What to look out for...
Owners and mechanics highlight the weak spots
1 STARTER MOTOR Lots of complaints about this. Even when it’s working perfectly, the starter on 2103-2014 bikes struggled. Force it too much and it would either flatten the battery or keel over and die. Or both. The solution is the uprated starter from 1290 models (as fitted to 2015-2016 bikes) and KTM have generally been good about sorting it under warranty. Some owners did report being fobbed off by dealers - it’s fair to point out that owners’ experience of KTM dealers varied wildly, with the worst being described in very grim terms.
2 ENGINE Basically pretty tough, but there were reports of niggly oil (from cam covers in particular) and water leaks, which can be hard to sort out. More worryingly, there’s also a well-documented problem with the airbox, which is easy dislodged, allowing unfiltered air into the engine. Not a big problem for general road riding, but in dusty conditions it can cause accelerated wear of the top end, with expensive results. The recommendation is a Unifilter foam filter kit, available from Touratech for around £70. Pricey, but washable so it works out cheaper than standard filters in the end. 3 FUEL GAUGE/ELECTRICS Several owners complained of fuel gauges behaving strangely at higher mileages. This may be down to ethanol attacking the sender and causing it to stick. The first symptom is the gauge taking several minutes to show full after a fill-up. It may also make the gauge read high at the other end of the scale, increasing the risk of running out of fuel unexpectedly. Other electrical niggles were reported: brake light flashing under acceleration, unrelated bulbs lighting up when the indicators were on (probably bad earths, but the 1190 has a CAN bus electrical system that doesn’t play by usual rules) and several switchgear failures.
4 CLUNKS AND WEAVES Quite a few reports of annoying clunks from the front end. Some traced to loose and/or under-greased head bearings and easily sorted. On some bikes there’s a lot of play in the floating front discs as well – it’s not dangerous, but is noisy. Just something to live with, it seems.
Like a lot of tall bikes, the Adventure has a bit of a problem with high-speed stability, especially when loaded and/or two-up. The wind gets under the headlight area and takes a lot of weight off the front end, which starts to wander – and it’s worse with panniers fitted. If you hold on tight it makes it worse - lean forward and keep a light grip on the bars. Some owners recommend fitting a heavy-duty aftermarket steering damper; others have had no problem with this at all, so riding style and rider weight must also play a part. This may be why there aren’t many recommended tyre fitments - Michelin’s Pilot Road 4 Trail isn’t recommended, for example, though many owners rate it highly.
5 RECALLS The Adventure and Adventure R (as well as the 1290 Super Adventure) have recently been recalled to check for fraying of the wiring loom near the ABS unit, which could cause a short circuit. There have been other minor updates and problems including airbox issues and radiator hoses, an ECU update, sidestand springs, centrestand mountings. To check if a bike is up to date with recall work go to www.ktm.com/gb/ service/safety-check and enter the VIN number.
6 EXCESS HEAT The rear header pipe comes out beside your left thigh and it punts out enough heat to damage textile trousers in traffic if there’ s no heat shield, as on early models. You can wrap the pipe in heat-wrap or fit the insulated protector from a 1290 Super Adventure (some dealers have done this as a goodwill gesture). There are also aftermarket heat deflector kits available from www.blackdogcw.com among others.
7 CRUISE CONTROL It hasn’t got it. There are a couple of
aftermarket options popular in the States and Australia, but there may be some issues with the KTM’S CAN bus wiring. We’re intrigued by the possibilities of the AP900 unit from www.bridgwater-electronics.co.uk at £205 but it has no switches (you’ll need to rig some yourself). If you want a complete plug-and-play option, there’s a £675 system from www.motorcyclecruise.co.uk. Alternatively, you can have a system for free! The catch is you’ll need to be properly handy with a soldering iron and multimeter and prepared to help with the development of a plug and play 1190 Adventure loom for a Veefour ECC system. If you’re interested, email ridemagazine@orange.fr and I’ll pass on your details.
8 WHEELS You need to keep an eye on the spoke tension, as the wheels have a habit of going badly out of true if neglected. Spin the wheel and knock a pencil against the spokes as it turns - they should all make roughly the same sound. A dull ‘thunk’ instead of a bright ‘chink’ may mean a lack of tension. It’s also not uncommon for the rim sealing band (which covers the exposed spoke heads inside the rim) to be damaged during tyre changes, resulting in deflation. 9 COMFORT It’s not as comfortable as some of its rivals - though it’s definitely plusher than earlier KTM Adventures. There’s a comfort-seat option but many owners opt for gel inserts in the original seat, along with reshaped padding. The handlebars are adjustable fore and aft by turning the risers through 180° - there’s less than 10mm change in position but it makes a surprising difference. The seat is two-position adjustable and even if you have short legs you might find the taller option gives a better angle for your knees. Footpegs too are adjustable in two positions.
10 ACCESSORIES Most owners fit a sat-nav mount KTM’S own accessory is the most popular. Lots experiment with different screens, but there’s no agreement on which is best. Crash protection is popular. Any crash on the left risks bending the sidestand bracket, which could in turn crack the crankcases. It’s perhaps more of a danger for off-roaders, but can be avoided with a relocation bracket. There’s also a complete lower bashplate and crankcase protector by Altrider that protects the original sidestand mount (see www.adventurebikeshop.co.uk). A bigger sidestand foot is a great idea - the original is hopeless on anything but concrete or tarmac.