Guys! We’d like you to come along to the KTM Adventure Rally this year! Tell you what!
We’ll throw in the new KTM 1390R Adventure for you to use…
Well – OK then! You’ve convinced us and we loaded up the riding gear and headed to the Champaign Sports Hotel Resort for a weekend of fun.
The who’s who of KTM South Africa were on hand to say hello with dealers from across SA climbing in to make the weekend a success.
It’s all about Camaraderie – old friends, new friends – all with a love of adventure machines – specifically of the Orange Variety.
On the first evening of the weekend (Thursday), GPS routes were loaded and the inimitable Joey Evans was on hand to grease the wheels and let riders know what was to be expected for the weekend.
The brand new KTM 1390 Adventure R was unveiled with a brief rundown of the new machine from the KTM technical crew. We’ll tell you more about that bike soon, but it’s quite simply amazing to see the new models that this manufacturer is churning out. The new 1390 is basically a whole new bike and we got to spend Friday in the saddle.
There was laughter and fun as spot prizes were given out, all followed by a sumptuous dinner.
A great catchup for KTM riders from all over the country.
It rained a lot that evening… more than one or two riders were heard discussing the potentially slippery conditions on the weekend…
Friday dawned to the 6am sonorous roar of a big V-Twin starting up and heading out to check the routes. Riders gathered and our bike was allocated. Thankfully the sun was shining. Also, thankfully, the planned route was a green, easy, scenic ride through the surrounding Drakensberg mountains.
Climbing aboard the new 1390 was interesting.
It feels familiar but different.
Smaller than the 1290.
Lower to the ground. More – dare we say compact?
Time would tell. We tickled the starter and headed for the ginormous KTM Arch where the riders would head out for the day. We stopped to get the pics of the start to the soundtrack of rolling thunder as riders headed out under an azure African sky.
The route led out from the hotel for a short tar liaison to a gravel road that wound its way up into the forests.
Gulp! Forest. Shade. Wet, muddy roads and a bike that costs more than three times what we paid for our first house. No worries though, selecting modes on this bike is all really simple – and on the fly. A large button on the right bar allows a rider to select between five main ride modes, Rain, Street, Sport, Offroad, and Custom all designed to adjust throttle response, power output, and traction control for varied terrain. An optional Rally mode is also available, providing an even more advanced 9-level slip adjustment for specialized off-road riding .
We chose rain mode, hold the button for 3 seconds and she engages your choice. The power changes between the modes are immediately noticeable and in this case, the big beasty was seriously governed in order to take on the slick stuff.
It was a good choice – you know when you see that shiny surface in the shade? Even the semi dirt Dunlops fitted were no match for that stuff – it was a complete slip fest – all the while with the rider holding on whispering “Please don’t let me be the first to bin the newest Adventure.”
Anyway, we survived – more credit to the new bike than any form of rider skill… Some were not so lucky though, that slippery corner caught a few riders out. We saw one guy go down in the rear view mirrorsand another slip with a pillion on the back.
Thankfully, it was impossible to go fast, so there were no injuries.
All good things come to an end and after a seriously butt clenching series of rutted slippery forest roads, lots of laughs and riders helping each other through, the trails opened up into wide, dry gravel roads.
Off-road mode was engaged and we made great friends with the newest KTM.
This is what this bike is made for. She simply sings along.
The new suspension works a treat, the CG is low and she simply chews up the miles – a perfect ride experience, the reason you ride a motorcycle, literally a perfect few hours of riding. There’s a song in your head as the Drakensberg views wow you after every turn.
We had to stop to take in views of the rivers and streams – and the Sterkfontein Dam is always something special to see…
All along the kids lined the roads to say hello and beg for a sweet.
As you’d expect, the 1390 donk is a monster, but it’s really down to the rider. If you want to chill she’ll happily lug you around, get excited and crack the throttle – well hold tight, KTM’s mantra of “Ready To Race” becomes apparent.
And it did catch us out a few times. You get up to speed and before you know it – you’ve missed the turn because you are not focussed on your GPS. This led to several U-Turns, often on narrow slippery gravel which, once again proved just how KTM has managed to make the worlds biggest capacity Adventure machine surprisingly maneuverable. Sure you need to take it easy, but the bike is not overly tall, so several “Olifant Draai’s”,wrong turns and forays down incorrect footpaths were negotiated.
We hit several sections of badly pot-holed gravel roads – some of the holes unavoidable… and you know what it’s like… when you hit them, you get that sinking feeling in your gut. We’ll need to go and see exactly what KTM has done with the suspension on this bike, but sure it’s never cool to klap them, but the bike continued on unphased.
