Let's see what all the fuss is about............

I have read that KTM dealers can set the initial pre load on the spring on some of the electronically suspended bikes. Good luck finding one who knows how to do it though.

redbrick is right though. It's the spring that needs changing to suit weight.

On my 1290S I found I was using the rider plus luggage option or sometimes rider and passenger settings for best results solo. I spoke to my delaer, Colwyn Bay Motorcycles about this. They didn't just do it straight away, they enquired as to the issue and my comments, then increased the pre load on the shock (it's actually -5mm) as thats the additional pre load they added and now it's far better. I can use the bike solo in solo mode. Then I did a 2 up with luggage trip to France and thought it was the best bike i've ever ridden 2 up with luggage.

I'm much happier.
 
How long did you ride one for? .

Long enough - and on roads I know well, plus some of the route followed that I took to and from the dealers on my 1190. I am fairly certain my 1190 did loosen up noticeably, as a rough guess I would say when brand new the comfort mode was about the same as street is now (and probably most of that softening occurred in the 1st couple of thousand miles)

If the dealer can alter damping a little that would be great, I very rarely use sport on my 1190 and unless going particularly quick (or heavily loaded) I find Comfort gives good handling and bump absorption. I also run the Ergo seats on my 1190 that might also take some of the thump out of bumps.

Worth mentioning I think the 1190 has by far the best OE suspension I have ever sampled, better than the modified suspension of my GS (Wilburs fromt and rear) and Super Tenere (Wilburs shock/ MCT Forks) so stating I do not think the 1290 is quite as good as my 1190 is not saying it is bad, but if it could be softened a touch I would be very happy....

...although I thought the whole point of semi-active was it could react in a nanosecond and give a magic-carpet like ride.
 
Long enough - and on roads I know well, plus some of the route followed that I took to and from the dealers on my 1190. I am fairly certain my 1190 did loosen up noticeably, as a rough guess I would say when brand new the comfort mode was about the same as street is now (and probably most of that softening occurred in the 1st couple of thousand miles)

If the dealer can alter damping a little that would be great, I very rarely use sport on my 1190 and unless going particularly quick (or heavily loaded) I find Comfort gives good handling and bump absorption. I also run the Ergo seats on my 1190 that might also take some of the thump out of bumps.

Worth mentioning I think the 1190 has by far the best OE suspension I have ever sampled, better than the modified suspension of my GS (Wilburs fromt and rear) and Super Tenere (Wilburs shock/ MCT Forks) so stating I do not think the 1290 is quite as good as my 1190 is not saying it is bad, but if it could be softened a touch I would be very happy....

...although I thought the whole point of semi-active was it could react in a nanosecond and give a magic-carpet like ride.

KTM own White Power ( at least they did) and from experience i believe that the WP units on KTM are way better than the WP on other makes
 
Nutty, if you do need yours set up, I can recommend these chaps:

https://md-racing.co.uk

They do a lot of Ducatis but one of their fellas is an ex KTM mechanic. Very friendly, helpful and knowledgable. They know their way around suspension. Based in Walton on Thames.

Cheers Pete, but no need, as I'm happier than the proverbial with the suspension on my 1290.:thumb:D

FWIW, they've lent me a 1090 for a few days, and the suspension on that is the worst I've ever experienced on any "adventure" bike. It really is terrible.
 
Worth mentioning I think the 1190 has by far the best OE suspension I have ever sampled,

...although I thought the whole point of semi-active was it could react in a nanosecond and give a magic-carpet like ride.

That's how I feel about the suspension on mine. It's magic carpet smooth on all road surfaces, so there may have been issues with the bike you rode.
 
FWIW, they've lent me a 1090 for a few days, and the suspension on that is the worst I've ever experienced on any "adventure" bike. It really is terrible.

I found the 1090 fine when I borrowed one whilst my 1190 was in for a service, certainly better than my 2005 650 V-Strom was in stock trim, so definitely not the worst adventure bike suspension I have tried - and IIRC the NC750-X I tested was pretty crude (if you can call it an adventure bike)

The 1090 is competing with far cheaper bikes than the 1290 so probably holds up well against the competition, you can't expect it to match the £4-5k more expensive 1290 or the even more expensive GS / XR models.
 
What you need is the 1290S, all the comfort and practicality of a GS, but with performance very close to the Superduke - but without the obligation to chase every sportsbike owner you come across.

I find even the latest GS very bland by comparison to my 1190, less power everywhere in the rev range and with a huge flat spot, even the latest semi active GS suspension does not feel anywhere near as nice as the 1190's conventional stuff (apart from the telelever lack of dive) overall it felt more like going for a drive in my Astra Diesel than riding a motorcycle.

The 1290S is generally an improvement in every area and makes the GS feel even more obsolete and last century.

