More hardcore 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R announced
The new 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R features a redesigned chassis, bodywork, lighter internals, and a new PANKL gearbox
THE hardest of the big-bore off-roaders has just been given a significant makeover for 2021, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is revealed.
2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
The ‘R’ version of the big KTM has long been lauded as the adventure bike of choice for those looking for the ultimate in dirt-based shenanigans. And it’s not just marketing hype either. The latest 1290 engine in the 2021 bike is a distant cousin of the engines that powered the firm's Dakar race machines in the early 2000s.
Fast forward to the present day and Euro5 certification is the order of the day, although the Austrian adventurists haven’t just been content with cleaning up the exhaust gases.
For starters, the new bike is wearing heavily revised bodywork, and it’s not just for show. The new panels are there to improve the rider’s ergonomics when riding off-road. The frontal area is reduced, and the new 1290 is slimmer than before, aiding off-road riding.
Beneath the skin, the 2021 Super Adventure R has seen a raft of updates, with the new 160hp LC8 V-twin boasting a 1.6kg weight saving over the outgoing model. The Slimfast diet has been achieved thanks to new crankcases among other internal improvements.
The engine has also received an updated cooling system and fresh coatings for this year, with a new PANKL gearbox rounding out the engine’s mechanical updates.
As with any top-spec adventure bike, electronics are a big part of the deal. The traction control, slip regulation, stability control, and off-road ABS of the new bike have had a new load of zeros and ones poured into them.
Super Adventure R electronics
Standard:
Traction control | Rain mode |
Cornering ABS | Off-road ride mode |
Off-road ABS | Race on |
Cruise control | ATIR |
Street mode | TPMS |
Sport mode | MyRide connectivity |
Optional:
Rally pack
Rally riding mode |
MTC slip adjuster |
Adjustable throttle response |
Tech pack
Rally pack (all of the above) |
Motor slip regulation |
Hill hold control |
Quickshifter+ |
Adaptive brake light |
While we’re on the subject of electronics, the bike’s TFT dash has also been updated, with a larger 7”, full-colour, moveable display gracing the cockpit of the 2021 model.
The suspension is taken care of by WP with its top-spec XPlor kit providing 220mm of travel front and rear. It’s fully adjustable, as before, and allows for compression, rebound, preload adjustment on the front, and compression (high and low speed), rebound, and hydraulic preload at the rear. The braking system is provided by Brembo with 4-piston, radially mounted calipers and a 320 mm disc up front, and a single 2-piston, fixed caliper and 267 mm disc at the rear. It links into a Bosch 10.3ME Combined-ABS system that covers off the cornering ABS and off-road functionality.
For more information on the new bike, head over to: ktm.com
2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R specs
ENGINE TYPE | 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, V 75° |
DISPLACEMENT | 1,301 cc |
BORE / STROKE | 108 / 71 mm |
POWER | 118 kW (160 hp) @ 9,000 rpm |
TORQUE | 138 Nm @ 6,500 rpm |
COMPRESSION RATIO | 13.1:1 |
STARTER / BATTERY | Electric starter / 12V 11.2Ah |
TRANSMISSION | 6 gears |
FUEL SYSTEM | Keihin EFI (throttle body Ø 52 mm) |
CONTROL | 4 valves per cylinder / DOHC |
LUBRICATION | Pressure lubrication with 3 Eaton pumps |
ENGINE OIL | Motorex, SAE 10W-50 |
PRIMARY DRIVE | 40:76 |
FINAL DRIVE | 17:42 |
COOLING | Liquid cooling |
CLUTCH | PASC slipper clutch, hydraulically operated |
ENGINE MANAGEMENT / IGNITION | Keihin EMS with RBW and cruise control, double ignition |
TRACTION CONTROL | MTC (lean-angle sensitive, 4 modes, disengageable) |
CO2 (GRAM / KM) | 134 g/km |
FUEL CONSUMPTION | 5,7 l/100 km |
CHASSIS | |
FRAME | Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel trellis frame, powder coated |
SUBFRAME | Aluminium, powder coated |
HANDLEBAR | Aluminium, tapered, Ø 28 / 22 m |
FRONT SUSPENSION | WP XPLOR Upside-Down Ø 48 mm |
ADJUSTABILITY | Compression, rebound, preload |
REAR SUSPENSION | WP XPLOR shock absorber with PDS |
ADJUSTABILITY | Compression, rebound, preload |
SUSPENSION TRAVEL FRONT/REAR | 220MM/220MM |
FRONT BRAKE | 2 × Brembo 4-piston, radially mounted caliper, brake disc Ø 320 mm |
REAR BRAKE | Brembo 2-piston, fixed caliper, brake disc Ø 267 mm |
ABS | Bosch 10.3ME Combined-ABS (incl. Cornering ABS and OFFROAD mode) |
WHEELS FRONT/REAR | Forged aluminium rims with spokes 2,5 × 21" ; 4,25 × 18" |
TYRES FRONT/REAR | 90/90 21; 150/70 ZR 18 (OT Version: 90/90 × 21; 150/70 × 18) |
CHAIN | 525 X-ring |
SILENCER | Stainless steel silencer |
STEERING HEAD ANGLE | 64.7° |
TRAIL | 112.8 mm |
WHEEL BASE | 1,577 ± 15 mm |
GROUND CLEARANCE | 242 mm |
SEAT HEIGHT | 880 mm |
TANK CAPACITY | approx. 23 litres / 5 l reserve |
DRY WEIGHT | approx. 221 kg |
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
