Tag Archives: test

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 →

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 →

Review: Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST

Posted on by

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 →

Travel test: Suzuki GSX-S1000GX

Posted on by


Durmitor National Park in Montenegro has fired up my imagination for years. With its jaw-dropping karst landscapes, turquoise mountain lakes and deep canyons, it’s easily one of Europe’s most breath-taking nature parks. But it’s not exactly around the corner. “Ideal for a sporty touring bike adventure,” I suggested at the editorial table. Suzuki liked the idea too and that’s how I ended up blasting my way to the Balkans on a GSX-S1000GX.

Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GX is their answer to the ever-growing crossover segment: a mix of the comfort and long-travel suspension of an adventure bike with the sharp handling of a road-focused 17-inch-wheeled naked.


Suzuki gave the GX a sharp, angular design. It’s clearly part of the same family as the GT. With its twin stacked headlights and narrowed “side eyes”, I think it’s a seriously good-looking bike. The finish is top-notch and the cockpit feels clean and calm thanks to the absence of exposed cables or awkward gaps.

The GSX-S1000GX is Suzuki’s first motorcycle equipped with adaptive suspension. Judging by the way they showcase it in the brochure, they’re clearly proud of it. But it doesn’t stop there: the GX is packed with electronic rider aids. Suzuki bundles them under the name S.I.R.S. or Suzuki Intelligent Ride Systems. Listing them all would take too long. Best to hop on, ride, and discover them as you go.

My plans take me to the Croatian coast in two days, though I hadn’t accounted for the fact that half of Germany and Austria would be heading in the same direction at the exact same time. The result: massive traffic jams. But also: perfect conditions to Continue reading →

Review: Yamaha XSR900

Posted on by


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 →