2009 KTM 990 ADVENTURE
999cc | 209kg | 105bhp | 860mm seat height
If you want a ‘real’ adventure bike then surely you want one that’s as good in the muck as on tarmac? KTM’s tall V-twin is the best, mixing genuine off-road ability with real on-road skill. After the prototype won the 2002 Dakar, the 950 Adventure went on sale in 2003 as a machine that could eat motorways and thrill on B-roads but properly crack-on in the dirt. And the later, fuel-injected 990 perfected the mix. Unlike rivals it’s not a road bike in Dakar costume but a very real dual-purpose motorcycle that’ll take you anywhere.
Buyer beware
The 990 has a robust build quality that current KTMs lack. Switchgear is longlasting, plastics shrug-off spills, and the chassis copes well with winter if you keep it clean. Chrome flakes off the spokes, however (not structural, just ugly). Clutch slave cylinders fail, clutch boosters play up on early models, the shaft seal on the water pump can throw in the towel, and throttle bodies go out of balance. Oh, the V-twin chomps through camchain tensioners as well. None of this is major stuff, but it means you need to have a good prod about. Check for bent parts from low-speed tumbles, too – the 990 is tall, especially the dirt-biased R version which has a 915mm seat.