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Pokey151

Decisions and looking for input

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In a previous thread I asked about the KTM 1090 adventure R and it sounds amazing. I put a deposit in a leftover new one waiting to see about possible rebates. She nice 👍 have been waiting I see the 890 adventure r is out. 
has anyone ridden one of those?  Any am sure they are both amazing bikes both on and off road.  I want something I could ride from here to Tahoe on up the 395 yet ride  rough trails. I know I won’t be doing single track stuff but rough access roads/fire roads and sandwashes. Like pinyon mtn to fish Creek.  
 

also one in a while 2 up on the road.  It seems like both can do this but just do not want to find out I should and got the other one.    
 

I also would be doing rides like the TAT with some mellow riders on 690’s and 701s.  I know big bikes do that trip. But it would be nice to eventually build it up with better lighting, heated grips, skid plates luggage etc.   I sounds like the 890 has come more creature comforts stock and luggage and protection need to be done regardless.  
 

Also if I find out they can handle the trails decent I may sell my 450L and for the tougher terrain pick up a ktm 300 tpi  so I can try and cover a wider array of riding

 

Looking forward to some input/advice

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"Also if I find out they can handle the trails decent I may sell my 450L and for the tougher terrain pick up a ktm 300 tpi  so I can try and cover a wider array of riding"

This might not be a bad idea. I REALLY like my 300 in the technical stuff, but I also like it a lot in the desert as well. It's biggest drawback there is it's  lack of  range compared to the 4-strokes. And in the heat of summer it's good enough (for me) to ride the practice tracks. I will say the improvements Ktm made to the suspension on the  '20 "W" models makes a big difference in making this possible. Keep in mind I'm a 60+ amateur rider who doesn't need all the power or suspension to hit the big double.

If I could only have one bike, the 500 would be the logical choice simply because of the plate. But otherwise, I  like your way of thinking.

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Agree on choices go lighter adv  bike and trail bike, current bike setup is 300tpi ca plated and 950 super enduro, and for sale soon is 450xcf plated. 

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FYI most all of my extended crew that are the ADV guys have the 1090s (a bunch of those), a Honda Africa Twin and a T700 Yamaha version, in addition they mostly all have 300cc 2T Austrians with some 350-500cc Austrian 4Ts. One fast guy, the smallest in stature (Squirrel) but fierce on a bike, has a ripped 1090 and prefers his 350EXCF-W as his small bike, just sold his tricked out Husky TPI 300.

All have Suspension 101 deep work done to the suspension for alot higher performance levels off road. Oh and most all are state plated on both types of bikes.

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In full support of the 'dos bicicletas' option :)
I recently added a 'somewhat-skinny' bike to the quiver, it has allowed me to stop trying to lighten and strip parts and comforts from my 505lb Adventure bike to pretend it's something it's not. Your purpose built ADV bike can remain in it's full glory, and you will then have your light(er) attack bike to go with it :)

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Also I would add is agreement of what Paul said if it's only one the FE501, 500EXC-F is the moneys choice. One can show up on one and  podium the 50+ class in the Tecate Enduro (done by ISDE vet), ride from here to the Canadian border, or do the entire Baja Cape run, ride local single track, Big Bear Run, all the DS get togethers, 2 up-NO. The 500cc 4T models are the most versatile of DS bikes.

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15 hours ago, Pokey151 said:

also one in a while 2 up on the road.  It seems like both can do this but just do not want to find out I should and got the other one.    
 

Pokey

Why limit yourself to the street for 2 up...?:drinks:

Cant say enough GOOD things about the KTM1090R

Tackled the COBDR 2/up in 2019 and broke the bike in with a 7000 mile run from Jamul to Jasper via the CDT in 2018 - also a very strong magnet to Baja 

 

 

I know I don't ride this machine like Roberts crew but its sure fun trying......

Its a great example of how much potential these bikes have if you have some skill, confidence and a little luck at times 

-  A BIG thanks to Suspension 101for setting it up properly 

 

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My friends have the 790R, not the 890.

