Even while the motorcycle market remains pretty cold as a whole, adventure bikes continue to sell well. Within this growing segment, it is the middleweight bikes that are really capturing the imagination, and it is pretty easy to see why. They offer riders the ability to travel across the country in relative comfort, then tackle off-road trails.
However, they are also among some of the most compromised vehicles on the market. Even though the marketing might tell you otherwise, these bikes are still pretty heavy and awkward off-road. On-road comfort is also limited by the off-road-oriented suspension and tires. There is, however, one bike that offers a near-perfect balance between off-road capability and long-distance comfort.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from KTM. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
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The KTM 890 Adventure R Combines Lightweight Control With Long-Distance Muscle
MSRP: $16,299
The 890 Adventure R is one of the best off-road midweight adventure bikes on the market. But, as good as it is in this department, it is still far from perfect. While it is a purposeful-looking machine, it certainly is not the prettiest ADV, and long-term reliability is not assured. With so many adventure bikes to choose from, it is fair to say that you can have your cake and eat it these days, as long as you are willing to pay for that cake.
The Ducati DesertX is an expensive machine, but unlike the KTM, it certainly is pretty. It is also highly effective off-road thanks to a sophisticated electronics package. With it being a Ducati, long-distance comfort is almost a given these days. The brand, once famous for building some of the least comfortable sports bikes in the world, now makes some of the most comfortable adventure tourers.
If you are willing to consider another exotic Italian brand, the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce offers a more travel-oriented package for around the same price. If you prefer something a little more conservative, the BMW F 900 GS Adventure also offers an excellent all-round package. Neither of these options comes close to the KTM off-road, though.
Makes Use Of The Now Infamous LC8c Engine
Power: 104 Horsepower
The LC8c parallel-twin engine was initially conceived to replace the old LC4 engine in KTM’s middleweight street bikes. The old single was reaching its ceiling in terms of performance potential, and the new twin was slated to be a giant killer. Over the years, it has proven to be precisely that, at least in terms of performance. Unfortunately, KTM traded that added performance for long-term reliability.
A Complex Issue Without A Genuine Fix
Any engine that has a dedicated website for cam failures is a bit of a red flag. KTM claimed to have resolved an oil-starvation issue that only affected bikes made before 2020, but that oil-starvation issue seems to have only been part of the problem. The data suggests that this is an ongoing issue with newer bikes experiencing the same failures.
Owners are also caught between a rock and a hard place, with KTM often voiding their warranties. All the new bikes offer a four-year warranty, but in reality, it is pretty easy to inadvertently void it. Simple things like missing a service, doing the service work yourself, or adding an aftermarket product that is not from KTM’s list of approved parts can do the trick, depending on how reasonable or unreasonable your dealer is.
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The 890 Adventure R Has Impeccable Off-Road Abilities
Even with this rather glaring issue, the 890 Adventure R is still an incredible motorcycle, and it is for good reason that owners keep these bikes even though there are potential risks. The truth is that KTM is not the only manufacturer to have experienced something like this, and it certainly does not affect everyone. Egregious typos notwithstanding, one Australian rider claims to have ridden his bike over 250,000 miles before things went pear-shaped.
Even Honda – the brand that has the best reliability record in the industry – has had to deal with catastrophic engine failures. Sadly, KTM hasn’t handled the whole thing particularly well, but people are willing to overlook this mess because of how good the 890 really is. The suspension these bikes come with is incredible, offering pretty decent on-road performance and unrivaled off-road performance. With a bike of this size and weight, that is not the only thing that keeps you right-way-up off–road.
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Peerless Off-Road Electronics
KTM remains ahead of the chasing pack off-road thanks to a sophisticated electronics suite calibrated by professional riders from all over the world. It is the only manufacturer that has invested this much time and effort into simply allowing riders to use the electronics off-road. Most manufacturers settle for a switchable setup where the traction control and ABS work on the road but are essentially useless off it. As such, the traction control is lean-sensitive, and cornering ABS is also a standard feature.
What KTM has left behind a paywall is more curious. Both cruise control and the quickshifter – which quite obviously has its hardware installed – are optional. It is hard to say how much money the brand saves/makes from doing this, but after the whole demo mode fiasco, we thought this wouldn’t happen again, but it appears as though this trend will continue in the motorcycle industry.
The 890 Adventure R is both incredible and awful at the same time. Anyone who has ever owned an older European car or bike will be all too familiar with this kind of risk/reward situation. It is unusual to see it today, but it clearly still happens. For some, the added performance is worth the risk. For others, well, maybe the less powerful Japanese bike will be a safer bet in the long run.
Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications
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Chassis |
Tubular chromoly steel frame |
|
Front Suspension |
48 mm USD WP Xplor fork, fully adjustable (9.4-in travel) |
|
Rear Suspension |
WP Xplor, fully adjustable monoshock (9.4-in travel) |
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Weight |
474 lbs |