WELCOME BOOST BOOST

NLY TWO YEARS AGO, KTM LAUNCHED their 790 Adventure. Funnily enough, I rode the R version for the first time at Sweet Lamb, Wales, KTM’s dedicated 6,600-acre off-road school. Fast forward to 2021 and I am back again at Sweet Lamb to ride the all-new 890 Adventure and Adventure R models.

KTM had to meet Euro-5 emission standards and increasing capacity was the simplest solution, especially as the 890 platform already existed in the KTM range. The hike in capacity means an increase in power, up by 10 hp to 105 hp and a 12 Nm increase in torque. However, the larger engine and other related changes such as a new exhaust system have increased the weight, too, which is now seven kilograms more than the previous model.

KTM have not just dropped a bigger engine into the older 790 chassis. The electronics and rider aids have been updated with a new six-axis IMU, improved cornering ABS, and traction control. The quality WP suspension receives a new rear shock (non-R model) and there is better braking to deal with the 890’s extra weight.

We have two models on test: the standard 890 Adventure and the off-road biased 890 Adventure R. The R and the standard model share the same off-road biased wheels