Both are lighter and smaller than the 1090.

Whatever you decide, just get lots of saddle time and do lots of difficult trails to get experience, and don't be afraid of dropping the bike, and you should be fine.

Maybe take an Adventure bike riding class locally also.

Wish my 950 was registered,  I'd go riding with you.

Good luck !

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On 1/31/2021 at 5:11 PM, Pokey151 said:

Like pinyon mtn to fish Creek

On a 1090 should be a lot of fun!

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Hi Pokey, just thought I'd throw in some personal observations and a buck fifty.  Together they should get you a hot cup of coffee at the seven eleven gas station.

For ADV touring any bike will do really.  Hell I have a friend that has ADV toured his Yamaha 250 and a Honda Monkey. But we know that's not what you're looking for.  A lot of folks end up on KLR's, DR650's and now 790's and T7's.  There's a growing list of very capable middleweights including the amazing F850 GS.

The good news is that you'll have a hella good time on just about anything you get.  And it sounds like you might have funds to purchase what you actually want, instead of being hamstrung by price.  That's AWESOME because now you have lots of amazing options.

I've observed quite a few people come through training courses in Borrego on just about every brand and weight of ADV bike.  And of course, some bikes are better than others for trail riding, but it's always the rider ten times more than the bike.  I have seen absolutely no difference in ability based on what bike they were riding.  The 650 riders overall were no better than the 1290 or 1250 riders.  All bikes in the ADV class are heavy, so you better learn not to dab in 2nd gear regardless of whether it's a KLR, 790 or 1290/1250.  It's gonna hurt so you should learn to NOT do that.  ie. . . . big bike specific training is the key to having a big grin under your helmet instead of a sweaty grimace.

As for weight, it's my contention if the bike is heavy you're doing it wrong.  All bikes are weightless when you're balanced.  And no, you don't have to have a name like Chris, or Jerry to ride tough trails in balance with a smile.  All you have to do is leave your motocross mindset in the garage and take a class to learn how to keep a 600 pounder in balance, and then do a little practice of the basic drills. I see 120 lb girls do it all-the-time.  So if the average new-to-adv-riding woman can ride the big bikes then I'm sure a taller, stronger, heavier guy can learn to do it too.  😉

Why do I bring this up?  Because you started the conversation talking about the big KTM!  Let's face it. Who WOULDN'T want one of those sexy beasts to tour on and then tear up some trails!  DO IT! You will be 10 times the rider on the big beast with a class or two than you ever will be on a 790 without classes.  It's not the bike.  It's the rider.

Get the bike you always dreamed about.  You're not getting younger so if you can afford it just do it. Get the beast, scratch the itch.  Get something that will make you crave getting on it to burn off 500 or 1,000 highway miles to get to your next epic off-road adventure!

It's because my son and I have 1200GSA's that this July he and  I will each ride an 850-mile day to meet in Salt Lake.  Then ride another 12-hour scenic day to north Colorado for a weekend of training.  Then spend 5 days on the Colorado BDR and finish with a weekend of level 3 classes in Ouray.  And then burn home in one day to San Diego.  This kind of stuff is pretty easy to do on the big dogs.  Most folks (not all) would contend that the middleweights might not be as 'fun' without throwing a few more vacation days in the middle to rest up.

As for falling down; they all do that.  My personal list of worst to best bikes to pick up on the trail goes like this. . .

  1. 1290/MultiStrada - it takes two baby, it just takes two (sing it in your head)
  2. 990/1090/1190 - ugh! you don't want to do it twice.
  3. 800/850/KLR's
  4. 1150 GSA
  5. 1200/1250
  6. 790's, 701, 501 etc

I don't recall ever having a woman come through class that couldn't pick up a 1250GS using the proper technique.  Of course, the boxer bikes are just cheating cause (a) the weights down low, and (b) they don't fall flat.  So you have a helluva head start to pick it up, and less weight to get back upright due to its lower center of gravity.

