Adventure motorcycles (ADV) have been at the forefront of all the innovations in the moto world for the past few years. From the tech on board to rider aids, luggage solutions, and lest we forget, bigger engine capacities.
Case in point: the KTM 950 and 990 Adventure were the biggest-displacement ADVs in the early 2000s. Then, around 2010, came Yamaha with the XT1200Z Super Ténéré, which was quickly matched by the Triumph Tiger 1200. From there, the BMW R1250 GS became more or less the go-to choice, although other motorcycles like the KTM 1290 Super Adventure and the Ducati Multistrada V4 followed on soon enough.
Now, a quarter of a century later, we seem to be looking at the next advance in adventure bikes. BMW took the plunge with the R1300 GS, but it looks like KTM will lead the way for the biggest displacement ADV (for now, at least) with the 2026 1390 Super Adventure R.
That 1390 in its name signals a bump in capacity, going from 1,300cc in the previous iteration to 1,350cc for the current model year. With that extra displacement comes increased power figures: 173 horsepower and 107 lb.ft (145 Nm) of torque.
This bump is a result of reworked engine components and brand-new CAMSHIFT technology, which also help with reduced emissions, improved fuel efficiency, and better rideability in the low RPM range. At higher revs, the inlet cams shift sideways, opening the valves higher and longer to supply more fuel to the cylinder, thus maximizing performance. In contrast, in the lower rev range, the intake cams dial back the valve timing and lift, which helps in better ride quality.
The chassis is now stiffer too, thanks to a chromium-molybdenum-steel trellis frame. There’s also abundant engine protection that comes standard from the factory floor.
KTM has tweaked the suspension – you now get a 48-mm WP XPLOR split cartridge fork and a WP XPLOR Progressive Damping System shock in the back. Braking comes in the form of a pair of Brembo 4-piston, radially mounted calipers with a 320-mm disc up front and a Brembo 2-piston, fixed caliper with a 267-mm disc at the rear.
Also redesigned is the bodywork, which sure looks sharper, alongside the LED headlights, a low-profile windshield, and a whole host of onboard luggage storage spaces.
As for tech, the Super Adventure R doesn't cut any corners, as you’d expect. Kicking things off is a large, vertically stacked 8-inch TFT display. You get four regular ride modes (Rain, Street, Sport, and Offroad) as well as a custom mode that you can tinker with.
On top of that, you can add the Rally mode at an additional cost, which offers maximum power with up to nine slip adjustment settings and the ability "to hoist the front wheel to clear obstacles, while Offroad ABS is activated, allowing the rear to be locked up in tight corners," according to KTM.
If an out-and-out heavyweight ADV isn’t up your alley but you still want all this tech in a more road-oriented package, that’s where the 1390 Super Adventure S Evo comes in. It’s a more road-focused trim of Super Adventure R, but still comes with all the goodies and more.
Of course, you get 19-inch front wheels opposed to 21-inch on the Super Adventure R, but that’s the only major difference – though you do get extras. WP Semi-Active Technology features, which is tweaked to help the bike adapt to changing road conditions on the fly, offering a more comfortable ride. Also available is KTM's all-new Automated Manual Transmission, the first of its kind on a KTM production bike. This allows you to choose between traditional manual shifting, via the foot lever or bar-mounted paddles, or a completely twist-and-go automated transmission.
Both motorcycles have now been launched in the United States, with the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R coming to dealerships as soon as next month. It will start at US$21,649, while the 1390 Super Adventure S Evo will start at $22,699.
Being an adventure motorcycle rider myself, I appreciate what KTM is doing with its Super Adventure lineup, but there’s a part of me that can’t wrap my head around just how impractical the 1390 Super Adventure R, in particular, really is.
Sure, more power sounds fun on paper, but how much power does one really need? At this rate, we might soon be seeing 2-liter engines similar to those on Chinese megatourers on these sorts of motorcycles. And even if you were to argue in favor of it, justifying a curb weight of 546 lb (248 kg) and a seat height of almost 35 inches (880 mm) could be tough. After all, the whole point of these adventure bikes is to be as light and as accessible as possible so you can tackle whatever the road (often no road) throws at you.
So, what’s your take? Is bigger always better for ADV motorcycles? Where exactly should we draw the line?
Source: KTM
