2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Review

[Hugh Janus]

Everything about the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is big, including the roost it leaves in its wake. (Jeff Allen/)

How much is too much? Inside a four-story building in Mattighofen, Austria, there’s no such thing as too much. That building houses the hundreds of engineers, technicians, and test riders for KTM. When it’s time to design any motorcycle bearing the name Super, you’d better bet everyone in that building will make damn sure it lives up to its title. In this case the bike is the 2022 1290 Super Adventure R. Too much is never enough for KTM, but is enough for them too much for mere mortals?

KTM revised the 1290 Super Adventure models for 2022 with minor updates to the engine and major changes to the chassis. There’s an updated user interface with a new dash and switch gear. This bike is the most refined Super Adventure to date, and I have to say it looks great as long as you don’t face it head-on; that’s a face only KTM could love.

So what is the criteria for a “Super” model designation? One thing: a 1,301cc LC8 75-degree V-twin. This particular example cranks out a claimed 160 hp and 102 pound-feet of torque. On the Cycle World dyno, the Super Adventure R produced 132.3 hp at 9,200 rpm and 87.5 pound-feet at 7,000 rpm at the rear tire.

KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure R weighs in at 506 pounds dry and 545 pounds when the 6.1-gallon tank is filled to the cap. (Jeff Allen/)

Those weren’t easy numbers to hit; KTM had to maintain previous levels of performance while achieving Euro 5 compliance. It started by reducing friction with revised oil routing, diamond-like coating on the camshaft followers, and Grafal anti-friction coating on the piston skirts. New stick coils fire two spark plugs per cylinder. The cooling system is now more efficient, with two separate tall and narrow radiators rather than one large single unit.

Changes to the exhaust and intake tracts also contribute to the SAR’s continued power level. A new airbox, accessible by removing the small storage box ahead of the fuel filler, has been fitted with a vertically ribbed filter to clear sand to the bottom rather than trapping it in horizontal slats. The exhaust system gets new head pipes connected to a hydroformed collector with twin catalytic converters and feeding into a new stainless twin tip muffler.

A new stainless steel muffler caps off a completely revised exhaust system on the 1290 Super Adventure R. (Jeff Allen/)

Screw the ride-by-wire throttle to its stop and you’ll instantly receive confirmation that Euro 5 regulations do nothing to mute the bombastic power of the Super Adventure R. It may not boast the highest output in the ADV segment, but the LC8′s forceful torque hit, followed by a rush of horsepower up to the 10,500-rpm redline, is one of the most satisfying power deliveries in all of adventuredom.

Select Sport mode on the slick, bright 7-inch TFT screen and you get every bit of the LC8′s fury complete with snappy throttle response. Even with that quick delivery, the fueling is neither jerky nor twitchy, a wonderful trait to have while leaned over on a bike with long-travel suspension and knobby tires. The Sport setting does allow some rear wheelspin from KTM’s lean-sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), so add a few more bucks to your tire budget. Street mode still gives the rider full power, but the delivery is less immediate as throttle response is turned down from 11 to a reasonable 8. Rain does what rain modes do; power is muted, traction control is at maximum nanny, and throttle response is as mellow as Manilow.

Sport mode unleashes the entirety of the 1290 SAR’s power. (Jeff Allen/)

There are options for dirt duty as well: One is standard equipment; one is a $174.99 dealer-installed option. Offroad mode is standard issue and highly effective on most dirt roads and two-track. This mode lets the rear tire spin twice as fast as the front for easy control of yaw on dirt roads. Additionally, the mode switches the Bosch 10.3 ME combined ABS into a highly effective off-road setting that retains antilock function at the front while disabling it at the rear. Cornering functions of ABS and MTC are also disabled in this mode. Overall, the Offroad mode is great. But if you’re looking to extract every bit of performance and dirt-slinging potential from the Super Adventure R, spend the extra dough on the Rally pack. Or, ultimately, go truly big with the $749.99 Tech package, which includes the Rally package along with Motor Slip Regulation, Quickshifter+, and Hill Hold Control.

