themselves to stray from the VTR fold...

I can add one for my extended affair with the Austrian Orange a tang 1190 Adventure.

This is not a new model, or the big Super Adventure 1290 that they sell now, it's is the 2014 1190, which was KTMs first real move to take on BMW at the GS game. Before this, they had the 990 V2 range with the Dakar replica bikes, the SuperMoto and the SMT.

So this bike is trying to be good at everything .... 2 up touring, off roading, and because it's a KTM they also want it to be "ready to Race" so it has to have the houligan DNA of their competition bikes.... But being a jack of all trades is usually a recipe for loads of crap compromises !

So for a 2014 bike this has lots of electronics, this KTM had the most advanced electronic aids of any bike out there when it was launched.

Electronic throttle with 4 ride modes (sport, street, rain, off-road) each of which changes the settings for throttle, ABS, TC and suspension, as well as the throttle action (and clips the power to 100 for rain & offroad)
Cornering ABS that will add back brake automatically when the ABS triggers off the front, And an off road setting that lets you lock up the back wheel.
A very refined multi level Traction control, with an off road setting that lets the rear wheel spin 10% higher than the front for that controlled drift.
Electric adjustable suspension, not the modern adaptive suspension that changes based on how you are riding and what the road is like, on this set up you just tell it what load and what kind of damping you want and it makes the changes for you.

But no cruise control :(

It's still the LC8 V2 motor that was used on the last evolution of the RC8 superbike, but in a much more flexible tune for midrange at the expense of the top end.
It comes in 2 specifications, the R and the normal model. The R is the more off road focused version, with a thinner 21" front wheel in place of the 19" , longer travel, non electrically adjustable WP suspension, and a lower screen. Both models have tubeless spoked wheels.
I have got the non R model.

First impressions are of its size and weight, it is much longer, higher, wider and heavier than the storm.
The seat height (with the comfort gel and heated aftermarket seat option), even in its lowest setting is still bloody tall even for a lanky bastid like me, but the riding position is very comfortable with plenty of legroom, knees at a nice bend and those wide dirt bike bars giving a more upright stance.
Once you ride off, then you notice the engine .... That is where the holigan element is waiting to tempt you to play :D . It is pretty agricultural, more noisy and less refined than the storm (some is due to the dirt bike skid plate reflecting the noise back up at you), but it has lots of power everywhere.
I mostly ride in SPORT mode as it gives the most direct throttle reaction and sets the damping to the stiffer end of the range for the long travel adventure suspension, but have used Street for when I am 2 up and want the just waft round the lanes without frightening the pillion..
For the handling and stopping side of the equation, you are already going to pay the price for long travel suspension and the extra weight you are carrying, so there is a lot more weight transfer and fork dive under braking, and when moving at speed it would like to wallow a bit mid corner if you sit with a neutral throttle.
BUT.... It is a very composed frame and suspension set up, and if you decide to ride it aggressively, like a big SuperMoto, it gives you a cheeky wink and says "bring it on".
Pile deep into bends heavy on the front brembo's, and then transfer to a large handful of gas as soon as the bend starts to open out.... It now starts to feel pretty sporty and is both composed and giving lots of feed back. Only quick flip/flop direction changes are a struggle with the extra size fighting against you.
Riding like this, you end up with a big smile on your face, and growing respect for the capability of the bike, and a lot of people questioning how a nutter on an adventure bike just road round the outside of their sports bike. :twisted: :wave:

Load it up with luggage and it does take the edge off the SuperMoto side a bit, but in both wet and dry conditions I was able to enjoy the bends and make indecent progress.

For long distance riding, it is pretty good, I did a few 350mile days one after the other, and it was no problem, the tank is good for 220miles, but there are some parts that are less than perfect (compared to a full on tourer, obviously already better than a storm!)
The of lack of cruise control, a bit of vibration if you are just sitting at constant throttle, a sit up riding position puts all the pressure on your elbow, so you do start to feel that and shuffle, and there is dirty air coming off the screen (or mirrors or hand guards) that adds noise and a buffeting (again this is already better than a storm, but you start to notice it when doing motorway 90mph miles).
You don't feel tired when you get off the bike, your concentration is better through the ride, you are thinking "I wonder where that road goes" never "it's time to get home". And if you saw my NI & NC500 pictures, you will see I covered 2300 miles in 11 days and still managed an average speed of 54mph.

So after that extended test ride, I can now conclude that a genre of bike I wouldn't normally have looked at, the potentially compromised Jack of All Trades Adventure bike, in the KTM flavour at least, is in fact a perfect all rounder, and still has the ability to attack bends like a holigan and make you smile.

I think the fact that KTM chose to compromise the touring part of the equation to still keep the off road and sports bike DNA (compared to BMW and Triumph competition) is where is wins for me, as that is where the smile comes from.

Everybody should try one :thumbup:
AMcQ
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Nosepicker
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Re: Test rides thread

Post by Nosepicker »

Great thread AMCQ :thumbup:
Thanks for sharing your experience with the KTM :clap:
The only non-Storm riding I've done recently was a short spin on a Kawasaki Z H2, and I can't really think of anything to say about it other than... mindblowing - and that I couldn't find the starter button at first :oops: :D
Bad choices make good stories :D
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uk13iker
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Re: Test rides thread

Post by uk13iker »

Nice write up Mate you thought about motorcycle journalism


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AMCQ46
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Re: Test rides thread

Post by AMCQ46 »

uk13iker wrote: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:46 am Nice write up Mate you thought about motorcycle journalism Image


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Lee, you should do a review of the MT07 :D

and cheeky kev should write up all his test rides he did before he bought the Indian FTR

Budd … KTM SDGT 1290

etc
AMcQ
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Re: Test rides thread

Post by uk13iker »

I wouldn’t know where to start ok here we go.

MT07 twisted the throttle felt good so bought it haha

On a serious note tho I’d always liked them from the moment they came out it was the looks that did it for me.
So one morning I went to get my clutch done on my car guy didn’t turn up to open the garage so off I go for breakfast at a motorcycle dealers, usually starts with looking around the bikes then breakfast followed by another look around, as I’m looking salesman notices me looking at MT07 and says you like them? I’d love one I said so off we go to his desk before I know it he’s got one coming from another shop for me to test ride.

So the day comes to test ride it, he wheels it outside and starts it up. I’m looking at it thinking nice but looks a bit small for my frame , so off I go approached the first roundabout at a steady pace tipped it in great, second roundabout same again then the third one is a roundabout onto a motorway slip road which bends quite a bit and can be done at 90 on the storm Km obviously well the MT takes it just as well and along the motorway I go thinking wow this is the bike for me so I bought it.

Took a bit to get used to the fly by wire throttle which was a bit twitchy. First long ride on it was a trip to derby with a friend who was on a bonnie so was slow paced then a trip to Yorkshire followed with this bunch of hooligans on here on that trip I noticed the suspension was a bit bouncy to say the least as we ended up on the bumpiest road in England. It was pretty capable in the bends and up to 80/90km with bigger bikes. After that trip adjusted the rear shock which improved overall a fun bike which loves to wheelie would definitely have another one regret selling it. Only thing I would say is finish isn’t as good as Honda I always clean after every ride but don’t think it would fair too well being neglected.


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