KTM 1190 ADVENTURE (2013 - 2018) Review

I have a much more comfortable aftermarket seat, and taken other steps to limit vibration, which can be noticeable. You don't seem to notice it when passing at 80 or faster, or off-road.

Wow! Just wow. You have to ride one to believe the power of the RC8 V-twin. I suspect it's faster than the 1290 Adventure.

Nary a problem. I have kept up meticulously with maintenance.

If performed in a shop. I've done most of the maintenance myself and the cost is closer to $100.

I've added LED lights, a skid plate, upper and lower engine guards, larger pegs, an aftermarket seat. and many little things over the nearly 9 years I've had the bike.

Upgraded the pads and changed the brake fluid every other year keeps them sharp.

Had a full arrow system to help it breathe as it should. So much smoother after.

Brilliant never missed a beat of anything fall off 🤣

Adjustable suspension and throttle response. But keep the old rev courter style no TFT.

Bike is best on windy B roads (live in Wales so perfect) Great all rounder that can do everything 7.5 out of 10. Standard seat hard most people upgrade to the ktm powerparts

Fantastic engine. Don't think you can get a better engine than a big v twin for road riding. Instant grunt for quick overtakes😀

Fuel gauge niggle which was easily fixable. So far so good.

All servicing done by myself so far to keep costs down. Plus finding bike ownership more satisfying when servicing/fixing and upgrading bike yourself.

Electronic suspension and imu keeping you sort of safe.

A lot of people criticised the softer feel of the front Brembo brakes, however, if you take this bike off road, then the brakes make perfect sense - you don’t want instant sharp bit on front brakes off road. Rear brake is also good but has slightly softer bite which again makes perfect sense off road. On the road they are perfectly good also but they are not super bike style brakes. Ride quality - you definitely know you are riding a big, powerful v-twin. I like it because the bike tells you in no uncertain terms what it is, it doesn’t try to pretend. It’s not silly smooth, plush four cylinder sports tourer. But it’s fun on and off road and my god is it good off road! And surprisingly good on the road.

The engine is superb, the feel, the noise, the torque, the surging power. However, the throttle can be a bit anarchy but I grew up on a Yamaha XTZ750 Super Tenere whose throttle is basically an on/off switch so it doesn’t bother me. I also leave it in sport mode at all times. So that’s my fault really.

You will need to put an aftermarket fuel system in it. The fuel delivery system from fuel pump (located in the bottom of the petrol tank) to the injectors (fuel hose) needs to be replaced. This part of the bike is transplanted from the 990. The problem is the 1190 is much more powerful, and runs at a much higher fuel pressure and the 990 fuel system is simply not up to the job - its a relatively well known problem however, and there are superb aftermarket options available to sort this out that will also mean you can confidently put poor fuel (when abroad) in your bike. The seat - it appears to be made from a composite of hard wearing textile, foam, and concrete. If you intend to do more that 100 mikes per day on this bike, you will need to seek alternative or additional seating upgrade if you have a standard seat. I’ve gone for additional air cushion.

Servicing costs aren’t a big concern whether it be a standard service, or, for example a fork/suspension service with new fork oil, oil seals, and dust seals. Approximately £200 for either.

Mine has everything you could ever need on it as the original owner seems to have ticked all the options without being the r! The suspension is superb.

Just back from seven days of continuous riding. Can still walk and talk and am ready to get back on.

A smooth V-twin once revving above 3000rpm under load. It doesn't have low rev delivery like a GS, which makes you use the gears more and this generates lots of fun.

Exhaust manifold metallurgy is poor. Lots of ACF50 and TLC required to keep it rust-free.

Replace the exhaust with a lighter end can. Lots of choices, you do not need to spend too much money for a name.

I use the bike for long distance holiday riding. 250 miles a day on back roads. it is not great at motorways and needs the ergo seat or an aftermarket pad. Wide bars are great but the seat is not as good in any way to a GS. At three figures with panniers, it can go into a low-frequency weave but that is being picky.

