Having settled into my new home in Germany I went for a test drive with a KTM 990 Adventure, the bike I am thinking of switching to. KTM is known for its off road capable bikes and the 990 Adventure is one of its flagships. A week earlier I had visited KTM Frankfurt to take a look at the bikes they had and I found a used but overpriced model which I decided to take a test drive with.

As soon as I got on the bike I noticed that not only did it look quite different, it’s a completely different seating position. A very different seat altogether and the bike is much taller so getting on is different too.

I started the engine and lifted my feet off the ground for the first time, realizing how extremely light the bike seemed even though it’s actually heavier than the BMW F650GS. Its center of gravity is a lot higher which creates the feeling that it’s lighter and easier to tip to the side. However that also makes it more unstable and more difficult to balance especially with a lot of luggage on the rear.

The reason everything is higher and taller on this bike is that this is what you want for off-road riding. Ground clearance and suspension travel are what differentiates these types of bikes from street bikes. Same wit the wheels. The KTM has bigger wheels which make it easier to travel across uneven ground. But it’s less desirable for cornering and going fast which is why racing bikes have comparatively small wheels.

I inspected the bike thoroughly. It looked in decent condition except for some rust on a few parts and a scratched exhaust.

The KTM felt a lot more responsive than the BMW. The slightest movements changed the balance and direction I was going. (It felt a little like using a computer mouse with increased speed settings). Apropos speed, I immediately felt the bigger engine. The 200 additional ccm made a world of a difference. There was so much power at my disposal. It accelerated much quicker than the BMW but I also didn’t have any luggage on the KTM which added to the effect. Even in the higher gears it felt like there was always more room for more throttle even when I really didn’t need any more. I never felt like I must be close to the end of a gear. First the quick power felt uncomfortable because again it felt so nimble and sensitive to the slightest twist of the throttle but I quickly got used to it.

The dash is neat and tidy with a built in cigarette lighter as any adventure rider would want. The only thing that surprised me was that I couldn’t see any gear indicator. Not a big deal but I assumed that all modern bikes nowadays had one. Even my two years older BMW had one.

Moving on to the handle bar, unlike the BMW the KTM didn’t have heated grips but I was delighted to see that the turn signal control was a one button switch to control both sides like on every other bike in the world except on BMWs.

I went off the main roads to find a spot to get a little more familiar with the bikes handling.

It was a surprised to realize that standing up on the foot pegs actually felt little different from my BMW. If I were to get the KTM I would definitely need to get handle bar extenders. Basically two metal plates that raise the handle bar a few centimeters which can make a big difference and for off roading being able to stand up is important.

After a bit of experimenting I felt very comfortable with the bike. Overall the light handling was what impressed me most. I wish I also had the opportunity to test the 990 with heavy luggage as it no doubt would change the handling quite a bit.

Reluctantly I returned to KTM and handed in the bike.

One thing however I didn’t like about the bike. The KTMs two cylinder engine ran nowhere near as smooth as BMWs. I particularly noticed the difference when I got back on the BMW riding home. The engine is smooth as butter. No vibrations on the handle bars or anywhere else. The BMWs Twin engine is said to be the best and smoothest of it’s kind and now I could tell how true that was. It almost felt like driving a car, it’s that smooth. Even the riding position seems more exhausting on the KTM. Which is not a surprise considering the different purpose of the bike. The BMW makes you feel like you are sitting in a cosy armchair while on the KTM you are standing up behind the wheel of a fast motorboat with the vibrations of the engine and the wind against your body. This difference is something I did not expect to this degree. That’s the trade off of being able to keep going even when the road has ended.

All in all my conclusion from this test was that I will most likely not get this particular example of the KTM 990 Adventure (for various other reasons) but I am still set on selling my BMW for a more off road capable bike.