Back in early April we got a KTM 1390 Adventure S Evo in the showroom. It's not my kind of bike so I was not thinking too highly about this big adventure bike, with the new "automatic" thing that KTM has brought out.
I knew I would have to give it a ride some time so I decided to ride it home, mostly because I wanted to be able to say, "WTF KTM, you've made a manual automatic transmission. Good on ya, dickheads."
Seriously, who is going to buy one of these? Of course, that's me bagging something I hadn't actually ridden or even properly looked at yet. Anyway, I rode it home.
"It’s OK, I guess." That was about as excited as I was after my short ride from TSS to Stokes Valley.
Then I woke up the next morning and all hell had broken loose overnight. Manhole covers had popped. Roads were flooded. Cars were stranded all over the place. It was one of those days where the weather had decided everyone was having a bad time. And of course, I had to get to work. I looked outside, looked at the KTM, and thought, "Well, let's see what you've got."
Road closed?
No problem. I'll use the footpath because I know there aren't any manhole covers there.
Water up to the pegs?
No problem. Across the berm, through the park, over the roundabout and off to work. The thing just kept going.
The funny part is that if I'd taken any other bike, or jumped in the car, I probably would have stayed home. Instead, this giant orange beast got me to work without drama. That was the day I started changing my opinion of it.
The moral of the story? Don't bag a bike until you've actually ridden it. I was convinced this automatic transmission thing was a gimmick before I threw a leg over it. Turns out KTM might actually be onto something.
Is it for everyone?
Probably not.
But if you're shopping for an adventure bike, you'd be doing yourself a favour by throwing the KTM 1390 Adventure S Evo into the mix. I certainly wasn't expecting to like it. Turns out I was wrong.
Turns out I'm planning a bit of a trip with friends to give it a real go if it is not sold in the next few months. It's a massive bike but needs a decent run to really appreciate it. If you take it for a test ride I suggest take it over the Rimutaka hill so you can really appreciate the ride. I also predict the automatic clutch will become a lot like the quick shifter, so what has started off as an added extra will become an essential part of big bike adventure riding.
Credit: Author Mike Thompson, TSS Sales Manager
KTM & NZ Herald