The Motorcycle That Can Make A Cross-Country Trip Feel Like An Adventure
Most riders think of a cross-country trip like cruising from point A to Point B on paved asphalt, with fuel stops calculated well in advance. That’s how a proper plan sounds on paper, until reality hits. Somewhere along the way, the road climbs into a mountain pass and the pavement thins out into gravel and rocky terrain. Most riders aren’t ready for that part, and neither are most motorcycles. Some bikes offer good comfort on asphalt but give up the moment the pavement ends. Others can roll over both kinds of road, but take a backseat when it comes to providing comfort while racking up serious miles. However, there’s one such bike that offers the best of both worlds, and checks every box.
Cross Country Adventure Requires Capability With Comfort
Unpredictable roads ask for two things: comfort that doesn’t wear a rider down, and enough capability to handle whatever shows up. Few motorcycles offer either quality. Take cruisers, for instance. They are fantastic machines when it comes to racking up hundreds of miles without punishing the rider, but they are designed for riding on paved asphalt. Once that ends, the same size and low-slung chassis, which offered comfort, turns into a liability.
For that purpose, most riders turn their heads towards more versatile motorcycles. And when we talk about versatile motorcycles, adventure motorcycles take center stage. These might look like a complete package, but there’s a trade-off here too that no one talks about.
Not All ADVs Are Ready For This Adventure
While adventure motorcycles may look like a perfect deal for cross-country trips, they do come with a compromise. Some ADVs almost guarantee the comfort approach, but rarely bring true off-road prowess. Others stick to the old-school idea of offering a dirt-bike-like experience, but trade off the comfort factor. All that said, there are only a few such ADVs that successfully combine long-haul comfort with uncompromised off-road capability, ensuring the rider doesn’t worry when the pavement ends.
One fitting all these categories will surely be hard to find, but we have made your search a bit easier: here’s one exciting motorcycle that fits this space perfectly.
The KTM 1390 Super Adventure R Has A Cross-Country-Ready Arsenal
This is the exact spot where the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R comes into the spotlight. This latest-generation KTM replaces the older 1290 lineup and brings more displacement and more tech, which helps it focus on doing cross-country trips without compromising on any factor. It carries the brand’s rally-raid DNA into a package built around premium suspension tuned for off-road use, backed by a stiffened chassis that handles the extra power without losing composure the moment you leave the pavement.
Surprisingly Good Value At $21,649
While flagship European adventure bikes regularly cross the $25,000 mark, the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R comes in at a surprisingly competitive MSRP of $21,649. At that price, this Austrian machine undercuts several rivals by a significant margin, without compromising on modern electronics or off-road performance.
In fact, in some instances, the KTM shines brighter than its rivals. Compared to fully loaded rivals from Ducati and BMW, this KTM feels like it is built to answer the exact gap the segment has struggled to close. But price alone doesn’t win cross-country arguments — the engine has to back it up. And the 1390 R’s motor is where the real story gets interesting.
The 75-Degree V-Twin Delivers Class-Leading Performance
For the 1390 Super Adventure, KTM bumped the displacement to a full 1,350cc from the 1,301cc of the 1290 Super Adventure. With that bump, the 75-degree V-twin now pumps out 170 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. This places the 1390 among the most powerful ADVs on the market.
None of that comes at the cost of rideability, either, thanks to KTM’s new Camshift technology. The inlet camshafts run variable valve timing, keeping the engine smooth and tractable at lower speeds before switching to a high-lift profile, unlocking a completely different character from the motorcycle. To manage the added grunt, the six-speed gearbox is mated to a heavy-duty PASC slipper clutch, routing power to the rear wheel via a traditional chain drive. Throw in the optional quickshifter, and you can flick through the gearbox effortlessly without reaching for the lever.
A 21-Inch Front Wheel And Rally-Tuned WP Suspension That Rivals Can’t Match
The 1390 Super Adventure R is underpinned by a steel trellis frame that balances rigidity and flex. WP XPLOR handles the suspension duties, featuring a 48mm inverted fork at the front and a fully adjustable monoshock with progressive damping system at the rear. The premium suspension easily soaks up rocks, ruts, and potholes, so the rider doesn’t have to worry after the pavement ends and the rough terrain starts.
The ADV rolls on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked tires. Brembo assists the braking duties with dual 320mm front discs with radial four-piston fixed calipers and a 267mm rear disc with a two-piston fixed caliper. It gets both cornering ABS and steering damper as standard.
Radar-Assisted Group Riding And An 8-Inch Touchscreen Set A New Bar For ADV Tech
KTM doesn’t compromise on modern-day tech when it comes to Super Adventure models. And the 1390 R keeps that tradition alive. The cockpit features a huge eight-inch portrait-style TFT touchscreen. On the electronics front, it offers lean-sensitive traction control, cruise control, keyless ignition, cornering ABS, and a tire pressure monitor. It also gets five standard ride modes that cover Rain, Street, Off-Road, Sport, and Custom, while a Rally mode is also available as an optional upgrade.
The Austrian brand also offers Hill Hold Control, Quickshifter Plus and a front radar unit as accessories. The front radar is used for adaptive cruise control, which is something far more interesting to mention here. It has a feature called ‘Group Riding’ mode, which tracks the vehicle ahead with a lateral offset instead of tracking the vehicle directly in front.
An ‘S’ Variant Brings Automatic Convenience
Riders less interested in the off-road-focused 1390 R can opt for the more road-biased 1390 Super Adventure S EVO. It shares the same engine and power figures, but brings a more road-biased suspension setup for street use. What’s more interesting is that it offers KTM’s Automated Manual Transmission for clutch-free shifting. Comfort, Street, and Sport modes are present to let you tweak the shift aggression, while there’s also a manual mode that gives you full control via the foot lever. This feature helps make life much easier during long days in the saddle.
The Super Adventure 1390 R Beats Its Rivals In All-Round Capability
As the Super Adventure 1390 R undercuts its rivals by a big margin, many might think that it compromises on some functionality. While there are a few big names that compete against the 1390 R, the most relevant ones are the BMW R 1300 GS, Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally, and the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro.
The Multistrada V4 Rally is undoubtedly one of the most feature-rich bikes in the segment, but it is also one of the most expensive ones. Apart from the pricing factor, the Multistrada uses a 19-inch front wheel, unlike the 21-inch wheel offered with the 1390 R. The smaller wheel limits its performance on rough terrain.
The BMW R 1300 GS Adventure remains the segment’s default choice for many riders, with its own loyal following and boxer-twin character. But it also rolls on a smaller 19-inch front wheel and produces even less power, while commanding around a $2,000 premium over the KTM.
The Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro goes toe-to-toe with the KTM 1390 R. While the British motorcycle costs a similar amount to its KTM rival, it still has a smaller displacement, producing less power. This makes the KTM Super Adventure 1390 R an ideal bike for travel, without letting you feel stressed on any terrain when the need arises.
Source: KTM USA
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