I'll let you into a secret.............

Obsolete and last century is the new black:D

During my existential bike crisis I thought I'd update the TC too.

After my last trip to Italy I convinced myself that more powah would make me a happier chappy in my touring activity too.

After riding the SD and perhaps unsurprisingly, it felt as flat as a fart, heavy and unwieldy in comparison.

It did however take me in complete comfort on a two up 3000 mile road trip at an average speed that was more or less the same as every other bike I've owned from middleweight upward for the last 35 years and what's more my average speeds have dropped since the good old bad old days not increased.

The SD in a way was also properly old skool in that, despite all the bollox talked by folk who never take the feckers on a properly decent trip, several hours of high speed windblast day after day, turned out to be every bit as character building as it was all those years ago on a UJM when I knew no different and was 35 years younger and couldn't afford the alternatives anyway even if I wanted them ( which I didn't btw;))

Anyroad it's a brilliant machine for Sunday blasts and, if you plan your routes and roads to travel the path less travelled, not as bad as you think, however, add in the age old dilemma of the time it takes to get to the places you dream of to really enjoy it's potential vs the pain to get there, for me, the appeal diminished on quite a steep downward curve.

For different reasons I've decided that I don't want similar mammoth power stuck in an upright adventure chassis either.

Good fun and more comfy than an SD no doubt as they whisk you to the roads less travelled in order to experience their undoubtedy amazeballs performance and handling but and it's a big but, I'll get there as fast, if not faster, in more comfort, with less stress and, if you're anything less than a riding God I'll have you when you get there.

So what progess have we made?
 
I had a 2008GS and enjoyed it very much, 12,000 miles in 18 months, swapped it for a Super Tenere and clocked another 24,000 miles in 4 years - nearly all touring miles as I am forced to use a car for business 90% of the time and have another bike for the other 10% and running errands / riding in the worst of winter....

...so I am aware you don't "need" 150+ BHP. I took to the GS after years of big fast bikes (lastly a ZZR1400) in a bid to hold onto my licence as much as anything, but also fancied more comfort and a bike better suited to the roads less travelled you mention. Without this change I would of probably stopped biking by now.

I have never ridden the Superduke, but would imagine it to be a fast and ferocious and not much better than the ZZR for my use - and you obviously found the same, however this is not what the 1190 / 1290 Adventures are like, I can potter along on the Adventure at low speeds just as well as I can on a GS and it is as comfy as any other bike I have owned for those long trips.

The difference is I can open the taps a bit more now and again for a brief blast of fun that the GS cannot provide, overtake in a blink of an eye with just a whiff of throttle instead of wrenching the thing to the stop just to find I am in the huge mid range black hole of frustration that the LC possesses.

I admit I probably get from A-B barely any faster than I did on the GS or S10, but along the way I have a bigger grin on my face.
 
I'll let you into a secret.............

Obsolete and last century is the new black:D

During my existential bike crisis I thought I'd update the TC too.

After my last trip to Italy I convinced myself that more powah would make me a happier chappy in my touring activity too.

After riding the SD and perhaps unsurprisingly, it felt as flat as a fart, heavy and unwieldy in comparison.

It did however take me in complete comfort on a two up 3000 mile road trip at an average speed that was more or less the same as every other bike I've owned from middleweight upward for the last 35 years and what's more my average speeds have dropped since the good old bad old days not increased.

The SD in a way was also properly old skool in that, despite all the bollox talked by folk who never take the feckers on a properly decent trip, several hours of high speed windblast day after day, turned out to be every bit as character building as it was all those years ago on a UJM when I knew no different and was 35 years younger and couldn't afford the alternatives anyway even if I wanted them ( which I didn't btw;))

Anyroad it's a brilliant machine for Sunday blasts and, if you plan your routes and roads to travel the path less travelled, not as bad as you think, however, add in the age old dilemma of the time it takes to get to the places you dream of to really enjoy it's potential vs the pain to get there, for me, the appeal diminished on quite a steep downward curve.

For different reasons I've decided that I don't want similar mammoth power stuck in an upright adventure chassis either.

Good fun and more comfy than an SD no doubt as they whisk you to the roads less travelled in order to experience their undoubtedy amazeballs performance and handling but and it's a big but, I'll get there as fast, if not faster, in more comfort, with less stress and, if you're anything less than a riding God I'll have you when you get there.

So what progess have we made?

Maybe the 'bollox' talked by folk was because they had the sense to buy and fit a screen which made going on a 'properly decent trip' far less taxing.
 
I had a 2008GS and enjoyed it very much, 12,000 miles in 18 months, swapped it for a Super Tenere and clocked another 24,000 miles in 4 years - nearly all touring miles as I am forced to use a car for business 90% of the time and have another bike for the other 10% and running errands / riding in the worst of winter....