If you're dreaming about 790's and 890's at night then that's what you should get.  But I'd encourage you to not let the fear of 'less capable off-road' keep you from a 1090 or larger if you've always wanted one of them.  They rip! And so can you.

Editors Note: All reference to female riders above is not to imply the gender is less capable.  It is merely a general reference to size and strength for comparison for the men who whine about how heavy these bikes are.  If you want to see capable; come to our Borrego class this month or next month and watch Cassie handle her 1250 with precision and ease.  I'm in awe every time we ride.

Let's Ride!

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You guys are awesome. Thank you. I’ll keep you updated.  Been researching for a few days so far

 

thank you for all the great input from everyone

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7 hours ago, Zubb said:

Hi Pokey, just thought I'd throw in some personal observations and a buck fifty.  Together they should get you a hot cup of coffee at the seven eleven gas station.

For ADV touring any bike will do really.  Hell I have a friend that has ADV toured his Yamaha 250 and a Honda Monkey. But we know that's not what you're looking for.  A lot of folks end up on KLR's, DR650's and now 790's and T7's.  There's a growing list of very capable middleweights including the amazing F850 GS.

The good news is that you'll have a hella good time on just about anything you get.  And it sounds like you might have funds to purchase what you actually want, instead of being hamstrung by price.  That's AWESOME because now you have lots of amazing options.

I've observed quite a few people come through training courses in Borrego on just about every brand and weight of ADV bike.  And of course, some bikes are better than others for trail riding, but it's always the rider ten times more than the bike.  I have seen absolutely no difference in ability based on what bike they were riding.  The 650 riders overall were no better than the 1290 or 1250 riders.  All bikes in the ADV class are heavy, so you better learn not to dab in 2nd gear regardless of whether it's a KLR, 790 or 1290/1250.  It's gonna hurt so you should learn to NOT do that.  ie. . . . big bike specific training is the key to having a big grin under your helmet instead of a sweaty grimace.

As for weight, it's my contention if the bike is heavy you're doing it wrong.  All bikes are weightless when you're balanced.  And no, you don't have to have a name like Chris, or Jerry to ride tough trails in balance with a smile.  All you have to do is leave your motocross mindset in the garage and take a class to learn how to keep a 600 pounder in balance, and then do a little practice of the basic drills. I see 120 lb girls do it all-the-time.  So if the average new-to-adv-riding woman can ride the big bikes then I'm sure a taller, stronger, heavier guy can learn to do it too.  😉

Why do I bring this up?  Because you started the conversation talking about the big KTM!  Let's face it. Who WOULDN'T want one of those sexy beasts to tour on and then tear up some trails!  DO IT! You will be 10 times the rider on the big beast with a class or two than you ever will be on a 790 without classes.  It's not the bike.  It's the rider.

Get the bike you always dreamed about.  You're not getting younger so if you can afford it just do it. Get the beast, scratch the itch.  Get something that will make you crave getting on it to burn off 500 or 1,000 highway miles to get to your next epic off-road adventure!

It's because my son and I have 1200GSA's that this July he and  I will each ride an 850-mile day to meet in Salt Lake.  Then ride another 12-hour scenic day to north Colorado for a weekend of training.  Then spend 5 days on the Colorado BDR and finish with a weekend of level 3 classes in Ouray.  And then burn home in one day to San Diego.  This kind of stuff is pretty easy to do on the big dogs.  Most folks (not all) would contend that the middleweights might not be as 'fun' without throwing a few more vacation days in the middle to rest up.

As for falling down; they all do that.  My personal list of worst to best bikes to pick up on the trail goes like this. . .

  1. 1290/MultiStrada - it takes two baby, it just takes two (sing it in your head)
  2. 990/1090/1190 - ugh! you don't want to do it twice.
  3. 800/850/KLR's
  4. 1150 GSA
  5. 1200/1250
  6. 790's, 701, 501 etc

I don't recall ever having a woman come through class that couldn't pick up a 1250GS using the proper technique.  Of course, the boxer bikes are just cheating cause (a) the weights down low, and (b) they don't fall flat.  So you have a helluva head start to pick it up, and less weight to get back upright due to its lower center of gravity.

