GasGas EC250F, Husqvarna Norden 901, KTM 390 Adventure
While the Isle of Man is known globally for the incredible spectacle of the TT Races, it has also been colloquially referred to over the years as the ‘Mecca of motorcycling’, and this hasn’t just been because of the road racing that has been taking place on the roads of Mona’s Isle since 1907. In short, it is a truly wonderful place to ride a motorcycle.
There need be no excuse for booking a ferry over to the Island, but if you really need to have one, then there are plenty to choose from. And let us add another. Even when racing is taking place on the 37.73-mile Mountain Circuit, there’s a varied array of roads to choose from upon which to ride your motorcycle, and not all of them are metalled surfaces, as there’s a mixed bag of legal off-road routes that take you to some of the Island’s most beautiful places, with the rather convenient side effect being that some of them end up at truly mind-boggling viewing spots for the racing.
We talk more about the actual riding of the trails on our video (there’s a QR code on the last page), but here we only really have space to talk about the bikes that we used on our trip – a triumvirate of internally-combusted Pierer Mobility Group two-wheelers, plus a couple of their electrically-assisted pedal-powered brethren. And while the three motorcycles come from three companies all under the same umbrella, they are about as diverse a collection of trail-suitable machinery can be. From mild-mannered, to feisty, and downright rude, they’re as close to covering the broad spectrum of off-road bikes as is possible with such a small number of machines, and yet each is as flexible and forgiving as each other. Impressive, and eye-opening. Read on…
KTM390 ADVENTURE
On the face of it, the little Katoom might seem to be the least suitable of these three for trail riding, what with it appearing to be very much a road machine with adventure bike styling. Of course, this is KTM, and while they have a very distinctive style, there is also the ‘Ready to race’ ethos of the brand, which nigh on guarantees a certain level of capability of all of their machines, regardless of where it is that they are made. This, like all of the Austrian brand’s smaller machines, is made in the Far East thanks to the company’s links with Bajaj, but don’t let that fool you into thinking any less of the smaller-capacity models.
The little Adventure was also fitted with what looked to be very road-biased tyres, with the appropriately-named Michelin Anakee Adventure rubber being of a tread pattern that suggests road use only. Well, prepare to be surprised, as the 390 coped with all manner of off-road shenanigans, with only an element of moisture overwhelming the tyres, despite it having a 19-inch front wheel rather than the more traditional 21-inch rim associated with more pukka off-road machinery.
Naturally, with it being a KTM, the spec hasn’t really been neglected despite where it’s built, as evidenced by WP forks (with the
