Would you buy a KTM 890 Adventure despite some of the problems I've mentioned in this video? Sound off below. ⚡Things I LOVE: Suspension, Power, Electronics, Low COG, Crash Worthiness, Fuel Range ⚡Things I HATE: Engine Heat, Wind Buffeting, Engine Rattles, Starting Issues, Reliability Problems ⚡⚡BIKE BUILD:⚡⚡ ⚡Motoz Tires: pacificpowersports.com/ USE CODE BRM2024 ⚡Cyclops Lighting: tinyurl.com/2kaknpfn ⚡Mosko Backcountry 25L Panniers V2.5: tinyurl.com/2s433796 ⚡OutBack Motortek Racks: tinyurl.com/5n8we48e ⚡Mosko Backcountry Duffle: tinyurl.com/3upx78jf ⚡Rigg Gear TailBag: imp.i104546.net/VyQQdk ⚡Mosko Gnat Bar Bag: tinyurl.com/2veap7ss ⚡Mosko Backcountry Cinch Strap: tinyurl.com/bddnewz2 ⚡AXP Skid Plate: bit.ly/3UQspYF ⚡Tusk D-Flex Pro Handguards: bit.ly/3GCVkwb ⚡Faast Co. Flexx Bars: tinyurl.com/3xky3rnn ⚡Tusk Heated Grips: tinyurl.com/yea664se ⚡Scott's Steering Damper: bit.ly/3FodGyt ⚡ProTaper Grips: tinyurl.com/9tfv9xbb ⚡Tusk Rear Rack: tinyurl.com/56mzydvy ⚡Faast Impact ADV Footpegs: tinyurl.com/5cwz9tet ⚡Doubletake Mirrors: bit.ly/3xczavF ⚡Vanasche GPS Mount & Fuel Cap: vanaschemotorsports.com/ ⚡Garmin Zumo XT: bit.ly/3EGY4Vi ⚡Puig Wind Visor: imp.i104546.net/ORazYN ⚡Quadlock Phone Mounts: imp.i104546.net/m5zZEZ ⚡Cool Covers Seat Cover: www.coolcovers.co.uk/product/ktm-790-adventure-r-2020-current/

@houjous5131

5 ай бұрын

Try out the Tusk skidplate. It's extremely quiet and it's 4mm aluminum. Mine has taken pretty big hits & have had no issues noise or damage.

@GCTO239

5 ай бұрын

First of all, again a great and totally honest video. Way to go, mate! Now to your question: No, I would not buy this bike. No way! KTM should care less about marketing and finally solve the glaring issues they have. There is a reason why you get massive discounts on KTM bikes here in Germany. I remember your video on the standard AT 1100, which is a massively underrated bike imo. You criticised the soft suspension. For little money a suspension expert dialed in / tuned the standard suspension of my standard AT 1100. It is perfect now, an offroad beast, perfect damping with tons of reserve..You regularly mention suspension replacements, which is often not needed. After 40.000 hard kms I have a LOVE/LOVE relationship with my Africa Twin. I freaking love this bike! Great sound, great looks, a peach of an engine, no issues at all (not even a minor one), superb quality, unquestioned reliability, great onroad and offroad, a lot of positive emotions...Would I swap that for the tormenting KTM experience? No chance! I hope that you will test the standard 2024 Africa Twin next year. By the way: If you go on serious offroad trips here in Europe, there are two adv bikes you see the most when things get tough: Africa Twin and T7. Wonder why? 😉

@THEelduderino

5 ай бұрын

As previous owner of 790 ADV R, you nailed pros & cons! Amazing off-road, adj TC on the fly helped me as off-road novice, surprising fast on road, runs hot(think due to tank design & way heat exits towards legs), hardest bike I’ve ever started, & while I had zero problems, I never trusted it. For me, pros heavily outweighed cons, but 790/890 r ugly, don’t need the R suspension for my level & want more road bias, which has me heavily considering Norden 901 w/ touring screen

@davekguitars

5 ай бұрын

I have a 2022. Got it mid year 'used' with only 85 miles .. Full tech package, axp skid (love it), had a rekluse which I replaced with thr oem clutch, shorty levers, and cycra hand guards (meh.. I prefer HDB) .. Scott's stabilizer... paid 16K. I then put on rade wind screen, a seat concepts 2 stage seat like the S with the ktm cool cover on.. rally pegs, Rottweiler tail tidy , Rottweiler intake, quad lock phone mount wireless charging, the MOSKO MOTO GNOME tank bag is great.. Perun rear rack.. OURY road grips.. ibrun RALLZ rear and DV front.. I use Green Chile ADV strapping and run dry bags. I bought the flat side panels from Rottweiler to get rid of the bulged panels.. I didn't find the space in there to be an efficient enough. The PUIG touring screen sucked.. bike was better with NO screen.. but the RADE screen is sweet. I'm 5'10".. 32 inseam

@davekguitars

5 ай бұрын

Oh. Put a block plate for the heat.. works great and I've heard keeps the shock from boiling

If KTM would focus more on reliability and product improvement rather than completely redesigning every couple of years, they would own the market.

