Words: Bill Hunter.
It’s been over four years since I rode the KTM 890 Adventure R, so I was quite excited to have another ride on what’s claimed to be the best ‘hard-core’ Adventure bike variant. Since then the 890 Adventure R had an update in 2023, mainly cosmetic, with a few technical additions and superior suspension.
It’s no secret that I’m not the greatest fan of hard-core off-road adventure riding, however, the last time I rode one of these I actually quite enjoyed the experience. Tarmac has always been my preference but, for some inexplicable reason to me, the 890 Adventure R, once again, made me enjoy a day down a dirt lane. It’s just such an accomplished machine on all counts in such an environment and I can totally see the attraction of owning one. Ready to Race KTM boast – built like an unbreakable military machine is more applicable, I’d prefer to say!
We have been here before with this LC8c engine found in other KTM bikes, but let’s have a quick recap. The 899cc, parallel-twin, eight-valve, fuel-injected power plant churns out a commendable 105hp@8,000rpm combined with a hefty 100Nm@6,500rpm of the torquey stuff. That’s more than enough power to send the 890 R north of 200km/h, except for one problem, the tyres. Well it’s not actually a "problem", because the Mitas Enduro Trail rubbery bits are only rated to 160km/h, rudely reflected by the sticker on the fairing panel telling you not to venture above that speed. Probably referring more to continuous speeds, maybe, but a quick blast above that is always a mischievous accomplishment, right? Obviously you can change the knobbly tyres if you desire but these stock items enforce the undiluted nature of the off-road prowess of the 890 Adventure R. The sizes being, 21-inch front and 18-inch rear, the predictable choice for serious off-road action; the 160-section rear does look rather cool though in a chunky-like manner.
To go with the impressive LC8c motor there’s a wealth of electronics to assist the rider with his/her chosen style of riding and/or terrain. This particular bike had the Tech Pack installed, which is now "free’" at last, rather than that bizarre Demo mode thing, but more on that later. This unlocks the excellent Rally Mode where you can access Traction control (nine levels), four ride modes (Rain, Road, Off-road, Rally), three levels of throttle response (Street, Off-road, Rally), Motor Slip Regulation (how far the bike steps out to prevent high-sides and throwing you into a tree), cruise control, launch control and lean angle sensitive Bosch ABS. The traction control also enjoys the same lean angle sensitive attribute. All of which can be adjusted on the fly, which is exceedingly useful to say the least.
All of these parameters are relayed on the 5-inch TFT display that can also connect to your phone for Bluteeth and the like, including the KTMconnect app. Thankfully the way everything interacts using the left side switch is quite straightforward to use when some of the other manufacturers can be annoyingly irritating and over complicated (Honda’s Africa Twin springs to mind). There’s also a handy USB-c port if you want to connect other external devices.
The orange powder-coated Chromium-Molybdenum steel frame and exposed swing-arm support KTM’s finest WP Xplor suspension, without doubt some of the most impressive components found on the 890 Adventure R and any other motorcycle for that matter! Thick 48mm forks sit proudly at the front with a substantial PDS Xplor piggyback shock tucked away at the rear. I did find the front forks a bit hard for my liking but with a vast array of compression, damping and pre-load adjustment it’s easy to set for personal taste. On the other hand the rear PDS shock is faultless and, again, one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of compressing.
Now onto the styling and in these colours, and with the addition of this PowerParts orange seat, it just looks magnificent and determined to attack everything you can throw at it. With a seat height of 879mm it is a very tall bike though. Even with my six-foot frame I was still on tiptoes to reach the floor still, once underway, it wasn’t an issue.
Once you are underway I did perceive how light and agile this bike feels, yes, it does weigh 215kg with 20-litres of fuel, but with the twin tanks slung low each side of the bike they drastically lower the centre of gravity. It feels agile and responsive to throw around, either on the road or dirty lanes. It didn’t matter where or how I rode I chose to leave it in ‘full-fat’ mode, or Rally, which means the most aggressive power delivery, traction control off and the most aggressive Rally throttle response. I just preferred the instant snap of the power delivery, even when I strayed off-road. Oh, sorry, I did dial in a bit of traction control once in the dirt to help with my anxiety and exposed dry teeth. To be honest the 890 Adventure R is so far above my abilities off-road it didn’t matter what settings I chose, but it did make me feel more macho in full-on Rally vibe, with the odd wheelie thrown in now and then.
This LC8c engine is a peach with a super-smooth power delivery and lots of it if you decide to venture towards the top end of the rev-range. Sounds good too with its unique 435-degree firing order, also fitted with KTM’s aftermarket Remus silencer. And the quick-shifter, that goes both up and down the six-speed gearbox, is a delight to use with a faultless action, and it causes a delicious ‘crack’ between changes.
On the road it’s not the best for highway cruising due to sitting tall on the high seat, and the very short screen above the headlight gives hardly any wind protection to speak of. So around 120k/h was the best place to be, but the 890 Adventure R is more about off-road insanity than bland commuting. Many riders on MeTube are seen to be jumping many metres into the air around proper MX tracks and climbing ridiculous near vertical hills, not me though thank you, but it shows what a weapon this is in the right hands, well younger hands that is! Still, I once again enjoyed venturing off-road and only because of how good the KTM 890 Adventure R is, a tremendous thing on all counts I’d say!
With over 100hp and between 30-50kg lighter than any of the big capacity 1200-1300 Adventure bikes, the KTM 890 Adventure R is the most exciting hard-core adventure bike money can buy and I still believe that. However, if you fancy having one in your garage, love hard-core adventuring, and know how to get the best out of such a machine the time is now. KTM have announced a 20k dealer assist offer and "free’" Tech Pack that I mentioned earlier, giving a whopping saving of around 36K, so you can now have all of this for only R269,995 – now that is Hard to Beat indeed?
Images: BB
Go to www.ktm.com for more technical information and to view its 2025 range.
Also visit www.radktm.co.za for Jo’burg, or www.radpaarl.co.za if you live in the Cape, for professional purchasing assistance.
12/05/25
