Kwacky's Kwik KTM 1190 Adventurer Review
Posted: 23 Feb 2016, 11:58
I'm at work so I'll do a brief post now and flesh it out later.
I've got this as a bike for the day while they work on z1000sx.
First impressions - it's no beauty but looks sturdy and practical. That seat looks very tall, which is confirmed when I finally sit on it. I'm just shy of 6 foot and I can just get both feet down. The flip side to that is a very tall riding position which gives an excellent view when you're in traffic.
It's a big vibey engine. There's a bag load of torque but I wouldn't call the delivery creamy, it's more school dinners custard - comforting, puts a smile on your face but a bit lumpy. For a big bike it's got good balance and poise, which allowed me to weave through the traffic without issue. As you would expect with that big KTM lump it pulls like a Premier League footballer at a school disco.
The rev range is short, which is something I struggle to get used to with big twins. I revved it through the gears up to about 120mph with the red warning light flashing at me for 5 of those. At speed the bike feels a little unsettled but it's not designed to take on the hyper tourers.
Brakes are good, not as strong as I like brakes to be and I found that the weight of the bike really shows up when you slam the brakes on hard as the bike starts to do a very slight weave and the ABS kicks in, which seemed to come in early.
The screen is tall, the bars wide but close to be a relaxed ride, the pegs low and slightly forward and the seat large and comfortable. The dash is clear and easy to read but there are probably too many features on there. I really don't need to know the outside temps, I'm sat on a bloody bike out in the weather you daft Austrian types.
Heated grips, ABS and power modes are all changeable as I think is the damping. I left the bike as it was seeing as it's not mine.
A couple of immediate gripes - the switches don't travel very far and are light, which means you only really need to touch them to get the indicators or horn to work. I like to feel a switch engage, if that makes sense?
The side stand is in a strange place and very upright, which is a bit concerning when you're on such a tall bike and you're struggling to get the sidestand involved.
So in brief - I imagine it's a great bike to ride for long journeys but it's too big for me.
I've got this as a bike for the day while they work on z1000sx.
First impressions - it's no beauty but looks sturdy and practical. That seat looks very tall, which is confirmed when I finally sit on it. I'm just shy of 6 foot and I can just get both feet down. The flip side to that is a very tall riding position which gives an excellent view when you're in traffic.
It's a big vibey engine. There's a bag load of torque but I wouldn't call the delivery creamy, it's more school dinners custard - comforting, puts a smile on your face but a bit lumpy. For a big bike it's got good balance and poise, which allowed me to weave through the traffic without issue. As you would expect with that big KTM lump it pulls like a Premier League footballer at a school disco.
The rev range is short, which is something I struggle to get used to with big twins. I revved it through the gears up to about 120mph with the red warning light flashing at me for 5 of those. At speed the bike feels a little unsettled but it's not designed to take on the hyper tourers.
Brakes are good, not as strong as I like brakes to be and I found that the weight of the bike really shows up when you slam the brakes on hard as the bike starts to do a very slight weave and the ABS kicks in, which seemed to come in early.
The screen is tall, the bars wide but close to be a relaxed ride, the pegs low and slightly forward and the seat large and comfortable. The dash is clear and easy to read but there are probably too many features on there. I really don't need to know the outside temps, I'm sat on a bloody bike out in the weather you daft Austrian types.
Heated grips, ABS and power modes are all changeable as I think is the damping. I left the bike as it was seeing as it's not mine.
A couple of immediate gripes - the switches don't travel very far and are light, which means you only really need to touch them to get the indicators or horn to work. I like to feel a switch engage, if that makes sense?
The side stand is in a strange place and very upright, which is a bit concerning when you're on such a tall bike and you're struggling to get the sidestand involved.
So in brief - I imagine it's a great bike to ride for long journeys but it's too big for me.