@NaMinesClarence

5 ай бұрын

You mean like they have been doing with the LC8 for the last 21 model years? The LC8c has been out for 5 model years in comparison ...

@JamesSmith-pq2ks

5 ай бұрын

Ktm culture is super into alcohol… lots of euro dudes drinking at events… just sloppy culture

@CoolioDaMan

5 ай бұрын

Not sure where this unreliability crap started from.. I ve owned 7 different KTMs from the RC8 to my latest 2023 300 XC.. all of them have been bullet proof including the 790 R... You Mopes should try preventitive maintenance..like changing the oil/filter ..

@alanduncan3337

5 ай бұрын

A new bike should not have a flat tyre and a coolant leak.

@BishBosh2010

5 ай бұрын

​@@CoolioDaManmy ktm 1190 on its third speedo, new discs all round due to cracks at 18K miles. Awful electrical gremlins. Expensive repairs and parts. Poor starting issues....5 batteries in 5 years. Lousy 1 year warranty on bikes and pointless 3 month warranty on parts. KTM....nah never again. A reliable Jap for me next time.

As an owner of this bike with ~7000km I must say you said everything I would say in this review. You are 100% spot on and no bs. Thanks Ian for your fair and objective journalism!

Every 890r review you do; first 15min I’m all onboard and ready to buy one today! Last 10mins, I don’t want any part of these problems. 🤪

I agree with your assessment. But after 13,000+ miles with tons of off-road, BDR's, adventure rallies, Moto camping, commuting and 2 up riding I can't think of another bike I would rather have.

Cant stress enough how thankful i am for the work you do Ian. In-depth, no BS, truthful and objective reviews. Thank you!

I ride a KTM790R and while the bikes are fundamentally diffferent (but similar in many ways) I agree with your assessments. They are spot-on.

This was very informative and useful for anyone considering this bike. Whenever I hear a KTM engine running, I think it's about to destruct itself and put a leg out of bed. I think this sounds worse than it is but why take a risk when you can buy a bike with a bullet proof engine. Reviewers always seem to need to avoid upsetting the OEM if they want to stay on the press bike list. Your channel is the most honest I have found and you're the only channel listen too when selecting a new bike. Thank you. Happy New Year from London, UK.

SWEET! Thank you for the update on the 890R!!! VERY informative... MUCH appreciated...

Thanks for the honesty Ian. That's why I watch your show.

Thanks Ian (again). Very comprehensive on the good, the bad and the ugly. Delivering the full information package to potential owners, which is a great service.

I have the Norden 901 Expedition. I think it has the best bash plate (stock) that I've seen on any adventure bike. I can't imagine there is an upgrade to this. In terms of mpg, my rides consist of a combination of gravel county roads, county paved roads, USFS roads, dirt private roads and skid trails (no highway). I get about 250 miles on a full tank, so I'm quite happy. Because I live at 4,000' on the US/CA border, I appreciate the leg heat. We only get a few weeks each year with temps in the 80s and that is only for about three hours in the middle of the day. I spend much of the "summer" with patches of snow to my left and right. The fairing/windshield on the Expedition is awesome. I'm 6'+ (6',3" in my boots), and I don't feel buffeted at all, but I also don't ride on the highway. Still I do hit 90+mph all the time. The engine does sound a bit rattily when it first starts. I now have 1,200 miles on my bike, and it has quieted down some as the engine has broken in. I have convinced myself that the trade off is a bike that jumps from 35 to 95 in the twisties at the flick of the wrist. The power is quite insane for an adventure bike. My two cons are the display being obscured anytime a notification is triggered (service engine, warranty schedule, low fuel, etc.) this is quite annoying, and we need a way to click out of it once we read it. Last, the seat while decent seems to cause me to slide down to where the seat meets the tank. Within a minute of scooting back, I find myself right back down there. I'm tall. I don't need to be down in the crotch, but it seems Norden wants me there. : / So far I love the Expedition and can't wait to get back out there. Currently, though, 12F with feet of snow means no.

I'm sure you've been told this many times but you really make excellent videos. I don't usually sit and watch 20 minute videos for anything, especially not for a motorcycle that I have no intention of buying! Great job!

Possibly your best video to date. Brutally honest (and appreciated).

Great review as always. You should have many more subscribers. Keep asking and stay with it Ian. Thanks for your efforts.

This video was a very helpful peace of mind for me. I've got 1200 miles on mine and I've had very similar concerns about engine noise, cold start, and hot legs. I totally agree, and at least now I know my concerns are valid and shared amongst other owners. Thanks! With that said, I'm really enjoying the bike! Looking forward to some more adventures with it for years to come. Very fun and capable!

