Author Archives: Jean Le Motard

Review: KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

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“Ready to race” the digital display of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S announces when you press the start button. Not a lie, as the bike will soon prove. Did you expect something else, with 160 hp and 140 Nm? But before we talk about power, let’s first take a closer look at this bombshell.

The 1301 cc LC8 engine that created quite some excitement for the KTM 1290 Super Duke, was also used by the Mattighofen team for a sports-touring motorbike and an adventure bike. I tested the 1290 Super Duke GT, the sports-tourer, before. Time to get to know that adventure bike.

The KTM 1290 Super Adventure comes in an S and an R version. The R focuses more on offroad, with its spoked wheels, 21″ front wheel, higher seat and standard crash bars. The S aims at the asphalt, with cast wheels, 19″ front wheel and a lower, two-part, height-adjustable seat. I got to test the S for a week.

Brutal or subtle?

I remember from the 1290 Super Duke GT that it simply was a brute bike. In so many ways. Brute power, rough sounding exhaust, not always refined in handling. So I expected the same character from the 1290 Super Adventure S. And it immediately surprised me: Mr. Adventurer is more subtle than his sports-touring brother.

However, with its looks you’d assume the opposite. Especially the not particularly modest design of the headlight. Not everyone’s a fan of it. Me neither at first, but after a while, its distinctive and even photogenic nose grew on me. Finally a KTM adventure bike that comes close to that still good-looking 990 in terms of design.

A push on the start button generates quite some fuss. Caused by the optional Akrapovic exhaust. Its shortfall of subtlety has a Moses and the Red Sea effect in dense traffic. Or in this case: Orange Moses and the Car Sea.

And then it’s time to clamp the handlebars firmly – because maybe the bike throws you out of the saddle like a wild stallion – you open the throttle and … notice that this Super Adventure is extremely easy-going. There’s no sign of any brutality at all. Not yet.

The Super Adventure has four riding modes (Sport, Street, Rain and Offroad). Even in Sport, the Brussels city center at peak hour wasn’t a problem. Yes, the Sport mode has the harshest gas reaction, but you don’t necessarily need kid gloves to keep the KTM under control. Still, I found the Street mode more comfortable. I didn’t even try Rain (with 100 hp instead of 160) and Offroad.

Hard, harder, hardest

Fortunately, the 1290 Super Adventure doesn’t throw all the brutality overboard. Sporty driving is so easy and so tempting that a sixth sense for speed cameras would be a blessing. You go so fast so quickly, that it’s almost impossible to open the throttle completely. The (optional, perfectly working) quickshifter makes the explosive accelerations even more insane. And although the traction control was on, short wheelies couldn’t be avoided. The traction control, like the ABS, has cornering technology. A good thing.

Curves? Our Austrian friend Continue reading →

Review: Husqvarna 701 Enduro

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A while ago one of my friends did an adventure trip to the Ardennes with his brand new Husqvarna 701 Enduro. While we were cursing and sweating on our heavy adventure bikes, the Husky followed, fingers in the nose. So when I was planning a new adventure trip, to the Morvan region in France this time, I took the opportunity to test the 701 Enduro and see for myself if it’s really such an easy bike to ride off-road.

The Husqvarna name may not mean much to the average biker. But motocross pilots and fans know better. The Swedish brand has a rich enduro and motocross history. In the sixties and seventies, it won one world title after another. But in the late 80’s it got in trouble. After Cagiva, MV Agusta and BMW ownership, Stefan Pierer took the brand under his wings. Yes, that’s the Austrian guy who’s also heavily involved in KTM. So it’s almost pure logic that the current Husqvarna motorcycles have some KTM blood flowing through their veins.

The single cylinder engine of the 701 Enduro delivers 74 hp and 71 Nm at 6,750 rpm, so a KTM 1190 Adventure or a BMW R 1200 GS is completely out of the 701’s league. But if you push it hard enough that slightly crazy KTM character instantly awakens. Open the throttle recklessly in second gear and the front wheel will go airborn guaranteed. The engine runs quite rough in low rpm’s, something I also experienced with the KTM 1050 Adventure and the 1290 Super Duke GT, which also shows the close KTM tie.

Because of the cross-fertilization between the two brands you might think that the Husqvarna 701 Enduro is just a KTM 690 Enduro in disguise. Don’t be fooled. The engine comes from the brand new KTM 690 Duke, and on other levels too you should rather see the Husky as an upgraded KTM 690 Enduro. For example, the WP suspension is better and longer. 275 mm of travel means that bumpy tracks can be tackled easier. The suspension’s standard setting was completely to my liking but if you want you can adjust both the front and rear suspension.

On the highway the Husky easily reaches 120 km/h without losing stability. It can go faster but the wind will become an issue at that point. I heard some complaints about the seat being too firm. Yes, it’s firm. But I’ve already tested 100% road bikes with less comfortable seats. A 1,5 hour ride with the 701 wasn’t torturing. One thing was a torture: cleaning the seat after a few days of off-roading. An almost impossible task, especially the white and yellow parts.

If you want to go off-roading somewhere a long way from home, then you could do the complete trip with the 701. But keep in mind: little comfort and zero wind protection. You better have some character if you plan long stretches of highway.

Obviously more fun can be found once you leave the highway. The Husky needs some encouragement to enter corners, so you’ll tend to handle the bike more aggressively. It doesn’t mind that. Acting like a hooligan is its favourite pastime. Leaving corners swiftly, fully attacking the next corner, that’s the way (a-ha a-ha) I like it (a-ha a-ha). And the bike too.

