Giga enduro in the on- & off-road test - KTM 1390 Super Adventure R

It took a long time, but here it finally is: the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R. The biggest, most powerful, and in that sense also the most radical off-road machine from the orange house. We're not testing it just anywhere, but in Catalonia, where we shorten winter a bit and set up our Spanish away-garage. On the program are not only new bike releases, but also models we barely or never got our hands on last year.

That includes the 1390 Super Adventure R. It was already announced back in late 2024, but the turmoil at the KTM group delayed the start of production. Accordingly, we're all the more pleased to finally be able to ride this new GIGA enduro the way it deserves. To make sure this becomes a truly worthy test of this extreme bike, Bernd Hiemer, two-time Supermoto World Champion, is providing his professional perspective and impressions from the limit. But the central question remains just as exciting as ever: how well does moving around 250 kilos and 175 hp work on- and off-road?

The KTM 1390 Super Adventure R is the more uncompromising, off-road-oriented sister of the 1390 Super Adventure S and S EVO. While the S models focus more on road, comfort, and high tech, the R deliberately takes a different path. It does without the semi-active suspension, the automatic ride-height adjustment, the AMT, and also radar-based assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control. These are exactly the systems that make a strong buying argument for the S EVO, but on the R they're missing not by accident, but on principle.

That doesn't mean it's completely purist, of course, since riding modes, lean-angle-dependent systems like traction control, ABS, engine brake control, and a modern cockpit are still on board. But the R doesn't want to be a big touring machine with off-road looks — it wants to be a big enduro with a genuine off-road focus. Up front it rolls on a 21-inch wheel, at the rear on 18 inches. Add to that 240 millimeters of travel front and rear, plus a conventional, fully adjustable WP-XPLOR chassis.

For the 1390 generation, the big V2 grows from 1,301 to 1,350 cubic centimeters. Maximum power sits at an insane 175 hp, maximum torque at 145 Nm. That means the Super Adventure R is no lightweight even standing still — it's a genuine powerhouse. Such performance is made possible by CAMSHIFT technology with variable valve timing. At higher revs, the intake camshafts shift laterally, the valves open longer and higher, cylinder filling improves, and top-end power increases. At lower revs, reduced timing and less lift come into play. This is meant to deliver more grunt from down low and smoother throttle response. That's exactly what matters on a beast like this, because power alone isn't the art here. What counts is whether it can be metered out.

For the chassis, the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R deliberately doesn't rely on the S EVO's tech. There's no semi-active system, no automatic adjustment, no electric trickery. Instead, a fully adjustable 48mm WP-XPLOR upside-down fork works up front, and a WP-XPLOR PDS shock at the rear. PDS means: no linkage. The shock is directly actuated, but internally generates a progressive, firming spring characteristic via the damping system.

On a machine weighing 248 kilos wet, that's no minor detail. When this bike, with its 170-plus hp, accelerates, gets airborne, or lands hard, the chassis has to cope with a lot of mass and a lot of energy. The PDS system builds up significantly more hydraulic resistance toward the end of the travel, aimed at preventing bottoming out. On paper that sounds conclusive; in practice it shows: the base setup is surprisingly broad in range. It works in daily riding, it works on country roads, and it also has reserves off-road. That's exactly the balancing act the R has to pull off, since legal off-road fun rarely starts right at our front door.

Even standing still, the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R looks intimidating. The low-slung 23-liter tank is wide, the crash bars visually add another scoop, and the front stands tall and massive in the wind. Does that mean you have to be an imposing person yourself to sit on it? Not necessarily. Seat height is 880 millimeters — neither low nor completely absurd. The seat is sporty and firm, with edges on the sides. Sit further back and your legs spread more, making the reach to the ground longer for shorter legs. In the middle the waist is narrower, but that's exactly where the foot pegs sit, which makes maneuvering with short legs a bit of a challenge. At 1.85 meters, the ergonomics generally fit well. The upper body stays upright, the handlebar is wide, and the riding position feels typically adventure-touring, but with a sporty closeness to the front wheel. For very tall, long-legged riders, though, the sporty knee angle can definitely become an issue.

What's surprising about the Super Adventure R isn't its power, but how accessible it remains despite that power. Throttle response and power delivery aren't vicious — they're very well meterable. If you want, you can ride it tame. Of course, at some point comes the moment when the monster gets unleashed. But that's exactly what the riding modes are for. In Rain mode, power is significantly reduced; Street also takes off some sharpness; full power is available above all in Sport and in the optional Rally mode.