Recently purchased a Norden 901 Expedition, and am quite happy with it. It has the Adventure R's XPlor suspension, tuned a bit more for the road, but still quite good off road. It also has a windscreen that I'm pretty impressed with - good protection with just a little bit of buffeting at speeds over 70mph (for 5'11" me - not bothersome) - but is tall so may inhibit standing over rough terrain. The skid plate is beefy, the luggage not terrible (if you don't fill them with heavy items), heated seat actually gets too hot (even on the lowest setting), heated grips are just right. So, IMHO, those who might consider the Adventure R, but want a little more road comfort, should consider the 901 Expedition.

Another great review. I have 12k miles on my ‘21 890R and love it. I have noticed the heat but it hasn’t been bothersome. The buffeting can be awful, however. One pro you left off is the ease of maintenance. I have found the bike to be very logical and easy to work on. Especially compared to some other bikes needing major surgery to change air filters. I have also been very lucky and had zero problems with mine.

@BigRockMoto

5 ай бұрын

True about maintenance

Thank you so much for your video. It was on my shortlist but no one in Korea told me this much transparent.

Kudos for telling it like it is. Much appreciated Ian.

I dumped my 890 ADV-R after the cam chain tensioner failed and there were no replacements available from KTM. Traded it in "unsaleable". It also ran on 1 cylinder from a cold engine start for quite a while. The fuel petcock disassembled when gently turned by hand and spilled fuel all over the ground. The engine sounded like bolts in a Vitamix. The wind buffeting was really bad. The front tire was replaced under a factory recall. With both front tires the high speed stability (90+) was poor, even after truing the front wheel (which did need to be trued) and running through the rear preload adjustment range. I got a '24 T7, which I find I am really happy with. The only thing I miss about the 890 was the low/large/protective fuel tank design.

@BigRockMoto

5 ай бұрын

Wow. I've had friends with similar experiences.

@TheBikewanderer

5 ай бұрын

Interesting experience. When the recall came in for the front tire, I was already on my 6th set... I didn't know anyone who was still on the factory tire after that long time.

Nice review and very accurate. I never had any buffeting with my 2022 890r with the stock screen in the low position but apples and oranges. I loved both my older 790r and newer 890r but ultimately traded the 890r for a much lighter 690r due strictly to the weight of the 890r. I am an off road oriented adventure rider but now am 67 years old so needed something easier to pick up but still passable on the highway for day trips. Stock suspension on my 2023 690r is pretty good and not harsh. The only issues I had with my 890r were poor quick shifting which was resolved with a re-calibration and a failing ABS pressure switch which was causing the cruise control to no longer work. Replacing the switch fixed that. Otherwise no issues and no cold start problem like you had. Also I never had any issues with the heat but I am 6'2" so maybe my legs are positioned a bit different on the bike.

Channel is rocking. Really stepping up the game. Have to say your my favorite top 5 bike review channels

that KTM is beautifuil. great vid as always

Another great and fair review Ian. I've got over 30k miles on my 2019 790R and so far they have been without issue(yes, I feel lucky). However, the fairing is marginal and the sound is not exciting. I wish all bikes sounded like my 93 750SS. One thing I can state emphatically is how freaking tough the 790R is. I've crash tested it offroad more times than I care to admit to. Just pick it up and keep riding. Best of luck to you and your channel in 2024. Cheers

Thanks for a thorough, honest review. I got a lot out of it. I currently have a CRF300 Rally, and a KLR650. Looking to buy a TransAlp soon. Many of your after market parts are of great interest to me. I will definitely buy using your links. Happy Trails!

28k km with my 890 and not issues; great bike

This review is spot on, I've had mine for 8 months now and love this bike. I am off road adventure focused so its perfect for me. I agree with every comment, except I like the engine note 🚀

Good review Ian. As a former 790 R owner (put 8K miles on) and current 2022 890 R owner (11,500 miles) I can see most of your points, and appreciate your perspective. At 5’8” I can’t complain about the buffeting being a huge gripe. In this instance, pays to be short! Regarding reliability, I guess it depends on the definition. In the ~20K miles between the 790/890 I’ve never been stranded and the only thing coming close was what you mentioned with a loose radiator hose clamp that I noticed with drops on the garage floor. Didn’t take it in, just tightened the clamp. To close, I’ve been riding for 40+ years (can’t believe I admitted that online) and ridden all but Ducati brands and none live up to their ethos, or even have an ethos, like KTM…Ready to Race. Their bikes want to GO and no other bike has put as big a smile on me.

@randydewees7338

5 ай бұрын

There are some Ducati models that live up to their ethos, indeed.

Excellent coverage Ian. Having recently researched and purchased a mid size ADV bike all offerings were test ridden back to back over multiple weeks. The KTM 890 R was without question the most capable bike by a significant margin but was ultimately discounted due to low build quality (at the price point) and reliability concerns (mostly due to remote solo rides being the bikes application). In Australia, November 2023 it was also 18% more expensive on-road than the Desert X. KTM's dealer coverage and approach to owner maintenance is highly commendable. Thanks

Thank you for a great review. I also appreciate the quality of Mosko Moto gear.

