Travel test: KTM 1390 Super Adventure S

Posted on by

I’m not gonna lie: KTM’s biggest adventure bike has always been very welcome here at Team Throttle. We already tested the 1290 Super Adventure S back in 2018 and 2021, and on both occasions it went home with an outstanding review.


Fast-forward to 2026, and KTM has been through some pretty turbulent times. Financial problems at parent company Pierer Mobility led to a change of ownership in 2024, with the Austrian brand now being part of Bajaj. That name may not immediately ring many bells in the West, even though the Indian company is one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers. Besides, Bajaj has held a stake in KTM since 2007, so the change of ownership didn’t exactly come out of the blue.

Exactly what the future holds for KTM remains anyone’s guess, but at some point comments from bossman Rajiv Bajaj suggested that production on European soil could disappear. That plan wouldn’t be entirely surprising: KTM would certainly not be the first European motorcycle brand to move production to the East. However, KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister later told the press such a move to India is out of the question.


Okay, that’s enough economic news for a review. Let’s get to the fun stuff. And there are three flavours to choose from: the R, the S and the S Evo. The R version of the KTM 1390 Super Adventure is the off-road-focused model, featuring 21-inch and 18-inch spoked wheels and WP XPLOR suspension. The S is the road version, with 19-inch and 17-inch cast wheels, less ground clearance and a larger windscreen. The S Evo, meanwhile, adds an automatic gearbox to the S’s mix.

Since I had no off-road plans, I headed out on the S for a week-long trip to Continue reading →

Review: CFMoto Ibex 950

Posted on by

Better late than never, right? We’ve finally got around to testing a Chinese bike, here at Team Throttle. That you can no longer ignore Chinese motorcycles is hardly news. Neither is the fact that they still have plenty of stereotypes to shake off. Poor quality. Designs borrowed from the big boys. Resale values that make you shiver. But how much truth is in all that? To find out, I spent a weekend in Luxembourg with the CFMoto Ibex 950.


CFMoto isn’t an unknown name in the motorcycle world anymore. The brand really started making waves internationally through its partnership with KTM. From 2017 onwards, that relationship evolved into a two-way exchange of technology and engine concepts, with CFMoto also taking on production of several KTM models.

To underline its ambitions, CFMoto became a sponsor in the Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships in 2022. Just two years later, in 2024, they celebrated their first world title in the smallest class.


The Ibex 950 is CFMoto’s latest addition to the already well-stocked adventure class. Let’s talk about the price first, because there’s simply no getting around it. With a pricetag starting at $12,499, this bike offers a seriously affordable alternative to established names such as the Africa Twin, Tiger 900 Rally, 900 GS and KTM’s 890 Adventure.

Read that number again. That’s under nine grand for a big adventure bike with Brembo brakes, KYB suspension, Pirelli tyres, cruise control, heated grips and seat, multiple riding modes, connectivity, TPMS and Apple CarPlay.

If you want, you can add three properly decent aluminium pannier, complete with wonderfully soft inner liners, for $1,699. But other than that, there’s very little left to tick on the options list. Basically, the Ibex 950 comes loaded. At that price, surely it has to be a terrible bike, right? Continue reading →

Travel report: Tenerife on two wheels

Posted on by


Fair-weather riders have tucked their bikes away and are counting the days until the first warm rays of spring. If you don’t want to take a winter break, Europe only offers a handful of destinations that really fit the bill. After previous winter rides on Madeira and Gran Canaria, Tenerife was this year’s chosen one.

The Canary Island is a popular destination for holidaymakers looking to escape winter. We set out to find out whether it’s also a great place for motorcycling. Short answer: “¡Sí, señor!” The long answer is waiting for you below, topped off with our four favourite roads on the island.


