THE KTM ADVENTURE RALLY
Something for everyone, both on and off-road...
IEXPERIENCED ALL THIS because I was lucky enough to be the only UK journalist at the KTM Adventure Rally. It’s an owners’ meet with a difference. This isn’t about wearing a branded T-shirt, getting tipsy and buying bolt-on bits from trade stands: this is about really riding the bikes as they were designed to be ridden. Yes, half the riders do wear orange T-shirts and there’s plenty of socialising in the evenings but in the morning, everyone’s out bright and early, clear-headed and ready to ride.
The Adventure Rally started in Australia and expanded from there. In 2017 there were events in Australia, America and New Zealand as well as the European rally in Italy that I attended. Riders signed up to ride entirely off-road, 50/50 on-road/ off-road, or entirely on tarmac — though this was by far the least-popular option. Most people opted for some level of off-road riding, with groups and routes adjusted to suit all skill levels. Our full report on the off-road element appeared in the October 2017 issue of RIDE.
My experience was that the Adventure Rally brought together like-minded riders from all over Europe. There was great support from the factory, with a technical team to help anyone who had a problem with the bike, as well as a tyre truck to replace worn rubber or switch people from the road tyres they rode down on, to knobblies for the event, then back again. There were guide riders and even a medic. Though there were a few crashes, the only injury was a sprained thumb and all of the 130+ riders rode home at the end of it.
Best of all, though, was the quality of the riding. I know that the roads in that corner of the Alps like the back of my hand, but I knew only one or two unpaved passes. The KTM Adventure Rally introduced me to mile after mile of spectacular off-roading, suitable even for a relative dirt-riding novice like me, while providing challenging routes for the more experienced riders. The event showcased not only the bikes and what they can do but also the fantastic riding and scenery in the French and Italian Alps.