If you need a great big dollop of excitement in your life, then there are few bikes in the 900 ADV class that deliver quite as much of that as KTM’s 890…
In all the years that we’ve been reviewing and riding ADV machines, there’s one bike that always ends up being the hooligan in the class – and that’s still true today. That brand is KTM. if there’s a bike that’s going to be railing the berms, or up on the back wheel – you can bet your ass that nine out of ten times, that bike is orange. They simply do not do conservative.
KTM are pioneers.
In 2019, KTM introduced their all-new adventure bike, the 790 Adventure, a machine that was pretty ground-breaking because, while the other manufacturers were looking for a way to counter BMW’s GS world domination, the 790 started a whole new trend.
In 2023, KTM upped the game with the introduction of the 890 Adventure and 890 Adventure R
We had the R for more than a week just a few days ago – and we took the opportunity to hop into the saddle as often as we could. You can read Seans feature on what he thinks about it as a day to day ride on the street here, but this story is what it’s like to ride the bike in adventure terrain.
At last year SDBA adventure event, we were super impressed to see what the guys were doing with the 890s. In the correct hands, you can ride it like a dirtbike. It’s not overly large, it feels light and it is really nimble.
It’s also significantly more powerful than the 790 because the larger capacity, new pistons and new throttle bodies deliver a lot more power and more importantly much more torque, with a very similar small feel chassis.
And that’s what makes it so cool.
In an ADV class that’s packed with great machines the 890 Adventure R does stand out with an exciting engine that makes you smile every time you ride it.
The R is fitted with Mitas Enduro Trail rubber, which in itself says a lot. We’ve used these tyres before, most recently on a trip from The Cape to GP on the new Africa Twin, and we always come away impressed at how such aggressive tread pattern handles tar riding so well.
Riding position is also quite racey in terms of the seat height to the pegs. You don’t get a huge amount of wind protection compared to the more road oriented ADV machines, which adds to the pureness or ADV feel of the bike.
The TFT dash is intuitive and easy to use and includes turn-by-turn navigation and a phone call out feature that will allow you to save ten of your favourite contacts.
Cool huh!
Yes, it’s really accomplished, fun and plenty comfortable on the road, but unlike a bike like – shall we say the Triumph that we featured last week, it leans really heavily towards gravel abuse. And abuse is the correct word. It’s more like a big enduro bike than a middleweight ADV machine. A combination of that engine combined with a low CG thanks to the low slung fuel tanks and long travel WP suspension just makes it perfectly suited to the rougher stuff.
Talking suspension, up front there’s a pair of 48mm WP XPlor USD forks, with separate fork function that allows for adjustment of both compression and rebound damping, and at the rear it’s a similarly adjustable centrally mounted XPlor PDS shock with preload adjustment).
Both ends give a massive 240 mm of travel and make it quite the weapon for trying silly things in the dirt. Those 20 litre fuel tanks also ensure that you’ll go far between fill ups.
The torque laden 889cc parallel twin is what makes it all happen. It’s perfect for the road with lots of acceleration and excitement, without ever becoming too manic. The KTM branded Galfer brakes offer a huge amount of power and feel, so when you need to slow down, they keep you sorted.
When/if you need to tone things down a bit, KTM has very kindly included rider modes for you, so, bumbling along through the traffic at civilised speeds is also a lot of fun..
The range of adjustability in Rally mode is perfect for the dirt nuts among us, and the comforts like cruise control and that quickshifter are considered essentials for long distance travel.
There are some pretty impressive deals being offered by KTM on the 890 Adventure R right now in the RSA.
KTM offers a four year warranty. That should give any buyer serious peace of mind. A while back, you’d need to spring some extra cash for the optional tech pack – that now comes complete with your purchase AND they are offering a R20 000 deal assist.
Engine size | 889cc |
Engine type | Liquid-cooled parallel twin |
Frame type | Tubular steel frame |
Fuel capacity | 20 litres |
Seat height | 880mm |
Bike weight | 196kg |
Front suspension | 48mm fully adjustable WP XPLOR-USD forks |
Rear suspension | WP XPLOR PDS Shock absorber |
Front brake | 2 x 320mm discs with four piston radial calipers and cornering |
Rear brake | 260mm disc with single-piston caliper and cornering ABS |
Front tyre size | 90/90 x 21 |
Rear tyre size | 150/70 x 18 |