Good looking bike. You know what works well and that saves the research. I take your word for it. Thx Ian.

Ian, love the channel glad to see you’re telling the hard truth that this platform has its flaws. To me and many other people there’s no way I’m going ADVing on a bike I’m not confident on. The simple items that you experienced on delivery of this bike speaks volumes. There are MUCH better options out there.

Thank you for creating and sharing this video. About the starting issue: The click you hear is described in the manual under chapter 10.2: starting the vehicle. It also says you should wait 15sec. between attempts.

Great video. Thank you

Awesome review! I totally agree on your points about the RallZ tires, I have that set on my KTM 990 Baja and they do everything I need them to!! Honestly they even look great on the bike!

Great indepth review. Nice job.

I had all the same positives/negatives with my base 23’ 890 adventure. 👍

Thanks for sharing Ian, Av very well composed review and interesting bonus material with Your mods. I really appreciate Your pro present and how You cover your review objects, very much so in this video. Over here it's cold as * and a new batch of snow, BUT we have the Yearly Motorcycle Show to look forward to in the end of this month. Will be fun to botanize in what's to be shown. Happy Trails! 💪🤠🔥

Thank you for doing this review. Been looking to get more detailed information about it. Looking forward to some 2024 Africa Twin reviews.

Man im addicted to your videos, im newly in love with adv's and your videos provide so much knowledge and super informative.

@BigRockMoto

5 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@muttineni03

5 ай бұрын

@@BigRockMoto Thank you for making these informative videos and I’m learning a lot from you.

metric system tips are very useful, thanks

Thank you for this!

Another spot on assessment. I owned a '21 R as my only transport (well besides a hypermotard) for two years. Rain, snow, heat, it never let me down although I fully expected it to with random warning lights and Immobilizer failure alerts. Amazing on trails, gravel, BDRs or B roads. On highway I wanted to jump off it was so bad especially if I ran super aggressive knobby tires. You always knew you were on a dirt oriented machine which is a compromise you need to be ok with.

@chrisslays7373

12 күн бұрын

How is it in the snow?

Quality program my friend. Thank you very much.

You really glossed over the cold starting issue this time, but on previous vids you really expressed frustration with it. I mean, a brand new bike that won't even start. That's a non-starter for me! Strangely enough, I had a similar issue with a 2015 Yamaha FJ-09 (now Tracer 900). Every once in a while, like maybe one time out of ten, it just wouldn't start. Cranked over but no response. Apparently I wasn't the only Yamaha owner that had a similar problem. Sold that bike for a Kawasaki Versys 1000 and have had 45,000 trouble free miles with that one. Great video as always!

I am a Norden 901 Expedition owner since middle March and 20.000 kms on her. No problems at all and I love the bike, such a fun beast. Main drawback is the engine heat is too much. I did a review about the Expedition in my channel

Great video man. It's an interesting point about the reliability and some of your own experiences. It's so hard to judge from online platforms as most people shout loudest when it's worst and most 890 R owners are likely to abuse their bikes more than other models, but between yourself and Harden it's a pretty wild seal of disapproval. Also kinda made that with the reputation of Aprilia, they've made something so good and probably more reliable.

Very Nice and Like from Germany! The KTM 790/890 engines are complete scrap, I don't know of anyone in Germany and Austria who survives 30,000 km without engine damage.

@blairknight7793

5 ай бұрын

Yep, 31,500km, bad cam wear on mine. So pi$$ed off with KTM

@peterziegler8204

3 ай бұрын

...only 2500 km and my balance shaft went BOOOM. Total engine break down. 3 months of waiting for the repair. . Broke again after 500 km!!! Sold it. New owner had the same problems. Never again...

@chamade166

2 ай бұрын

Wow…was considering it for long distance international travel…not anymore.

@ItsLeems

Ай бұрын

What service intervals were you following? If you were following the factory-specified oil change interval, that is probably why. The oil needs to be changed every 4 to 5 thousand miles (6.5 to 8 thousand kilometers)...maybe even more frequently.​@blairknight7793

Your accessory choices are the same brands I had. Glad to see MotoZ getting some love.

Excellent. You touched on most of the quality issues and market leading features of the bike. One new item I am becoming aware of is the reliability or lack there of the KTM tubeless system; the rubber sealing gasket. I had a slow leak after last tire change. No sign of damage to the gasket and rim tape. Your video touched on the front wheel issue you had with holding tire pressure.