...so I am aware you don't "need" 150+ BHP. I took to the GS after years of big fast bikes (lastly a ZZR1400) in a bid to hold onto my licence as much as anything, but also fancied more comfort and a bike better suited to the roads less travelled you mention. Without this change I would of probably stopped biking by now.

I have never ridden the Superduke, but would imagine it to be a fast and ferocious and not much better than the ZZR for my use - and you obviously found the same, however this is not what the 1190 / 1290 Adventures are like, I can potter along on the Adventure at low speeds just as well as I can on a GS and it is as comfy as any other bike I have owned for those long trips.

The difference is I can open the taps a bit more now and again for a brief blast of fun that the GS cannot provide, overtake in a blink of an eye with just a whiff of throttle instead of wrenching the thing to the stop just to find I am in the huge mid range black hole of frustration that the LC possesses.

I admit I probably get from A-B barely any faster than I did on the GS or S10, but along the way I have a bigger grin on my face.

They're great bikes I'm being a bit tongue in cheek but going through my own personal 'road to Damascus' about what I want and need from a bike nowadays.

I went through all the powah thing once with sports bikes and then sports tourers and feck me and rather predictably the same thing has happened with 'adventure bikes', who says marketing doesn't work?:D
 
They're great bikes I'm being a bit tongue in cheek but going through my own personal 'road to Damascus' about what I want and need from a bike nowadays.

I went through all the powah thing once with sports bikes and then sports tourers and feck me and rather predictably the same thing has happened with 'adventure bikes', who says marketing doesn't work?:D

Sounds very akin to my bike journey
Sportsbikes in my youth ( 20s and 30s) a lay off and then adventure bikes then more powerful adventure bikes, for the sake of argument i will call the XR and adventure bike, and realised power isn't everything and went light and torquey

The SDR is a brilliant bike and despite what is said it can happily tootle about. it can tour ( my mate does big trips on his) any bike can tour, i think they are remarkably comfy and yet it is the ultimate hooligan. I am glad i didn't buy one but .....
 
Maybe the 'bollox' talked by folk was because they had the sense to buy and fit a screen which made going on a 'properly decent trip' far less taxing.

:)Tried a Puig but I admit I couldn't face the 'touring' version it was just wrong.

Moved the windblast approximately 5 cm, barely enough to titilate my nipples tbh.

It is what it is and we all know you can tour on anything but it wouldn't be my first choice, amazeballs as it, is I just call it as it is and sat hunched over the handlebars on major roads in order to counter the windblast merely highlighted both mine and the bike's limitations.

It does mean you do know what speed you're doing anything above national speed limit and many folk will cite that as a license saving advantage, they say at least it's 'clean' air and, as you know, it's ballistic in that 30 to 80 mph range it's just that it's a pain at sustained cruising speeds and the fact that it can do 170 mph and to all intents and purposes you can't use even a fraction of that I found ultimately frustrating.

I like to know the wind is there and feel it rustle through my ponytailed locks, and, at the other end of the spectrum I feel positively stifled on a full tourer in that horrible bubble of still air or worse the one that pushes you forward like an invisible hand but I've had to learn, in some cases relearn:blast, these truths and the high performance nekkid is one of my relearns.

It's a personal thing of course and I'm glad folk enjoy all sorts of bikes it's just a bit of banter;)

Do you use that horrific carbuncle that is the Puig touring screen in order to enhance the distance potential or are you just naturally supple, like a teenage boy perchance?
 
:)Tried a Puig but I admit I couldn't face the 'touring' version it was just wrong.

Moved the windblast approximately 5 cm, barely enough to titilate my nipples tbh.

It is what it is and we all know you can tour on anything but it wouldn't be my first choice, amazeballs as it, is I just call it as it is and sat hunched over the handlebars on major roads in order to counter the windblast merely highlighted both mine and the bike's limitations.

It does mean you do know what speed you're doing anything above national speed limit and many folk will cite that as a license saving advantage, they say at least it's 'clean' air and, as you know, it's ballistic in that 30 to 80 mph range it's just that it's a pain at sustained cruising speeds and the fact that it can do 170 mph and to all intents and purposes you can't use even a fraction of that I found ultimately frustrating.

I like to know the wind is there and feel it rustle through my ponytailed locks, and, at the other end of the spectrum I feel positively stifled on a full tourer in that horrible bubble of still air or worse the one that pushes you forward like an invisible hand but I've had to learn, in some cases relearn:blast, these truths and the high performance nekkid is one of my relearns.

It's a personal thing of course and I'm glad folk enjoy all sorts of bikes it's just a bit of banter;)

Do you use that horrific carbuncle that is the Puig touring screen in order to enhance the distance potential or are you just naturally supple, like a teenage boy perchance?