In daily use, you don't need to panic in front of this big bike. Maneuvering, U-turns, and narrow streets work better than the looks would suggest. Steering lock is exemplary, which helps when turning around, looking for parking, and in slow maneuvers. The clutch, on the other hand, can become tiresome. Its dimensions apparently match the big engine, and accordingly it's not the lightest to operate. The friction point is easy to feel, but in stop-and-go traffic it takes some forearm strength. On top of that: the AMT remains exclusive to the S EVO. On the R, you always shift and clutch the classic way.

Even a Super Adventure R has to be able to tour. Especially in our latitudes, there's often a decent stretch of asphalt between the garage and a legal gravel track. Here the chassis doesn't feel excessively harsh. It absorbs bumps cleanly, stays pleasant on the highway, and offers usable comfort even on long stages. The seat is sporty and firm, but not uncomfortable. You sit in a clearly defined dip, which gives support but also somewhat limits freedom of movement in the saddle.

Touring features are on board too. The adaptive cornering light is optional, lights into the corner depending on lean angle, and is a real safety benefit on nighttime stages. The windshield adjustment is present, but rather basic. You could say: fits the off-road focus. Or you could say: in this league, you might have expected a more elegant solution. On the luggage side there's a large rear rack, and side cases can be mounted. With a maximum permissible total weight of 460 kilos, that leaves a calculated payload of around 212 kilos — assuming the manufacturer's claimed 248 kilos wet weight is accurate. We're not measuring fuel consumption cleanly in this test, because with Bernd's riding style any figure would be more comedy than buying advice.

On the road, the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R surprises with how little it rides like a fat battleship. You expect effort, insistence, and a permanent wrestling match with the mass. In reality, it tips into corners surprisingly willingly. The narrower wheels compared to the S version contribute to this, but so does the WP-XPLOR chassis. It works finely, gives feedback from the road, and keeps the whole package tidily together even at a sporty pace.

The brake has a rather soft pressure point, but builds braking power progressively and effectively. It can rein in the weight sportily even from higher speeds. With the fitted Bridgestone AT41s — a 90/10 tire — there's good road grip and rounded turn-in behavior. With genuine knobby tires it will naturally feel different, especially trail braking into lean, because you do feel there's weight behind it. At the same time, maximum lean angle is strong, the engine shoves brutally, and the bike works well enough that you can ride genuinely fast even without a racing license. Just don't forget how quickly the scenery blurs when you really twist the throttle in Sport mode.

When it comes to engine power, Bernd is quickly clear: this thing is brutal. He loves powerful bikes, and that's exactly why he's looking forward to this test. In Rally mode, with traction control dialed way down, he describes the situations dryly: rear wheel spins up, front wheel lifts, or both happen at once. That sounds like exaggeration, but on the footage it's exactly what you see. This Super Adventure R isn't a bike that pretends to be wild. It is wild.

At the same time, Bernd emphasizes that modern electronics make a bike like this accessible. Anyone who isn't constantly riding at the limit can work their way up gradually through the riding modes, ABS, and traction control. Rain takes power away, traction control intervenes earlier, ABS reacts more defensively. From there you work your way up step by step. On a closed track, that's huge fun for Bernd. On public roads, though, it takes self-control — not because the bike would be uncontrollable, but because it constantly invites you to do more than the license authorities would be happy about long term.

A real point of criticism shows up in foot room. With a size-45 shoe, things get tight around the foot pegs. Anyone who stands sportily on the balls of their feet quickly catches on the pillion foot peg. That's annoying not just on asphalt, but especially off-road, where correct foot position matters. There are similar contact points on the left too, and standing up brings the side stand into play as well.

The problem can't simply be solved by unbolting the pillion pegs. On the right, the exhaust hangs off it; on the left, the mount probably also plays a role for the luggage system. So this tightness remains part of the package. Interestingly, Bernd Hiemer confirms the issue even with a size-42 shoe. When he goes fully onto the balls of his feet, he too bumps against the rear peg. It bothers him less than it bothers me, but it's still there. On a bike so clearly positioned toward dynamic riding and off-road use, it's fair to mention it.

