Reader Stuart Pickup rates his KTM 1290 Super Adventure
There used to be a time when speed-junkies had to give up their adrenaline thirsty ways when age made knees and wrists too stiff for sportsters. Not any more – Austrian manufacturer KTM have been at the forefront of putting mental motors inside comfy chassis for the past few years and their 2017 1290 Super Adventure S was enough to satisfy performance-loving Stuart Pickup from Lancashire.
“I really loved my ZZR1400 but I was getting increasingly more uncomfortable on it so thought it was time for something more upright. I saw that the KTM 1290 Super Adventure was due out around about the same time as I was looking to get a new bike so I made the 100mile trip to my nearest dealership, Colwyn Bay Motorcycles, to take a test ride. I wasn’t disappointed. The 1290 was everything I wanted and I didn’t feel like I was sacrificing performance, so I put my order in and added the Touring Pack, too.” But it’s not been plain sailing for Stuart and his KTM. Between accidental damage and faults, his 13,450 miles haven’t been the smoothest and it’s left him feeling a little blue about his big orange bike. “Faults and issues are just one of those things but I don’t think KTM’s customer service has been particularly good. It’s also not helped that my nearest dealer is so far away, either. I love the bike, but the problems I’ve had have taken the shine off it.”
‘It’s not helped that my nearest dealer is so far’