Any more of that carry on and I’ll be going to the media. :D

The Piug for me worked really well (such is the subjective nature of screens). I found it took the pressure off my chest enough to be ok. I preferred the looks of the bike without it if I’m honest but compromises have to be made and I didn’t mind the looks

I only kept the bike for a year. It was an itch that needed scratching. I wanted to experience the current pinnacle of performance and handling. I did and it was hugely entertaining but I knew the addictive and all too easy stomp was going to me into trouble. Every journey was accompanied by a nagging concern about whether I still had a licence.

Touring on it? I did but in all honesty my arthritic knee didn’t make for a particularly comfortable day and I would invariably spend half the day trying to stretch my leg out. If it wasn’t for my creaky joints I would have found it comfortable but not as comfortable as an adventure bike to be honest.

I’ve gone back to my comfort zone with an old Harley now. Something I will not heamorage money on, can service myself and have fun and travel on but will be doing 40mph plus less. A completely different vibe that makes you just slow down and feel that all is well with the world rather than the frenetic ‘GOT TO GET THERE FASTER’ vibe of the SD.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, it is an epic piece of engineering and very entertaining. Do I miss it? Not particularly.

Here it is, the baaaaad motherfucker. Oh and after off roading at Stolzy's gaff. :beerjug:
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0721.jpg
    IMG_0721.jpg
    119.8 KB · Views: 275
  • P1000079.JPG
    P1000079.JPG
    174.6 KB · Views: 261
Any more of that carry on and I’ll be going to the media. :D

The Piug for me worked really well (such is the subjective nature of screens). I found it took the pressure off my chest enough to be ok. I preferred the looks of the bike without it if I’m honest but compromises have to be made and I didn’t mind the looks

I only kept the bike for a year. It was an itch that needed scratching. I wanted to experience the current pinnacle of performance and handling. I did and it was hugely entertaining but I knew the addictive and all too easy stomp was going to me into trouble. Every journey was accompanied by a nagging concern about whether I still had a licence.

Touring on it? I did but in all honesty my arthritic knee didn’t make for a particularly comfortable day and I would invariably spend half the day trying to stretch my leg out. If it wasn’t for my creaky joints I would have found it comfortable but not as comfortable as an adventure bike to be honest.

I’ve gone back to my comfort zone with an old Harley now. Something I will not heamorage money on, can service myself and have fun and travel on but will be doing 40mph plus less. A completely different vibe that makes you just slow down and feel that all is well with the world rather than the frenetic ‘GOT TO GET THERE FASTER’ vibe of the SD.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, it is an epic piece of engineering and very entertaining. Do I miss it? Not particularly.

Here it is, the baaaaad motherfucker. Oh and after off roading at Stolzy's gaff. :beerjug:

Just for shedding a tear and giving you a bit of spooning action..................Jezebel:D

I couldn't agree more tbh and I undertand your chosen turn in the road completely.

Personally, I think the whole Harley thing is linked to that point in time when you can no longer hit yourself in the face with a laid back wank's cummage but what do I know?:D
 
Just for shedding a tear and giving you a bit of spooning action..................Jezebel:D

I couldn't agree more tbh and I undertand your chosen turn in the road completely.

Personally, I think the whole Harley thing is linked to that point in time when you can no longer hit yourself in the face with a laid back wank's cummage but what do I know?:D

Be lucky to make my belly button nowadays :D
 
Whilst I appreciate you can't compare the 690 Duke and 1290 SD, I have the 690 snd ride it most days. I did a long trip on it a few months ago and it was fantastic so much so I sold my XR

It's so light and easy to ride but the engine is amazing. Puts a huge grin on my face ever time I ride it.
 
Whilst I appreciate you can't compare the 690 Duke and 1290 SD, I have the 690 snd ride it most days. I did a long trip on it a few months ago and it was fantastic so much so I sold my XR

It's so light and easy to ride but the engine is amazing. Puts a huge grin on my face ever time I ride it.

They do look a lot of fun. In real terms probably quicker than a 1290 SD too. I have a real soft spot for big singles.
 
They do look a lot of fun. In real terms probably quicker than a 1290 SD too. I have a real soft spot for big singles.

In real terms? How’s that? Bearing in mind I got flamed for saying that a 1290 SAS is faster in the real world than an SDR.:rolleyes:
 
In real terms? How’s that? Bearing in mind I got flamed for saying that a 1290 SAS is faster in the real world than an SDR.:rolleyes:

You got rightly flamed too :D.

Through a tight twisty road. I would put money on the 690 Duke. Light and highly flickable. Beats outright horsepower every time. Obviously on a straight the SD would be gone though.
 


Back
Top Bottom