As always, excellent review Ian! And may I quickly add, Happy New Year to you and yours! I've owned a 2023 890 standard version since March/April 2023. Chose that model because of its road bias. I've since debated with myself if I should have picked the R. Multiple times. When put into winter storage late fall 2023 I had done in excess of >19.000 kilometers or 11.800 miles on it. Coming from a 1290, which I did >55.000 kilometers on, it took some time to get adjusted. I've had very few issues with it. Engine conked out once while riding offroad (at around 10k kilometers). It started again right after it died. Motor failure symbol showed up, two starts later it was gone. Nearly 10k kilometers done since that, and the issue never resurfaced. I attribute the issue to software bugs. New firmware has since been released (latest fall/winter 2023). The instrument cluster (clutch side) has been replaced under warranty. Reason was that the cruise control stopped activating for ca 1hr after bike wash. Then came back. However, even with new cluster, problem is still there. I think it's related to a sensor and water penetrating somewhere. It has never happened while riding in rain, even torrential rain. For hours. I personally have never had any issues with engine heat. Been riding the bike in >30C but cannot say it has bothered me. I tend to ride it in lower RPMS and not push it very hard into upper/peak RPMs. That might explain why the difference. Also, I've put on Touratech EVO skid plate/tank protection. It has a pretty decent venting system in the front. This might work to help channel air better than OEM and this reduce engine heat (just a theory). Returning/remaining issue: stuttering/oscillating front break. Front fork bearing has been tightened twice, which has helped. But during winter it will be checked more thoroughly. Could be something else, though had a similar issue on my 1290 and I think it's something every KTM owner just needs to (have) checked regularly. Mileage: I've easily done 100km/3.8 liters with luggage Something which, as above, might indicate riding style (plus I live in Scandinavia, with low speed limits :). As for wear: well, I heard the same story on (my generation of) 1290. At 60.000 km that engine and cam shaft was checked. No sign of any wear of significance. My personal theory is that, for those engine where this happens, they have been ridding hard, and over time. That said, they should be able to tolerate that, equally to any other brand. KTM throws "Ready to Race" at every owner, so it's on them to make products that can take the beating. I am tall person and still struggles somewhat with the geometry. Had risers on, will put on the tallest KTM makes for coming season. All in all, I am satisfied, and have trouble finding anything on the market that comes even close. Given all criteria. So might decide to sit tight and wait for the 990 Adventure, which highly likely will be available Q42024/Q1 2025. Long winded comment from an older rider (>60). Who, despite any dislikes, probably will buy KTM again :) Cheers.

Whow this road is crazy. Well done on keeping Alaska upright for almost the whole time.

Great review, thanks,

Hi Ian. Thanks for the video post. Maybe a small point but 1500 miles doesn't seem much time with the bike to me. I've done 13,000km on my 2023 KTM 390 ADV and feel I'm still getting to know it and optimise bike setup. I guess you ride so many bikes you don't have a chance to get to know any particular bike that well. I wish I had that problem! :-) Keep up the dedicated work, we all appreciate it out here in the intertubes.

That was a great video! Thanks, buddy. I'm a bit afraid of large engine heavyweight adv's, and KTM's in general. Expensive, high performance, high maintenance. I wasn't aware of reliability issues, but I never really bothered to look into buying a KTM anyway. I know there are alot of great bikes out there, but price & reliability wise I just stick with the Fab Four. I'll take the Beatles, any day.

Nice review as usual - I agree on a couple points for sure...I felt the breaks were sometimes mushy unlike the way I think a break should engage - not that they didn't work. I had issues with fork seals leaking in my first 1500 miles and I had same issue on front tire as well. On heat - don't know if you saw my piece on the AXP skid plate - but burt a hole in it and why I put a Black Dog skid plate on it. - I ended up selling mine a few months ago... keep the videos coming!!!

Ian, great review. Because of your original review of the 890 Adventure (non R), I bought one mostly because I am only 5'7", and it has a lower seat height. Love the bike! Anyway, yes, my bike from factory had a loose & sloppy steering head bearing, front tire would always go flat in a few days with stock tire and worse with MOTOZ (I learned to live with it), the cold start issue (your trick does help!), my gas tank when really hot will **erupt** fuel out the fuel lid!! I had to buy an after market fuel filler assembly that would breathe better.

Ian, Love your reviews. I have a 690, which I love, but when it started to go wrong, it took me months to sort out. KTM are their own worst enemies. They need to get their reliability sorted out. I'm a n overlander, and I could never get an 890 cos of the reliability issues. Thanks

Sounds like a great bike. After returning to riding after a 30 year break, I had a 22 KLR adventure, which while fun after a year of remembering how to ride both on and off road, left me wanting more. I ended up with the Aprilia Tuareg and it really does everything I could want in an adventure bike. I now find as an older rider that what I want to add to my garage is a slightly more road oriented sport touring or a more road friendly semi adventure bike.