As a two-time Supermoto World Champion, stunt rider, and riding-technique instructor, Bernd does things with the Super Adventure in loose terrain that normal people wouldn't even dream of trying. One wheel is permanently beyond the traction limit, gravel is flying, and the quarter-ton of Mattighofen steel sails through the air. This extreme off-road use shows why KTM opted for a classic off-road chassis on the R. Bernd lifts the front wheel, lets the rear wheel work, hops over small ledges, and drives the machine with a dynamism that has an average rider sweating just from watching. The chassis doesn't bottom out through any of it. There are reserves left even through the jumps and hops ridden. Bernd even says it would be exciting to test the bike on a bigger track with 10 or 15-meter jumps. We don't go that far here, but what we do, the KTM handles cleanly.

His first assessment of the ergonomics partly matches McGregor's impression. The foot pegs feel relatively high. For Bernd, at 1.76 meters, the position generally suits dynamic, aggressive off-road riding well. For taller riders, though, he immediately understands why the handlebar can feel too low while standing. The distance between the pegs and the handlebar also feels a bit tight to him. Compared to a GS, the bar sits closer. Bernd compensates by moving his feet further back and standing more on the balls of his feet. That works for him, but it wouldn't be ideal. His wish to KTM is clear: the ergonomics could be stretched out a bit more. Either the handlebar further forward or the pegs further back. That would let the rider stand more relaxed and shift weight backward off-road more easily.

He also likes the balance. He feels no acute urge to adjust the settings. The chassis works both at slow speeds and at a faster pace. On the road there's good feel for the front wheel; off-road it turns in cleanly and stays controllable, as long as you know what you're doing. The mechanical grip is especially fascinating. Bernd tries slides like you'd know from other big adventure bikes, but the KTM builds up so much grip that the front wheel tends to lift rather than the bike going loose sideways. That says a lot about traction and engine.

Where a lot of power, a lot of weight, and a lot of grip come together, the material gets put to the test. In this test that shows up on the chain. After hard use, it jumps off. That doesn't happen during gentle gravel cruising, but after a lot of power, wheel spin, landings, and sudden traction. Bernd puts it soberly: when the rear wheel is in the air, or has some slip and then suddenly regains traction with over 170 hp, it yanks brutally on the chain in that moment. Exactly those load spikes stretch the chain quickly, which at this power level is basically unavoidable.

In our specific case, it's no drama either. The chain goes back on, and the ride continues. Still, it's an important reminder for hard off-road use far from civilization. Anyone who really does stunts, jumps, and power slides on a machine like this is moving not just at the limit as a rider, but also at the limit mechanically, where boundaries become visible. The onboard toolkit stands out positively. KTM supplies pleasantly generous material here, including matching sockets and wrenches. That's no longer a given even in expensive classes these days, and it helps exactly when the fun suddenly comes to a halt at the roadside.

The cockpit of the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R is new, big, and modern. The touchscreen is oriented vertically, the instrumentation has been reworked, and features like 3D navigation move directly onto the display. The test bike also has the Tech Pack fitted. Among other things, this includes a quickshifter, Rally riding mode, nine-stage adjustable traction control, engine drag torque control, and further software functions.

The quickshifter works crisply, and operating the traction control is logical and intuitive. This quick adjustability makes particular sense in Rally mode, since you can adapt the interventions to surface, speed, and courage level. But the big electronics question remains: are the S EVO's systems missing on the R? Radar, blind-spot warning, AMT, semi-active chassis? Anyone looking for a maximum touring adventure bike for long road trips will answer that question differently than someone who wants a big, sporty off-road enduro. The R feels coherent precisely because it doesn't want to have everything — it wants the right things for its specific area of use.

The KTM 1390 Super Adventure R combines a lot of power, a lot of weight, and a lot of demand. With bikes like this, it's best to ask the question of purpose only half-heartedly, because rationally nobody needs 175 hp in an off-road touring enduro. But emotionally, this bike makes immediate sense the moment you twist the throttle. It shoves brutally, builds enormous grip, and yet can be controlled surprisingly cleanly. That's exactly where the appeal lies.

On asphalt, it's markedly more nimble than its appearance would suggest. In daily use, it's more accessible than the key data would have you fear. Off-road, it's a respect-commanding but manageable task for average riders, and a playground with tons of dynamism for skilled ones. Bernd Hiemer shows what's possible when riding skill, courage, and performance come together. I show that you can enjoy it even with middling riding skill. It's not perfect — the criticism of the ergonomics while standing, the wind protection, the foot room, and the clutch in city traffic can hardly dampen the riding pleasure given its qualities. But the core package is powerful, fascinating, and remarkably well-rounded.