Author Archives: Jean Le Motard

Travel test: KTM 1390 Super Adventure S

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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 →

Photo special: Brussels Motor Show 2026

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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: KTM 890 SMT

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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 →

Review: Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

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Three years ago, I tested the Harley Street Bob and I have to say, I was pretty smitten with its cruiser vibe. At the same time, it left me itching to try a Harley with more long-distance DNA (read: fairing and saddlebags), without having to climb aboard one of their weighty Touring models.


Enter the Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST, the fairing-and-bagged version of the Low Rider S and a proud member of the Cruiser lineup. The ST doesn’t hide where it got its looks. It borrows a hefty scoop of design sauce from the iconic FXRT of the eighties. Retro vibes galore! In fact, with those red letters on gray paint, my test bike looked like it could cameo in Stranger Things.


One walkaround of the ST and I’m already nodding in approval. The fit and finish are solid (with a special mention for that classic yet beautifully designed taillight) and in this blacked-out trim, the bike just looks plain cool. Worth noting: the ST comes standard in chrome (starting at $24,199), and if you want it murdered out, that’ll cost you an extra $1,100. Most paint options also come with a surcharge.

Not exactly cheap, but the ST isn’t some bare-bones, tech-free entry model either. Harley-Davidson is (finally) rolling out Continue reading →

Review: Yamaha XSR900

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It might seem like the Team Throttle editors have a soft spot for adventure bikes. But appearances can be deceiving because over the past few years, my personal preference has slowly started to shift. Why? Until 2020 I commuted 200 km by motorbike every day, rain or shine, summer or winter. Back then, a comfortable ride just made sense.

In recent years, however, I’ve been working much closer to home. Lane splitting seems useless because it hardly saves any time (though I must admit I still do a bit of it). The result? I’ve become a fair-weather rider, and a comfortable bike doesn’t feel quite so “essential” anymore. Fun and looks can carry a bit more weight now. Not that I find my Ténéré ugly – far from it – but a custom chopper or a cool naked is always welcome in my garage too.


Enter the Yamaha XSR900. Built around the well-known and widely praised CP3 engine. The XSR is part of Yamaha’s Sport Heritage line-up: modern tech wrapped in retro aesthetics. For the XSR900, Yamaha drew inspiration from the 1980s, more specifically from the Deltabox frame that it introduced on its sport bikes back then.

That doesn’t mean the XSR900 is a racing machine, but it definitely Continue reading →

Travel report: Picos de Europa

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Going on a week-long motorcycle tour in June has become a tradition, here at the Team Throttle headquarters. And a second tradition seems to be emerging: making last-minute decisions about our destination. Last year, we headed to Norway because the weather gods thwarted our plans for Spain and Italy. This year, it looked like all of Europe would turn into one big rain zone during our planned week off. Luckily, two days before departure, the Spanish weather maps cleared up a bit, so off we went!

We, that is Jan_F on a Triumph Tiger 900, Shih on his KTM 890 Adventure and myself on a BMW R 1300 GS. Our destination: Picos de Europa, the mountain range in northern Spain, roughly to the southwest of Bilbao.


We had already planned the routes last year, and after a final check this year, our plans looked as follows: Continue reading →