If you're dreaming about 790's and 890's at night then that's what you should get.  But I'd encourage you to not let the fear of 'less capable off-road' keep you from a 1090 or larger if you've always wanted one of them.  They rip! And so can you.

Editors Note: All reference to female riders above is not to imply the gender is less capable.  It is merely a general reference to size and strength for comparison for the men who whine about how heavy these bikes are.  If you want to see capable; come to our Borrego class this month or next month and watch Cassie handle her 1250 with precision and ease.  I'm in awe every time we ride.

Let's Ride!

Well done my friend!

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Well I went and test rode the 1090 today.  It’s a leftover new 2019 so before I could ride it KTM had to do the prep and due to some WiFi issues it took a while to get the bike’s security unlocked.

Now on to the ride,  I am not sure if I went in with too much expectations on the power of these or if it was stuck in a safe or limp mode, I would say my 450l when it was bone stock was faster.  It felt like a stock 650L or. KLR650.  I am by no means knocking the 650s I just mean a 1090 should not feel so choked. Off the line it felt ok but above 5000 rpms it felt like the exhaust shrunk to the size of a straw if that makes sense.  I still got it to 80 mph but I really am at a loss.  No question my bone stock Harley would get up to 80 way faster and in stock form they are pretty lacking above 60

To my understanding they are somewhat restricted for the 1st 600 miles for a break in 

I also had it in sport mode. I did not try any other modes. I do know the off-road mode drops the hp from 125 to 100 and if that is how the bike feels at full power, it seems there would not be much fun when in off-road mode?  To me it sounds like something could be wrong with it.  
 

It just does not make sense. All reviews, people I have asked all said the same “they are quick” 

The dealership said my reaction when I came back was the 1st he saw.  It was getting late so they are going to ride it tomorrow to see if they get the same impression.  I really want to be excited for this bike.  I also am aware it’s not a R1 or a crotch rocket    
Anyways after this long winded question is. Does the 1090 power wheelie at all?  Does it require a little technique? Etc.  the reason I ask it that would give me an idea what I should be feeling.  As it is, unless you did a rev limiter clutch dump that front end would not come up at all.  
 

anyways that’s my deal so far. I am exhausted. For 6 days straight I have been studying, looking at shootouts etc until 4 or 5 am. My brain is jello.  Sorry if this post is all over the place

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4 hours ago, Pokey151 said:

^ The above.

@Pokey151 It's a 125hp bike, with tons of go - so that's an interesting review for sure - I'd be interested in hearing what the dealership thought was going on? I don't onw a 1090, but I have ridden a couple and always hopped off thinking to myself 'man that thing is a beast'.

If you want sporty-spice adv, and as long as you aren't brand religious, a couple other middle-big-size adv bikes close to that cc range to try out.... 

The ~450lb (wet) 94hp Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is a really impressive offering from Triumph, it surpasses BMW's new 850 in performance, suspension adjustability, features, and definitely in wet weight - the redesigned triple packs a punch too. It also has heated pilot, and pillion seats haha. I ride with a friend who has one, we have swapped bikes, it's really great. He is a former MX rider, the tiger 900rp was his choice for adv and it doesn't seem to slow him down off road one bit lol. 

Another fantastic rip is the 113hp 500lb (wet) Ducati Multistrada 950 Spoke Wheel edition AKA 'The Pasta Rocket'. They have the S and non S version, I'd go for the non-s, then you have fully manually adjustable front and rear suspension and not the added weight of electrifying all of that in to a button - if you think Multistradas can't go off road I'd direct you over to the IG to take a gander at OverkillAndy's account. My ADV bike is a 85hp 505lb 800GSA, Germanic farm tool - whatever, I love it, it's just the most reliable mechanical device I own, but it's not going to post up any land speed records. My wife has the 950 Multistrada and if we go to LA we will 2-Up, I leave my bike, and use hers because it's just better at that - and also ear to ear smile to rip that throttle. 