Lunch was up at the Border Post on Oliviershoek Pass – there’s a cool little restaurant up there – stop in if you are in the area – their burgers are proper.
From the lunch stop, we hooked up with another rider. A very fast, talented rider.
We swapped bikes (He was on a smaller, slightly lower capacity bike) a few times as we headed down towards Geluksburg and back towards home base.
This was his first time on the new 1390 and it was great to watch him fling the bike around. We swapped notes, took pics and had another great afternoon in the saddle. Swapping bikes, you start to understand how much effort and attention KTM has paid to the new machine. Riding the bikes back to back really gives you a better perspective.
KTM has done an amazing job on the 1390 Adventure R. Sure, we didn’t have the opportunity for any long distance tar travel – but as an adv companion for the gravel – well if you get a gap, go and ride one.
Personally, I’ve never been wooed by the 1290R. For me, that bike has always been too big, too brash – a bike that if you aren’t careful will bully you, made for a racer.
The 1390 is still raw and undeniably KTM, but it’s almost as though KTM’s biggest ADV R has come of age.
It’s more comfortable and easier to ride.
It’s still, absolutely a powerhouse to be reckoned with, but KTM has just reinvented it and made it easier to control and live with.
We had a chat about the bike just after the ride. You can view that in the vid below.
Fridays dinner was a festive affair. The bench racing got faster, the prizes flowed and a great get-together was enjoyed.
It’s a seriously social event and riders were filled in on what they could expect for the next day’s adventure. A green route, similar to what we’d enjoyed on that day – or, if you were feeling tough, you were welcome to sample the much shorter Red route…
Saturday:
So. We’ve ridden red adv routes before on events like the CDBA and EDBA – how bad could it be?
We’ll say this:
Much respect to everyone who dragged their big ADV machines up and down the mountains that we rode. There are some seriously talented riders out there. We were very grateful to have traded the 1390 for KTM’ smallest, the 390 Rally.
While the peeps with more common sense headed out onto the green routes, the Red route soon turned off the big roads onto footpaths that wound their way through the mountains.
We got the jump on many of the guys and planted ourselves firmly on one of the climbs for a while – just to watch the fun. Some peeps aced it all, others sort of huffed and puffed their way up the mountain. It was epic!
It was also seriously cool to see KTM South Africa’s MD getting into the mix and riding the 1390 with the boys.
Even though the route was shorter it took a lot longer as riders were treated to the sheer beauty that you don’t get to see on the big roads.
Quite simply, glorious.
We traversed rivers, rode through Dongas and up and over the mountains. A workout for sure, but so worthwhile. The 390 is a fantastic little machine with a big heart… you just need to remember to engage the correct rider modes for stuff like this.
Willing hands always helped any stragglers – it seriously was an adventure. Strangers become friends and everyone shares the love of motorcycles.
Our route took us up into the forests surrounding the resort, with views for days, steep climbs, slippery ascents. It sure beat watching Netflx.
Eventually we wound our way back down to the resort and it was time for the Ron Bailey Challenge…
A Zig-Zag racetrack was bunted off on the entrance lawn and was just waiting for a victim or two.
Victim?
Well with all the rain, the track was initially green and verdant, but it eventually turned into something of a mudbath…
It was seriously entertaining as participants were paired off and lined up during the shootouts. Big 950’s vs little 390’s, 690’s vs 1290’s, dyed in the wool racers vs social riders and even a rider with a pillion!
One brave lady for sure.
Man it was fun!
The red mist came down. Make no mistake, this was serious business. We saw riders slide out going up the hill. Others slid off coming down, some even took the line into their opposition’s track… Some ploughed the fields for the next crop of maize, others spent time looking for their contact lenses…
It soon became apparent that sheer horsepower was not going to win the day. The eventual winner found himself a 390 with knobbly tyres – and he took the win.
Alfie Cox is still one of the fastest riders out there. You need to get up very early to beat him.
Closing the festival out on Saturday evening was a festive affair with dealers and riders letting their hair down. It had been a great weekend of riding, no injuries, nobody was lost and everyone had smiles as wide as the Drakensberg sky.
Prizes were awarded – Alfie won himself a Tork Craft Tool kit which he promptly donated to the races runner up and…
Oh yes!
KTM gave a brand new bike away. The last time this happened was at a Rally – a long time ago.
Willem Van Schalkwyk won himself a brand new KTM390 Adventure X.
How cool is that!