We rented our bikes from Canary Ride, an established name with its headquarters in Gran Canaria and a branch in Los Cristianos, in the south of Tenerife. Their fleet counts around 60 bikes on Gran Canaria and 23 on Tenerife, all recent models, all spotless, and all properly maintained. There’s something for Continue reading →

Photo special: Brussels Motor Show 2026

Posted on by

After a five-year hiatus, there’s finally something to see again for motorcycle enthusiasts at the Brussels Motor Show. No fewer than 28 brands are presenting their two-wheelers.

Alongside the usual suspects, there are also names that might not immediately ring a bell: Aprilia, Benelli, Bimota, BMW, Can-Am, CFMOTO, Ducati, Honda, Husqvarna, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Kymco, Mash, Morbidelli, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, NIU, QJMotor, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph, Ultraviolette, Voge, Yamaha, Zeeho, Zero and Zontes.

Two things stood out to me:

  • The electric offering has once again grown in size and variety, but there’s still a long road ahead before it can truly win over every type of rider.
  • Chinese brands continue to become more convincing, purely on the strength of design and build quality. It’s high time for us at Team Throttle to take a closer look at what’s coming out of the East.

There were also a few new models on display, including the BMW F450 GS, the Voge DS900X Adventure, the Suzuki SV-7 GX, the Honda CB1000GT, the Ducati Hypermotard V2 and the Kawasaki KLE 500.

Below some snaps. If you want to see it all for yourself, the Brussels Motor Show runs until January 18. Continue reading →

Review: BMW F 900 GS

Posted on by


Every self-respecting brand has at least one big-bore adventure bike in its lineup. Still, it’s the middleweights that fly out of showrooms the fastest. Honda sells more Transalps than Africa Twins, Triumph can’t build enough Tiger 900s while the 1200 gathers dust, and KTM’s 890 dominates their sales charts. Even Suzuki moves more V-Strom 800s than 1050s.

At BMW, it’s a different story. The smaller GS has spent generations living in the pitch-black shadow of its big brother. And while mid-size adventure bikes have become increasingly off-road capable in recent years, the F 850 GS – and its predecessors – just didn’t deliver as soon as the asphalt stopped.


Enter the BMW F 900 GS. In Bavaria, they’ve flipped the script completely and gone all-in on a more hardcore approach. I notice it right away when hopping off Continue reading →

Review: KTM 890 SMT

Posted on by

SMT. Supermoto Touring. Or in other words: a playful long-distance bike. Sounds good, right? And yet, the KTM 890 SMT is currently the only bike in the SMT segment. Ducati has its Hypermotards, but those only check the “SM” box, no “T” in sight. Whether that means the other brands don’t see value in the category or avoid it for other reasons, I can’t say. But it sure made me curious to find out how KTM defines those three letters.


So here’s the question: should you look at the SMT as a sport-touring machine (like the ones we see plenty of these days, think of the recently tested Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, the Triumph Tiger Sport 800 or the more adventure-styled Ducati Multistrada V4 S)? Or is the SMT simply in a class of its own?

If it’s up to KTM to decide on that matter, it’s definitely the latter. Unlike the trio I just mentioned, KTM’s focus is a lot less on the “T” and much more on the “SM.” The sporty Michelin PowerGP tires and the chopped windscreen make that clear instantly. Add the white beak to the mix and the 890 SMT ends up with a pretty “different” look. It’s a bit of an odd bird. And as we all know, whether you fall for a bike often comes down to looks.


At first glance the 890 SMT might look like an 890 Adventure on street tires, but it’s actually quite different. The SMT rolls on 17-inch wheels, has a shorter suspension travel and swaps Continue reading →

Photo special: Bikes at ZLDR Luchtfabriek 2025

Posted on by

The “Bikes at” moto event pitched its tents at ZLDR Luchtfabriek again this summer. I took my camera along to the final edition of this season, on August 6.

All kinds of bikes and riders filled the square, creating a warm and lively atmosphere. Hats off to organizer Mario Zambonini for pulling off this successful event year after year and building a true community around it.

Check out my photo series: Continue reading →