[Flying_Celt]

I know most of the comparisons seem to be the 1090R vs the Africa Twin. For me I'm comparing to the Triumph. I am very interested in the impressive performance of the 1090R - but the options of Cruise Control, Heated Seats/Grips - for me in cool Canada are quite attractive. I want a bike that is good on gravel roads and light off road but also a decent touring bike on road for longer distances. The XCA has a 650W alternator to power the heater and other devices. I can't find much about that on the 1090...the 1190 had only a 450W Alternator - which makes me think it might be limited if you add a heated seat and grips? There is very little detail on the options for the 1090R so far...if anyone could shed some light.

The AT/Tiger 800XCA/1090R/Muti-Strada 950 all seem pretty close in comparison.

 

[mokhtario]

It seems that you are a touring kind of person so if i were you i would pass on the 1090 R and may be consider BMW R1200GSA
I just sold mine because i am going more off-road and clearly the GSA was too heavy.
However i did a couple of thousands miles with my wife on the road and it was spectacular! Light fire roads are of course possible but i would stay away from the technical stuff.
ADV touring bike: GSA 1200 is the king if you can afford it! Oh and the heated grip are phenomenal!

 

[Flying_Celt]

Thanks - planning to ride both bikes as soon as the 1090R is available for a demo. Will decide then - but the idea of getting off the roads here in British Columbia is pretty attractive - opens up a lot more places to see.

 

[dirtrack]

Thanks - planning to ride both bikes as soon as the 1090R is available for a demo. Will decide then - but the idea of getting off the roads here in British Columbia is pretty attractive - opens up a lot more places to see.

Have you at least had the chance to sit on one while KTM is making its rounds to the various Motorcycle shows happening during this time of the year?

 

[Flying_Celt]

Had a look at it at the Vancouver show - planning a demo ride in April. Will make a decision then.

 

[Tricked]

Nice, can't wait to see what your overall impressions are. Still waiting for motorcycle.com to post theirs up.

 

[Flying_Celt]

Well I rode a demo on the Africa Twin last Saturday. It was the standard version - I'm not interested in the automatic. I am moving up from a Triumph Bonneville T100 with i think about 65 HP & very little else. I've got Norman Hyde Togas for exhausts & the sound is magnificent. The Africa Twin sounded like a sewing machine in comparison too high pitched for my ears.

The height of the AT is just about perfect for me at 6'1"... though getting the legover the back takes some flexibility. The bike rode very smoothly - I was a bit worried that the 21" front wheel was going to compromise the road nimbleness a lot. It didn't - the bike was very comfortable on the road - I felt I could throw it about a fair bit more than the Bonnie. On the highway it had plenty of power - a good kick in the oants on acceleration. Extremely comfortable seat compared to what I am used to. Suspension was good - I didn't fiddle with it. The electronics are a bit spartan the dash seemed a little dim to me. The only adjustment you can do is press a button to turn off abs for off road riding. I'm not to happy with the two colour choices on the standard - they don't do it for me. Good wind resistance - very comfortable ride. Got about 30 minutes on city roads - would be great to try off-road some day.

I have an appointment for the 1090R next week followed by the 1290SAR. Looking forward to seeing the comparison.

 

[Sweeper]

Thank you very much for that right up. I really should get out there to take a swing on the AT as well though. But at least now that you've recently tested it out, it should be a lot better to compare it to the 1090R next week. Just gotta try to keep the feelings in mind!

 

[Adventurer]

Looking forward to your comparison review between the three models. Honda bikes aren't really the best when it comes to exhaust notes unless you go higher up in their sport bike range. I'm sure the KTM 1090 will sound better.

Will the KTM dealer let you take it to some packed dirt trails?

 

[Tricked]

Sound can be easily changed though so that's not too much of an issue I don't think

 

[dirtrack]

Looking forward to your comparison review between the three models. Honda bikes aren't really the best when it comes to exhaust notes unless you go higher up in their sport bike range. I'm sure the KTM 1090 will sound better.

Will the KTM dealer let you take it to some packed dirt trails?

x2 the CBR600 was a great example of how much better they sound as you go up the CC range but of course that goes for a lot of bike makers. Yamaha is probably the best with low range.

 

[Flying_Celt]

Just got back from the KTM demo day. I was lucky - tried the 1290 SAR and the 1090 Adv R. With the 1090 I got an extended ride on & really enjoyed it. The bike is a sweet spot for me - nice height. i am 6'1" and can almost get both feet down flat. The engine is strong, smooth, at 125HP that's all I'll ever need. The nobby Continental tyres were fine on the road. Didn't get off road. Seat is comfortable. I liked the dash electronics better than the Africa Twin. It was simple and easy to use not overly complicated. The price is pretty much the same as an AT...but it comes with crash bars, and nobby tyres. For me it's got a better look and cache to it than the Honda. I think it will be an excellent off road machine by all accounts. It didn't feel like a heavy bike to me. Felt comfortable leaning into corners. So I put down a deposit and will pick it up June 2nd!

 

[Tricked]

Sweet! Congratulations on pulling the trigger on it. The crash bars definitely entice me on the Adventure R but I'm happy to hear the knobby tires don't feel intrusive on the roads

 

[Sweeper]

I think I have heard of dealers letting you take them and put them through some light testing though so that won't be such a surprise at all.

 

[dirtrack]

Just got back from the KTM demo day. I was lucky - tried the 1290 SAR and the 1090 Adv R. With the 1090 I got an extended ride on & really enjoyed it. The bike is a sweet spot for me - nice height. i am 6'1" and can almost get both feet down flat. The engine is strong, smooth, at 125HP that's all I'll ever need. The nobby Continental tyres were fine on the road. Didn't get off road. Seat is comfortable. I liked the dash electronics better than the Africa Twin. It was simple and easy to use not overly complicated. The price is pretty much the same as an AT...but it comes with crash bars, and nobby tyres. For me it's got a better look and cache to it than the Honda. I think it will be an excellent off road machine by all accounts. It didn't feel like a heavy bike to me. Felt comfortable leaning into corners. So I put down a deposit and will pick it up June 2nd!

Best of all there aren't too many KTM's out these days, so if doing something different from most folks matter, KTM is even more of a reason. I got tired of Honda's, now i'm here