I drove 15,000 km on my 890 adventure this year. It's pure fun to ride this bike. I have no regrets about my 1290 adv. The most important thing is a smart KTM Dealer. The Tires Pirelli STR Rally are Great ❤ for this Bike

You sparked my interest when you mentioned the Rallz Motoz tires and having issue with grooved roads. I have a ‘21 890R and I put on Rallz tires set at beginning of last season. They seemed good while Inited noise and also wobble on grooved roads. The last draw for the front Rallz tire was major front slippage in mud conditions while others with me did not have issue. I finally changed out the front with an Anakee Wild tire. Wow, what a difference. A lot quieter, no movement or wobble whatsoever on grooved roads and I noted it to sit on rim much better than the Rallz. Have not had chance to try with slippery mud but I am confident. Might be worth to consider.

Great revu, I have the "old" 790 adventure and to reduce heat I have done two things: arrow decat (the cat generates a lot of heat and toast the rear shock !) and mufler modification (you can open it and cut the last tube), great soune also !! another thing I have done was to change the front sproket from a 16 to a 15 teeth. It helps a lot at low speed. I also have the axp bashplate, because it is the best and ... it is french !

Thought I would share: Puig 2.0 multi adjustable wind deflector can be positioned tall enough to give the affect of the non-r model windscreen, then immediately lowered when off-road. Removing the cat drops the average temp by about 15 degrees on my bike. I have around 4K miles through all types of terrain. Never noticed a starting issue after the cat was removed. Wind protection seems very comparable to my triumph tiger with a mad stad wind screen. No issues here.

I saw today a video from 4 guys (2x 790/ 2x890) they rode from australia to sweden. No big problems with the bikes

I absolutely love my 890 Adventure. I do not jump ditches and need more suspension. Plus it is much better on the road.

Very accurate review. As an 890R owner myself 10,000 miles in the saddle The seat Even with seat concepts is less than adequate. The motor I have a d cat arrow pipe Rottweiler intake and power commander mapped for both street and off-road. Love the power this motor makes Yes it is a little rattly I can deal with that for the power. Definitely agree with the low center of gravity I have gotten myself in a few situations that I wish I had not but that low center of gravity made the bike much easier to get out of than I expected. Love the suspension. The bike was a little tall for me so I installed the hyperpro 30 mm lowering springs I purchased at Touratech. I found this did not affect the suspension performance it just added 30 mm of sag. Once again great review very accurate.

Appreciate the honest review. The engine heat is an important issue for me. I’ve had several bikes that just got you way too hot in the summer when you are wearing proper protective gear. It may not be a dealbreaker, but it is an important consideration for me.

I picked up a Norden 901 after watching your initial videos on it. Couldn't get over the funky look of the KTM 890 Adventure R headlight but loved the performance. Just rolled over 7,000 miles since I got it in June of 2023. Had my first failure yesterday. OEM battery pooped out. Lithium replacement is on the way. Would love to have the the Xplor or Xplor Pro suspension on it but I am satisfied with the stock Apex setup. If I am bombing trails hard enough to justify the pricey parts I need a different bike.

Everything is on point in this video! I went from a 1290 SAS that i enjoyed a lot to an 890 Adventure R which i love but ... When i picked it up from the dealer the bike: - needed three start attempts to get it going and it did on one cylinder for a minute. - front tyre was losing pressure. - steering stem was loose. - one of the two fuel petcocks was closed and after 60km on a rainy Sunday the bike died on me and i had to fidget behind the radiator to find it, burned some skin in the process. At the 1k service the chain was apparently unequally worn so the bike ran a bit jerky, the dealer refused to change it on the warranty, even though i really babied it until the first service. After 6k, i haven't had any issues with the bike and i absolutely love it, but there are things that bother me. One is the buffeting, the 1290 was bad but this is a whole new level of bad, i tried upgrading my helmet to the Neotec 3, ear plugs, windshield extender, Arrow mirrors, nothing works, it's bad,. The second is the heat, if you're running an AXP bash plate, i feel like going decat is a must as your right foot will be burning in slow traffic.

After building our own first gen 790 and preping bikes for customers and getting them back for repairs and servicing - can agree 90% with Your thoughts. Our most gripe is with the engine quality and of course lack of RD on the first gen. The engines are total gamble. Some are so tight, the engine barely turns over - some are so loose, they klonk first day. As a ktm owner, builder, rider of more than a decade - we bought a Ducati now for personal use. So far - easyer on the eye, ear, body and budget. Similar performance, more "feeling".

@skipperdabio

5 ай бұрын

Aren’t these motors the ones that are made in China?

@Snowhite808

5 ай бұрын

@@skipperdabio CF moto factory line yes. And the little ones were in India. Pierer is making money - tons of it - but the brand is getting more into the "just colorful plastics" category every new bike at a time.

@Angry-Lynx

5 ай бұрын

Chinese engines, there's no free lunch. For this one, customer is paying, as always. That's effect of economy where too many people have too much disposable cash. Producers sell so much they don't care about customers, because they don't have too. Sad reality. And people will still pay this ridiculous prices like 16kEuro for bike with Chinese engine. Why price isn't lower despite moving production to china? Never ending and always growing corporate greed, nothing more. And one year warranty to that?good joke. They really don't give a fuck and don't even try to hide it..

