Roads come in all shapes, sizes and conditions, and the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is designed to handle them all. It combines serious horsepower with a capable chassis, state-of-the-art electronics and useful touring features. Photos by Kevin Wing.
With aggressive, chiseled design by Kiska and modular architecture, KTM?s range of liter-class motorcycles share common elements (engine, trellis frame, instrumentation) but are tailored to individual missions. The beating heart of the lineup is the liquid-cooled, 75-degree LC8 V-twin that?s been bulked up and sharpened over the past 15 years, from the original 942cc, 98-horsepower, carbureted version that powered the 2003 950 Adventure to the 1,301cc, 177-horsepower, fuel-injected version in the latest 1290 Super Duke R. True to KTM?s ?ready to race? philosophy, the LC8 has proven itself time and again, from winning the Dakar Rally in 2002 to smashing the two-wheel record in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2017. Read our Africa Twin vs. 1090 Adventure R showdown here!
Compact and powerful, the LC8 V-twin is the workhorse of KTM?s street bike lineup.
We?ve tested?and been impressed by?nearly all LC8-powered models over the years, but KTM made a quantum leap forward in 2014. That?s the year it shifted from the raw-and-rowdy era of the 950/990 Adventure to the state-of-the-art era of the 1190 Adventure, striking a more even balance between on- and off-road performance and showcasing emerging technology (it was the first...