Variety is the spice of life, 1090 is amazing, many other bikes have their own charms as well - I guess all that to say great excuse to run around trying out more bikes for free before you put a ring on one haha. 

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You were electronically limited.  Let the dealer figure it out and go repeat your test ride.  

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6 hours ago, shutterrev said:

@Pokey151 It's a 125hp bike, with tons of go - so that's an interesting review for sure - I'd be interested in hearing what the dealership thought 

Yeah me too. There is no way it’s normal.  I remember when I owned a Ducati 1098, I had a warranty issue and they let me take the big multistrada 1200s that had 160 hp. Same hp as my duc and was and almost 100lbs heavier.  I had it for 3 days and said when I dropped it off “I would lose my license if I owned that thing”. Just the comfortable and quietness (in comparison to my race setup 1098) was way too easy to cruise at 100+ mph. Tinker with the electronics and it’s a unicycle more than a motorcycle. 

26 minutes ago, Zubb said:

You were electronically limited.  Let the dealer figure it out and go repeat your test ride.  

Yes I agree. I just called and they are really busy so I am not pushing it or in a rush.  The dealership has been fantastic btw. Super good people there.  

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The 1090 takes clutch and a bit of technique to wheelie. It’s not going to wheelie like Rory on a 500 EXC (or anything for that matter). 
It will drag race Cruisers very well. I’m always kicking myself afterwards thinking it’s not a good idea doing 140 on knobby tires. 
 

 

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On 1/31/2021 at 5:11 PM, Pokey151 said:

Also if I find out they can handle the trails decent I may sell my 450L and for the tougher terrain pick up a ktm 300 tpi  so I can try and cover a wider array of riding

What are your impressions of the 450L ?

How many miles do you have on it so far?

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6 minutes ago, Goofy Footer said:

What are your impressions of the 450L ?

How many miles do you have on it so far?

I love it. I just hit 1100 miles.  I would say 800 of those miles were dirt.  I have all the normal mods done to it plus a few more. It no question needs a full exhaust and vortex ignition due to the one restrictions.  But the more I ride it, the more it impresses.  I have done everything from the Soboba trail ride to a road ride to ocotillo wells and back along with all the trails in between.  If you are considering one and want to try an “uncorked” one, let me know. You can give this a try

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Well I changed my mind yet again. I found a very lightly use 2019 ktm 790 adventure R that was supposedly the KTM Rep’s bike.  It has every upgrade done already and 2700 miles.  I rode it and it felt about the same power wise at the 1090. But this has the full exhaust, intake and ecu stuff done.  Anyways I am now the proud owner of a adventure bike.   I am very much looking forward to some rides with you guys. 
from what I can see if has the following

full exhaust

i was told the ecu and intake were modded accordingly

Skid plate

quickshifter

heated grips

heated seat

Aluminum bark buster

led lights

paneers

steering stabilizer setup with triple clamp

mirrors

some Carbon fiber and anodized parts

cable clutch mod (I guess that was a better choice?)

And added the ktm aluminum luggage for the bigger trips

Rally pegs

and I am sure a few other things

I am very excited for this

no it’s not the 1090 but I test rode both and they really do not feel much different

 

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014B79AB-A718-406B-B8FB-778CF0FE6DE2.jpeg

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I think you will really enjoy this bike...my friends love theirs  !  Congrats  !

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5 minutes ago, Uncle Champ said:

450L for sale yet? Congrats on the new bike, awful purdy though.

 

No not yet, waiting to see how this does. And it’s purdy  I think too, I am glad there are some scratches on it so I will be at ease a little more not wanting to scratch a brand new bike. Lol.   
now the big decision is where to go tomorrow.    It will be very mild off-road but decent road. Like out to Pappy and Harriots for a steak or go straight to a sand wash like fish creek. 
 

hmm

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Congrats. If it doesn’t make you smile it’s the wrong bike. 
It think you’re going to be smiling a lot. 
Hit me up for a ride. 

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