On off-road tracks the contrast with a heavy adventure bike is quite spectacular. My 800 GS weighs more than 200 kg, the 701 Enduro 160 kg with a full tank. Forty kilos that make a big difference. If your 1200 GS buddies call you a cheater when you show up for an adventure trip on a 701 Enduro, well, Continue reading →

Review: BMW R 1200 GS Rallye

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Since many years the BMW R 1200 GS is a best-seller in a lot of a markets. But you’ll have to admit it doesn’t score much eye candy points. So what did the Germans do to make the 1200 GS such a success? Time to find out, because – to the surprise of the peeps at BMW HQ – I had never ridden this chart-buster.

The GS story started in 1980 with the R 80 G/S. More than 35 years of development and improvement later I have a date with the 2017 BMW R 1200 GS. Compared to the 2016 model, there are no huge changes. A minor Euro4 update of the boxer engine, minimal stylistic modifications, some new electronics. The biggest news: there are two versions of the GS. The Exclusive version for those who fancy a classy appearance, the Rallye version for those with off-road dreams. I rode the Rallye for a week.

A beast with an image (problem)

The BMW R 1200 GS Rallye stands out with its blue paint job. If you ask me it’s one of the best-looking color schemes in 1200 GS history. Lupin blue metallic it’s called. The Rallye version underlines the off-road character of this GS with cross-spoke wheels, large Adventure footpegs without rubber inserts, a flat Rallye seat, a stainless steel radiator guard, a low windshield and no centerstand. Just add a decent set of allroad tires, a skid plate and engine protection bars and you’re good to go on that all-road adventure.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get BMW’s permission to test the GS off-road. Too bad. On the other hand: only a minority of all GS’s sold will ever leave the paved roads. So chances are that if you read this you’ll never even plan to ride off-road.

My first motorcycle was a BMW F 650 GS and when I just started riding that motorbike, I couldn’t imagine ever riding a 1200 GS. Such a big and heavy looking bike. How can you master such a behemoth? Who would even consider riding that thing off-road?! And then there’s Continue reading →

Review: Yamaha Tracer 900

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In 2013 Yamaha released the MT-09 (then called FZ-09 in North America). A brutal naked with a widely praised three-cylinder engine, although comfort and versatility aren’t its strenghts. Which sparked an idea: in 2015 the Japanese manufacturer revealed the MT-09 Tracer (then called FJ-09 in North America): a sporty motorcycle with clear touring features and the same MT-09 engine. Since this year it’s called Tracer 900 but otherwise the bike remains unchanged.

So how do you transform a naked into a sports tourer? Yamaha did the trick with a few additions and changes. A more upright sitting position, some fairing, a bigger tank, an adjustable windscreen, wider handlebars, a higher, adjustable seat, a centerstand, a 12V socket and handguards. Only cruise control and heated grips are missing, even though the latter’s on the option list.

But before we go into detail, first let’s have an overall look. The Tracer 900 appears a lot less aggressive than the MT-09 but it does have personality. Okay, maybe a bit of a “Transformers” personality but other than that there’s hardly anything to complain about. The finishing is good, with a nice looking, powerful LED headlight.

Touring additions

Let’s go a little deeper into the touring additions. The seat is quite spacious and offers two heights (check the video to learn how to change the seat height). It’s pretty firm so your butt might start complaining after an hour’s ride. The optional comfort seat could counter those complaints.

In contrast to your butt, your legs can easily cope with longer rides: they’re not forced into a too sharp angle. The seating position is straight and relaxed, with the windshield leading most of the wind away from your torso. You can adjust that windshield in height but not while riding. Continue reading →

Review: Gerbing 12V heated jacket

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Layer after layer after layer. That’s how I rode through the winter. A three-layered Rev’it Sand 2 jacket and underneath that: a thermal liner (borrowed from my IXS summer jacket), a thick fleece jacket and my regular clothes (t-shirt and sweater). The Rev’it pants (also three layers) kept my legs warm enough but at times my upperbody was awfully cold, even under those seven layers.

Still, a warm (or in this case: cold) feeling on your bike depends on more than just your suit.

The heat factors on a motorcycle:

1. The weather
The temperature plays a big role of course. But 6°C for example doesn’t always feel the same. A charming sun or a rain shower can increase or reduce the feeling a few degrees. The same applies to a warm breeze versus a chilly north wind.

2. The motorcycle
Heated grips and even heated seats can be found on more and more bikes, but the model itself also has an influence. For example, behind an RT’s fairing and windshield you catch less wind than on a Monster, something that certainly affects comfort on longer journeys.

3. The ride
A sporty ride on winding roads, constantly moving your whole body, or two hours on the highway with just your eyes peeking in the mirrors and your thumb operating the turn signals now and then? The type of ride too makes a big difference.

4. The gear
And of course your clothing plays an important part. A three-layered suit is warmer than a light summer jacket, winter gloves are warmer than summer gloves, and so on.

In short: a lot of factors influence the warmth during rides. Though long winter trips are mainly a matter of strong character. Yet I prefer to arrive nearly frozen than taking the car and lengthen my daily commutes with 30 minutes. But temperatures around 0°C were the limit.

Heated clothing

With heated clothing, winter rides become less a matter of strong character. I already had a pair of heated gloves, the type that’s powered with rechargable batteries. I’m not entirely satisfied by them because they only break the cold if you go on long rides and don’t want to run out of juice.

Another option is heated clothing you connect to your bike’s battery, which offers more warmth than gear with rechargeable batteries. Past winter I tested Gerbing’s heated 12V inner jacket. The summary: I don’t think Continue reading →