Off-road mode comes standard on the 1290 Super Adventure R and works well in most situations. (Jeff Allen/)

Rally is the most versatile and effective way to manage every electronic aid on the 1290 Super Adventure R. Set-and-forget works, but Rally lets you customize nearly every single parameter like throttle response, ABS, and rear wheel slip. Before you set off you can choose on- or off-road ABS and Sport, Street, Offroad, or Rally throttle response. On the road or trail, a click of a thumb or index finger moves the rear traction or slip though nine levels, 9 being the most restrictive and 1 the least. You can dial-a-slide on the fly; what a wonderful time to be alive.

An optional Rally mode allows you to exploit the Super Adventure R’s full dirt potential. (Jeff Allen/)

With so much power on tap, levels 1 and 2 allow the rear tire to get rowdy in the dirt and come around quickly—almost too quickly. I found 3, 4, and 5 worked most effectively in controlling the swing of the pendulum; level 5 worked great on the road as well.

With so much power in the dirt, steering with the rear wheel is a blast, and it works. But to do so you need a front end that gives you confidence in its ability to stay put and react quickly when needed. KTM has reconfigured the Super Adventure R’s chassis to do just that. At the front the steering head has been moved 15mm rearward on the chrome-molybdenum trellis frame for additional maneuverability and response. The front engine mount has been rotated two degrees forward for increased stability and front tire contact. Additionally, the swingarm is now 15mm longer for better traction and tracking. It all works; choose your mark, swing the rear end out, get your upper body over the front, and know that all 545 pounds of a fully fueled SAR are going to go where you want them.

Front tire confidence has been increased with changes to the SAR’s chrome-moly frame. (Jeff Allen/)

In tight corners, sitting down and railing the inside is possible, but you’ll notice the bike’s heft. However, that feeling is reduced from previous models, thanks to a three-piece 6.1-gallon tank and a saddle configuration that moves most of the fuel and weight lower and to the sides of the chassis as on KTM’s midsize 890 Adventure. Not only does this centralize the mass of the SAR, it also makes for a thinner “tank” area between your knees while standing up. It’s much easier to get the rider’s weight forward when needed; at the same time, side-to-side movement is less strenuous. Simply put, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R’s handling belies its considerable mass and physical size.

The engine is now partially surrounded by the new 6.1-gallon fuel tank. (Jeff Allen/)

That physical size does help when on the road by delivering a mostly comfortable experience. The reach to the bars is long but relaxed, and the width of those bars allows for plenty of leverage for quick and authoritative inputs. The seat height has been lowered to 34.6 inches, great for those of us with shorter inseams; however, this does reduce the seat-to-footpeg measurement, and your legs may feel a bit cramped. No worries. Just stand up for a bit during long road rides. Still, for me, the first change would be a taller seat.

Dakar hero Quinn Cody was brought in to help KTM rework the WP-supplied Xplor suspension. A 48mm fork features split function; one leg controls compression damping while the other controls rebound. Both legs have an external preload adjuster with three positions. The PDS (progressive damping system) shock also features an external preload adjustment as well as compression and rebound damping.

Preload adjustment of the WP Xplor PDS shock is easy with a knob located on the left side of the Super Adventure R. (Jeff Allen/)

On the road, both fork and shock provide a supple feel that soaks up nearly any pavement flaws; balance front to rear is achieved without the egregious fore and aft weight transfer that often happens on heavy bikes with long-travel suspensions. Here the travel is 220mm, or 8.7 inches, front and rear. Increasing the compression by two clicks front and rear firmed up the ride and allowed me to ride as aggressively as I dared, with chunky Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tires on cobbled backroads.