@Coloradoadvguy

5 ай бұрын

@@skipperdabio No. 1st gen 790s and 890s are made in Austria, as Ian has previously noted

Thank you for curing my interest in a 790/890 adventure R, I’ll stay with my reliable Japanese (slow as a snail) workhorse.

Great work as always! I’m afraid that for me, engine glitches and reliability issues are a deal breaker, though. Here in Australia where distances can be vast, the starting point in choosing an ADV bike must be rock-solid reliability. As othered here have intimated, KTM need to now settle on the 890 and spend a few years ironing out the bugs in order to sort this out. ‘Ready to Race’ is a bit of a poor joke on a bike that often refuses even to start reliably!

@CR-rider-17

5 ай бұрын

Ready to repair

@foxlake6750

5 ай бұрын

Give me a Honda or a Yamaha, more reliable and parts are much cheaper……ride faster, not a factor for me.

@fcalin21

5 ай бұрын

KTM don't care.

Your nevada trip really opened my eyes about heavy adv off-road. I have since opted for a bmw RT and dual sport combo.

Great review as always. Did you ever manage to make a video of how to wire up the GPS on the 890? Myself, I did not take of the headlight mask, so my cords are taped and/or tucked away under the plastic to the connections on the left side. (but it is not pretty) Happy new year from Norway 🎉 Thorbjørn

Excellent summation. 👍😉

@BigRockMoto

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! 👍

I love wrenching more then riding, so I bought a KTM! Thank you KTM for the lovely wrenching time in my cozy garage!

890s (2021) has been trouble free, but yeah. There's some anxiety about a catastrophic fuckin brake failure or an engine failure. Especially since that bike is worth more than any car I've ever had. However, so far I've had zero issues. Aside from my crashing it last year and destroying the bars lmao. I will be checking it thoroughly before this next season just to be safe. I bought it based solely on your recommendation and praise of the platform. It's everything people said it would be and more.

IMO reliability is an underrated criteria in an adventure bike. It's really more important than outright performance or bleeding edge electronic doo dads. When you're actually out on a back road or back country route you really don't want any nagging doubts, or even worse, actual failures. Bikes like the Tenere 700, or likely the TA750 or for big bikes the Super Tenere 1200 may not be cutting edge performance but I'd trust them over an Austrian bikes, or Aprilia, Ducati, or BMW, maybe even Triumph. Thanks for the honest review. Your content is always top drawer.

A note on the windshield and buffeting. I have the 2023 base model and still found a lot of buffeting. I ended up putting 1 inch spacers on the top mounting bolts, 1/2 inch spacers on the middle mounting point. And made the windshield steeper. This drastically helped. I can get away with out an add on deflector on the highway if needed now. I would be curious if it also helps on the R windshield. I used a bit of aluminium pipe, washers and longer stainless Steel screws. I also needed to replace the screws on the bottom sides to get the clearance to move it forward. Anything more than 1 inch puts to much strain on the windshield and the bottom screws can't be installed.

Starting issue: In an older 990 adventure, the starter was disabled by the electronics until the fuel pump primed and that click is heard. So you couldn’t encounter the problem described in the video. Interesting.

Great long term review of the 890! As much of a fan I am of the 890, I struggle with the notion that more than 50% of my riding will be highway. My adventure riding will not have much single-track or technical terrain. I imagine a KTM 1290 SAR or SAS would be perfect for me and will try one or both this summer, but would also love to see you review these bikes.

Rattling sound is the cam chain tensioner. $100 tensioner from Dirt Tricks solved this problem for me. But like you said, it's not a problem from a performance issue. Front tire leaking in mine was due to the mold release whiskers left on the bead sealing area of the tire. Deflated and trimmed those off and no more leaks. Also no leaks when I mounted Motoz tires. Every new motorcycle I've purchased has had steering head bearing break-in and once adjusted they were fine, just like this bike.

Hi Ian many thanks for such an honest and informative review. I've heard a little about the reliability issues with this model but haven't had time to search the forums. So thank you for pointing out all of the issues. The bikes probably a bit too heavy for my requirements, I thought that the weight would benefit me on the road. But now knowing that there are better options for long range road travel I will look elsewhere. One bike I would really like to see you review is the Love 450 Rally. Everyone says what a great bike it is but they are unsure about the reliability issues as it's unproven. However after seeing this review and all the issues with the KTM I question as to how the Move models could be any worse. I think that it suffers from a lot of prejudice because it's chinese. KTM does not get a bad rap for being Austrian, but reliability and quality issues certainly exist with what is supposedly a premium brand

Nice vid dude, as an owner of a 790 and especially as an ex owner of 690 I can atest the reliability concern (hence ex owner of 690) Also I love the pros of these bikes. Ian I like the fact that you are trying to pack lighter, but please try rackless because the weight difference between the MoskoMoto panniers and the hard luggage is minimal.

