Jeff's been looking to replace his DR650 for something lighter and better sprung for dirt travel, and the lure of KTM's new 790 Adventure R proved irresistible. In fact, it's been at the top of my list as well, to the point that on one dreadful snow day at the end of February, both Jeff and I had independently decided to head to the local KTM dealer to each put down a deposit on a bike. While I got stuck in traffic on the unplowed roads, Jeff made it all the way and lightened his wallet by $1000, bike unseen.
A few weekends later, Jeff, Pete and I decided to drive down to Montreal together to visit the season's final motorcycle show before spring (theoretically) arrives. This was Pete's and Jeff's first show, so I found it amusing to watch their reactions to the all goatees, bellies, patches, leather, and tight jeans of the Montreal show crowd. Nevertheless, as this was a manufacturers shows, it was an excellent opportunity for us to see the full range of offerings from each brand. We bee-lined straight to the KTM stand to see what Jeff had committed himself to buying.
The KTM rep told us this was actually a pre-production prototype, one of very few that KTM has made available for display in North America. Although most of the bits are final for production, some parts, like the plastics, were still being finalized and the ones on display didn't fully represent the expected fit and finish. For instance, the protective shrouds around the lower section of the gas tank flapped around more than I'd expect, and would likely vibrate against the tank in the wind or on rough terrain. More bracing and/or stiffer plastics in this area would be needed. As for the tank itself, it seems pretty sturdy and I'm not yet convinced that the lower sections pose any real risk of damage from typical dual sport riding.
Sitting on the 790 (I'm just over 6' tall), I was surprised at how low it felt compared to my WR250R. For all the on-line speculation about the 790 being too tall, I have to say in practice it feels quite good. The standing position seems excellent, and there's tons of room to move around, forwards, and backwards on the bike. If anything, the lower seat may make the leg position seem a little cramped for extended periods of sitting. Even with soft bags mounted, I got the sense there will be tons of room to move around. There a good comparo of different KTMs, including the 790, here.
The rep told us that the bike sounds amazing (although he would not officially admit to starting it, since KTM prohibited that), with a lower growl compared to similar engines. No power parts seem to be available at the moment, but are coming soon. I'd opt for a beefier skid plate (the OEM design seems pretty flimsy) and the Akropovic exhaust.
As for availability, we learned that in 2019 Canada is getting about 100 units of the Adventure in three shipments (not sure of mix between regular Adventure and the R), with the first to arrive in mid spring and the last in the early fall. At CAD$14,599 for the R, all are apparently already spoken for, but it's not clear to me what this means in practice. When I called my Ottawa KTM dealer about availability, I was told by the lead sales guy that I would be the first to put down a deposit, although perhaps Jeff has since claimed that local honor. My understanding is that dealers have all bought their individual allotments, so if you want a bike, your local dealer may need to get one from another dealer who still has stock. You'll want to act fast, as this bike is likely to sell out early.
The 790 Adventure R attracted a lot of attention at the show, and deservedly so. I've decided to wait a year before throwing down the cash, and may even go for an Africa Twin instead until the reliability of the 790 is established. Part of my equation is the proven reliability and availability of parts for the Honda, which is important to me given my access to dealers and where I ride.
It was notable at the show how much Yamaha completely bungled their launch of the Tenere T7 World Raid--in theory the only contender to the KTM in the middleweight category. Yamaha really had nothing of note in the dualsport category at their booth--not even a display of the World Raid. Most of the bikes on display seemed to be older models, besides the Niken at center stage. Engineering wizardry aside, I simply can't get past how horrendously complex, ungainly, and heavy-looking this bike seems to be. I can't imagine it'll garner any significant sales in the US, never mind in Canada. Servicing it seems like it would entail endless disassembly to get to the important bits, and I imagine that any dealer service tech would balk at such a daunting (and unprofitable) task.
One other note: While at the show, the three of us decided to buy new helmet communicators, opting for the uClear Motion 6 to replace our ancient Sena SMH10 systems. I've installed and set up my uClear already and it sounds much better than the Sena, but the real test of its mesh networking capabilities will come this spring when the three of us can ride together.
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