On the road, the Super Adventure R is a competent handler despite chunky adventure tires and a 21-inch front wheel. (Jeff Allen/)

Get off the road and it’s quickly clear KTM and Cody did their homework on the SAR’s suspension settings. It certainly seems that a motorcycle weighing over a quarter ton shouldn’t be as controlled over rough terrain as the Super Adventure R. While the bike isn’t quite at the phenomenal level of the 890 Adventure R, I would stake several paychecks that not one of the large ADVs currently on the market could hang with the 1290 R in the dirt. More than once I laughed in incredulity while slamming through water bars, small whoops, and massive rock fields. You’ll absolutely use all the travel, but when you do, the 1290 R flies straight and true to your mark. During these maneuvers the chain slaps loudly on the bottom of the swingarm and the centerstand smashes into the earth with a thunk-thunk. Still, there’s that familiar feel of KTM’s racy EXC-F dual sport wrapped in extra everything.

Ride hard in the dirt and you will find the end of the SAR’s WP Xplor suspension, but overall the action is well suited for nearly any adventure you may encounter. (Jeff Allen/)

Yes, it’s a beast and a bruiser. But this Super Adventure R is also more refined than before. The new 7-inch TFT dash is massive, slick, and well thought out. Animations and images clearly relay what happens when you make setting changes, and the light-sensitive display is easy to read at speed. Cruise control works just as it should, although it would have been nice to get the S model’s adaptive unit on the R; shredders like to relax too. Clutchless up- and downshifts from the Quickshifter+ are fast and precise thanks to a new aluminum shift drum and bronze coated shift forks. The LED lighting is bright, and turning LEDs light the inside of dark mountain corners for added confidence.

LED headlights and cornering lights are bright and effective when you have traveled too far to reach home before dark. (Jeff Allen/)

So KTM’s largest and most powerful Adventure continues to impress as it again raises the off-road bar while remaining a competent road mount. God help whatever stands between the 1290 Super Adventure R and its next fuel stop. The SAR will blast through the toughest adventures and ask, “Is that all you got? What’s next?”

KTM has successfully squeezed more from its most.

Where to next? The 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is a willing adventure partner. (Jeff Allen/)

2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Specifications

MSRP:	$19,499
N/AEngine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled LC8 V-twin; 4-valve
Displacement:	1,301cc
Bore x Stroke:	108.0 x 71.0mm
Compression Ratio:	13.1:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	132.3 hp @ 9,200 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	87.5 lb.-ft. @ 7,000 rpm
Fuel System:	Electronic fuel injection w/ 52mm throttle bodies
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate, PASC slipper function; hydraulically actuated
Engine Management/Ignition:	Keihin, ride-by-wire
Frame:	Chromoly steel trellis
Front Suspension:	WP Xplor 48mm inverted fork; fully adjustable; 8.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	WP Xplor PDS monoshock; fully adjustable, 8.7 in. travel
Front Brake:	4-piston radial-mount Brembo calipers, dual 320mm discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	2-piston Brembo caliper, 267mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Aluminum; 21 x 2.5 in. / 18 x 4.25 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41; 90/90-21 / 150/70-18
Rake/Trail:	25.3°/4.4 in.
Wheelbase:	62.1 in. (1,570mm)
Ground Clearance:	9.5 in. (242mm)
Seat Height:	34.6 in. (880mm)
Fuel Capacity:	6.1 gal.
Average MPG:	34.0 mpg
Cycle World Measured Dry Weight:	505.6 lb.
Contact:	ktm.com

A 7-inch full-color TFT screen is clear and bright. (Jeff Allen/)
A manually adjustable 48mm WP Xplor fork features separate functions for compression and rebound. (Jeff Allen/)
During our testing we saw a 34.0-mpg average, giving the 1290 Super Adventure R a range of over 200 miles from the 6.1-gallon tank. (Jeff Allen/)
On the <i>Cycle World</i> dyno the 1290 Super Adventure R produced 132.3 hp at 9,200 rpm—the seat of our pants confirms those numbers. (Jeff Allen/)
Despite weighing more than 500 pounds, the 1290 Super Adventure R can be thrown around. (Jeff Allen/)
Standing up on the 1290 Super Adventure R reveals a slim seat and tank thanks to the new three-piece fuel tank. (Jeff Allen/)
In Sport mode, things get blurry quickly. (Jeff Allen/)
Being able to choose the level of traction control on the fly in Rally mode is worth the extra cost. (Jeff Allen/)

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