Thank you for your time in this video And I keep thinking of getting one of these bikes On my old 2013 tiger, I simply removed the windshield Am I the weird one or does everybody have to have a windshield? Or possibly cut it down 2 -3 inches? But then, listening to you, describe your clutch problems, is a real bummer Thank you so much appreciate your time. Keep it up.

Ian, first of all, great videos and content, I am huge fan!!! Now, I have to say, I truly loved my 2021 KTM 890R because it was unparalleled off-road (best motorcycle in the world). However, I decided to trade it for the new 23 BMW GSA 1250 for more comfort so I could go with my wife on long rides, and I am glad I did it for the following reason. Dealership I traded KTM in called me a few months later saying that engine blew out, I mean no saving it. I also heard these horror stories from other people and forums and now I am terrified to buy another one. I am taking a break from KTM until they figure some stuff out...

I would love to have one of these in my future but I’m just not sure about those reliability issues. And I love the way you have it set up. I purchased a 2023 Tiger 900 rally pro back in October. With lots of nice extras.

Hi Ian, I applaud you on the great content and trust in much of what you communicate to us. Regarding my 2022 890 adv.r, no clutch or reliability issues thus far, no buffeting either (I'm only173cm so would suggest that being the key difference), no cat/good bark, grip puppies calms vibes. For what it's worth I recently did a 5hr adventure ride event followed by 3hr ride home with no achy butt or glutes. NZ

@stephenburgess7397

5 ай бұрын

Oh and bike's at 5415kms atm

Thanks for the video Ian. I appreciate the comments about the heat when temps >80F as I have a deposit on a 901E. Do the Desert X and Aprilia 660 have similar heat issues? Thanks.

Another fantastic and comprehensive review, Ian!! Thanks, and stay safe🤙🏼

I had a 2019 KTM 790 Standard which I always had serviced as required at a KTM dealer. There were various issues with the bike such as a thermastat-housing coolant leak which KTM repaired under warranty. I sold the bike at 16,000 miles. The person who purchased it from me made a trip to Mexico where the engine failed. A tear down showed excessive camshaft lobe wear and a total piston failure. Way to go KTM. Thanks for a quality product. : (

Ian, respect your experience and knowledge. Will soon be purchasing luggage (mosko). Do u prefer rackless or panniers? I can’t decided

Great video! Im really struggling to decide between a new T7 or 890 Adventure R...

Buffering is a huge issue for me. Hopefully they improve it on the rally. Took a while to sort out the airflow on my Africa Twin but finally got it dialed

@Scoot7827

5 ай бұрын

Visor clip or new wind screen? Enjoy the rides! 🤜🤛

TBF 1500 miles isn’t much of a slice to review “long term” from. I have ridden mine 4000 (currently sitting at around 8200 miles) miles across the country west to east and south to north… I never encountered a reliability issue, nor wind buffeting that concerned me (we are similar heights), and I would rate the comfort of the bike as pretty good. On road, off road and anywhere in between I would take my KTM 890r over my BMW GSA (albeit mine is a 2007 model with upgraded suspension) any day of the week. I’m not a fanboy of KTM… I just disagree with 1500 miles being an “exhaustive” review time. Love the videos Ian… keep it up.

Regarding Moto Oz Tires.... which would you recommend that have a decent/good grip on cold & wet road conditions? (The GPS? Any experience with them?)

This video looks great, are you using a new camera?

Have an Africa Twin, I find it soft, wobbly, short on passing power when touring, not good off road with the DCT. But complete confidence in its reliability. An 890R that's a hoot to ride with a cat delete for day or weekend rides. Agree with all the gotchas and fear motor failure.But it can be romped on and trail ridden fun on 2 lane roads. An R1250GSA that I use as a touring bike for long hauls, heavily loaded. Plenty of passing power and it gets me pretty far from pavement for campsites or forest roads. I call it the dirt wing. I go back and forth on keeping or selling the KTM before the music stops but hot crazy chicks are fun.

Hi Ian, I have the same bike I bought in March and have 7,000 mikes on it. I am 6'5" so thankfully I have clean airflow at the helment but do need to wear earplugs for highway cruising. The cold start issue was fixed by KTM earlier in the year with an ECU update. Your dealer should have done this at the 1st service if it wasn't done at the factory. I know a lot of US owners complain of this on the forums. For some reason the US dealers don't seem to be doing this update. I also had the steering stem issue after about 5000 miles but a quick tighten of the nut sorted it. I had the same tyre issue with the stock Mitas but since switching to Pirelli, it hasn't reoccured. I have a set of Motoz to throw on next so that might show if the issue is tyre dependant or not. Other than that I have had no issues, flogged the hell out of it and done some long tours with no issues. Yes, the seat can be a pain in the @ss on the highway but most stock seats are. Thanks for the content and happy New Year.