HAS THE WAIT BEEN WORTH IT?

KTM's long-awaited 1390 Super Adventure stamps its authority on an expectant market with semi-active suspension, an auto gearbox, pin-sharp electronics, and the most powerful motor in the adventure class. We rode it on the beautiful island of Tenerife

- Adam Child 'Chad'

THE ALL-NEW 1390 SUPER ADVENTURE made its début in November 2024 at EICMA in Milan, but with its production paused due to KTM's well-documented restructuring process. It has taken until now to release the Austrian manufacturer's biggest, most powerful, and technologically advanced production bike so far.

In fact, the 1390 (actually 1,350 cubic centimetres, up from 1,301 cc) is now the most powerful adventure bike in the market, full stop, producing a peak 173 hp and a stonking 145 Nm of torque at just 8,000 rpm, thanks partly to Camshift variable valve timing. However, despite those eye-watering figures, the flexibility and outright performance of the LC8 V-twin is not the big story in town, because the S Evo is absolutely saturated in new electronic technology.

Semi-active suspension is nothing new, and we have seen this on the older and still excellent 1290, but now the S Evo has upped the game with WP SAT (Semi-Active Technology) and four different damping modes: Comfort, Street, Sport, and Rain. A full-colour eight-inch portrait touchscreen, complete with an anti-smudge and anti-reflection coating, is one of the largest in the market and more like having a tablet to play with on the move than a humble dashboard. At the heart of everything, it features integrated sat-nav and allows the rider to change the riding mode, suspension, and rider aids on the move. Fifth-generation Bosch front radar, coupled with Adaptive Cruise Control, now has a Group Ride mode to make it safer when riding with mates in close formation.