KTM’S 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE REVEALED!

More power, more torque, bigger motor, bigger tank. The big bike’s been down the gymand is going head-to-head with the GS Adventure.

This is the first official look at one of THE big hitters for next year, the new 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure.

Details are scarce at the moment and will remain that way until the bike is officially launched at the Intermot showin Cologne, Germany at the end of September but based on what we do knowand can work out from the picture this looks like being an immense motorcycle.

Here’s what KTM has told us about the bike: “THe 1290 builds on the current 1190 Adventure. It will sit alongside the diverse KTM Street range next year.

“THe bike features a bigger engine capacity to increase power and torque. An incredibly large fuel tank will mean long durations before the need to stop; perfect for when the journey is long or so addictive that the rider just doesn’t want to get off the saddle.”

PETROL TANK

KTM says that the petrol tank is much bigger (BMW Adventure’s tank is a whopping 30 litres, which is 50%more than on the standard GS model for around a 300 mile range), there’s little reason to think that the KTM will be much different to that figure.

ENGINE

A larger version of the immense 1190 unit used in the current Adventure fromKTM. No power figures available yet but it’s fair to assume that this bike will outstep the current 150bhp max output of the 1190. The BMWGS Adventure, for comparison, makes 125bhp which is the same output as the standard version of the GS.

BRAKES

The bike gets the firm’s great mid-corner ABS systemalthough it’s difficult to see why any upgrade to the performance of the WSB-like stoppers would be necessary at all.

SUSPENSION

It looks like the suspension has been tweaked too. To take on the BMWGS Adventure the KTM’s new Adventure could well end up with 20mmmore travel front and rear and toughened-up bash-plate etc to increase its off-road abilities even further.

WEIGHT

At 230kg fully fuelled the old KTM 1190 Adventure was nowhere near as porky as the new R1200 GS Adventure (which tipped the scales at 260kg, ready to go) so there’s quite some roomfor more weight on the new bike and it still fares well against its main competitor.