It is a cracker. Not as top endy as the RC8 or a Ducati but linear delivery. Lack of initial torque and throttle kindness at the urban filtering speeds (GS is soooo much better) make it a fag to ride slowly, but as soon as you wind on the throttle - wow. She is a good one. But more for the hard rider than the grey beard.

So far for me, famous last words, nothing has gone wrong in 7500 miles apart from the fuel float issue.

It is not cheap for this bike. Rear tyre 5k front 7k chain is on way out at 8k annual servicing is OTT as it is a KTM. Not a good point of ownership.

I have full three boxes. The exhaust side is limited but overall volumes are OK plus with a tank bag you aren't left behind. I have tried a few tyres over the year but like the Conti attacks best. I also had a linear lip added to the standard screen which helps on the motorway but is too tall for off-road. A compromise.

30 miles with a sore backside

The bike is for power rangers only. If you could Demo this bike for a whole day with pillion and luggage Then I would have brought a sym symba

They forgot to put a decent seat on it

Plus a new seat

Favourite feature ????? Sorry I'm stuck for an answer on that one. Best thing about the bike is getting off of it.

Great fun to ride but reliability is very questionable at the least. If it rains, every time I use the flashers, the horn will bleep. Some general failure warnings also appeared.

The panniers are made of plastic so don't expect too much resilience, should have bought the aluminium ones.

Well I rode it for 7 hours to France and it was very comfy. You do get a very hot bum as it traps the heat from the rear exhaust. I note on the 1290 they heat wrap the exhaust so maybe you could do this to help. The bike does go like stink and handles really well until you put luggage on then it start to weave about and woe betide anyone who's not on their guard. Sure a straight wheel might help this problem I suspect. Brakes are awesome, as is the engine, and electronic suspension.

As I said the engine is the party piece. With the three power modes you can choose power for any condition. The torque is just spot on and it can thrash a R1 in many different speeds in roll on tests, I know Ive tried it. Its just when it gets over 100mph the stability problems can be very scary, like riding on ice.In sport mode the engine is just a beast,lifting the wheel just a little till ESP cuts in.

Well apart from bent wheel from new, oil leek from crank case, starter motor that hardly turns, or aftermarket spots that wobble when you ride as the mounting bracket is rubbish, the rest of the bike is ok.

Service is so much better when KTM isnt involved .

The best standard feature is the control pad thing. It makes it so easy to get through the many bits of info and controls on the bike. Swap the mirrors they don't stick out far enough to see past your arms. If you like a great but not to loud sound put on the Ackro exhaust but remove the baffle, this gives just the best sound. However this is a bit tricky, as it must be the only Ackro with a spot welded Baffle. Look on youtube to see how its done. My tip is drill rivets out of carbon bit then you get a much better go at the weld, then a Dremmel does it fine.

Top grade WP suspension - 400 kms plus on one tank of fuel depending on ride style. Awesome on the bitumen twisty bits and good on metal/hard packed roads. Need to be good to take it on sand.

Grunty get up and go out of the corners - good engine braking and sublime gearbox and slipper clutch. Very easy to ride fast and safe!

Battery changed at 2 year mark, centre stand changed as it was worn out from touching down on the bitumen, side stand spring failed, oil level sensor failed.

Tyres last around 7000 kms. Trail Attacks are excellent on road. Servicing every 15000 kms for around $400 per service! Clocking up an average of 12000 kms per year.

Electronic suspension - love the option of changing the preload at the switch of a button - same for damping. Don't really like its handling with the panniers. Also it gets very light on the front end at speed!

Awesome on road, in the twisties and off road. Competent as a touring bike, but there are better options out there if that is your primary goal.

I love V-twins and this is probably one of the best ever made. If anyone has any complaints about the engine character they need to have their heads examined. That said only time will tell if the engine holds up with time and high mileage.

The bike has some well documented niggles but they can all be addressed with a bit of patience (dealing with your dealership and KTM) and a bit more dough (ie I got a new air box cover from KTM but still fitted a Unifilter air filter so now I am sure my airbox is now bomb proof when I go off-road). If the starter is underpowered I will harass my dealership until they swap it out with one from the 1290. In Canada at least the internet is a powerful tool and threat. That said Everything ever written in other reviews about the pains of dealing with KTM is true ... They are a joke. The service guys at the dealership laugh about it. As a comparison I am still getting notices about free replacements etc. from my 09 GSA. Fool me once shame on me but if they don't clean up their act they may not get a chance to fool me again regardless of how great their streetbikes are.

Relative to the GSA it replaced its dirt cheap. I did an oil change at 1k and have 10000 klm on it but the first service isn't until 15000 Kim's and the oem tires will likely last to 18000kms. Also I live in Canada where KTM inroads so I was able to purchase a 2014 in the Spring of 2015 for 25% less (8500 uk pounds out the door) than they were selling in the US even after I got a ridiculously good trade in on my 09 GSA. Such a ridiculously good value cannot be ignored.

The Bosh lean sensitive Abs is great. The control panel is the most intuitive I have ever tried. The KTM parts are a really good value ... I added engine guards, bash plate and heated grips for a fraction of the cost of my BMW equivalents. Most importantly unleash the beast with a Wings aftermarket titanium exhaust. It transforms the bikes sound, drops 15 pounds of weight and improves performance as well.

Brakes and balance of the bike surprised me when I had a car pull out in front me the other day

150bhp ample traction control switched of front wheel comes up 2/3rd gear with no effort in sport mode v twin is different from a inline four does take a bit of getting used to but I like it lots of grunt and really nice high end rush

Had a problem when the bike wouldn't start thought it was a fuel pump but turned out to be a connection wasn't fully in LOL

40ish to the gallon so not to bad

Tools best I have had on a bike weld one ktm

Excellent!

Fantastic!

I would gladly deal with the minor issues that accompany KTM ownership if the KTM customer support were halfway decent. KTM are dismissive and do not adequately address issues related to design and manufacturing shortcomings. Switchgear failures (3X) just out of warranty. KTM did not cover the cost for a poorly designed or manufactured part. Unacceptable! Air box issues. Poor design or manufacturing. KTM has not adequately addressed this. Aftermarket parts resolved the issue. Under seat heat issues. Aftermarket parts resolved the issue.

KTM offer a solid overall value. Excellent equipment for the price and performance.

Done a couple of 6 hours rides with no complaints. Brakes are excellent, wasn't sure about ABS etc but happy to have it all now.

Could always do with a bit of tweaking but even stock it's easy to handle but gives you the oomph when you need it.

Never failed me yet and mostly stock so far. Heated grips and extra lights work well with the onboard computer and switch placement.

Only had 2 services so far but my dealer is great, no complaints. Maple Ridge Motorsport in BC.

Had the KTM luggage fitted and am very happy with how easy it all is. Best are the additional lights. In Vancouver drivers are even more oblivious than the UK so any little thing is a boon.

Really flexible ride with the Electronic suspension.....the 1190 and 1290 do suffer from the 'death wobble' a global issue, well documented problem requiring an aftermarket adjustable damper, stock unit is not up to the job.

Sweet motor and slick shifting....

So many problems due to poor design, dirty airboxes, a global problem and now a joke..buy a new 1190...1290 then 1st mod is the airbox. Weak starters on the 2013 and 2014 bikes killing batteries and making winter starts impossible.2015 KTM quietly changed the 1190 starter to the 1290SD starter.Steering header bearings coming lose causing knocking...list goes on and on...

Under warranty bike is cheap to run, out of waranty....I'd have sold my 1190 by then and gone to another brand.

KTM Powerparts do suffer from quality problems so not the 1st choice I have now learned.