KTM 1390 Super Adventure review: 173 HP, new automatic gearbox and serious off-road capability

Let’s start with the bottom line. This is one of the most advanced and technologically sophisticated motorcycles ever made - the future of premium motorcycles, packed with computers designed to help you enjoy the ride more and also stay alive.

The Austrian KTM brand, which was on the verge of bankruptcy and was rescued in part thanks to a major Indian investment from Bajaj, is bringing out something impossible to miss in orange - of course - carrying an engine displacement number that, until a few hours ago, you never imagined would be attached to the name of a motorcycle meant to leave the pavement. This is the KTM 1390 Super Adventure (which in reality is an already outrageous 1,350cc). And there’s nothing more “super adventure” than this machine, now arriving in three different versions: The entry-level S with a conventional gearbox, followed by the automatic EVO S, and the off-road-focused R.

I look at the EVO and it doesn’t smile at me or try to be friendly. It stares back with its new LED headlights that look as if someone in a workshop connected a few LED strips - or maybe a Jedi’s lightsabers - and accidentally created something resembling a Predator mask saying: “Kid, are you sure about this?”

The new 1390 Super Adventure is very big and very orange, and it’s here to make it clear that in a world of refined and comfortable crossovers, it is still the bad kid sitting at the back of the classroom with severe attention deficit disorder, waiting for recess so he can start a fight.

Let’s start with the heart.

As mentioned, the V-twin engine has grown to 1,350cc and produces numbers more suited to family cars - except those cars have to carry about two tons. Here you get 173 horsepower and 14.7 kg-m of torque, both of which put a smile on your face every time you open the throttle. In practice, this is an increase of 41cc over the outgoing 1290, delivering another 15 horsepower and more torque - as if either of those was lacking before.

I’m riding the EVO version with the automatic gearbox, alongside Teddy Harush, a friend and skilled rider who joins on the off-road-oriented R version. Both of us are flying down the coastal highway between the four-wheeled boxes, endlessly babbling excitedly through the helmet intercoms, feeling like two fighter pilots, as if we exist in a different dimension of time - a sensation only motorcyclists can truly understand.

The new variable valve timing system works smoothly at low RPMs, and unlike previous generations that were a bit nervous at low RPMs, this one feels more linear. But once the revs climb, the monster awakens. And yes, let’s settle this debate right now: Even the automatic version can lift the front wheel - at least in Teddy’s hands.

Another question we can put to rest concerns those who wrinkle their noses and say, “A motorcycle must have a clutch.”

I’m old enough to remember the same reaction when sporty cars that used to be manual gradually became almost entirely automatic, with transmissions that shift more accurately and faster than any human can. In the new AMT automatic gearbox - the first in KTM history - shifts happen in just 50 milliseconds.

And pay attention: You can shift using the traditional left-foot lever, you can use the handlebar buttons with your fingers, you can downshift by rolling off the throttle, or you can simply let the system do everything automatically according to the riding mode or the riding style it detects from you. And besides that - for the first time, I believe - there’s even a parking mode. Yes, all these shifting options exist, and it works brilliantly. It’s immensely enjoyable and addictive, whether you’re stuck in sweaty traffic jams or riding aggressively and jumping into an angry kickdown just before a corner.

The windscreen works excellently, and together with the engine, it enables cruising speeds that certain people in uniform would probably dislike. At high speeds there’s still a slight wobble at the front end, and personally I wasn’t fully convinced by the manual valve-style mechanism used to adjust the windshield height while riding.

The display is unprecedented in size for a motorcycle - essentially a giant 8-inch vertical tablet, clear and touch-operated even with gloves on, resembling something out of a Chinese SUV. The rider can customize the interface according to personal preferences. It resists fingerprints and remains visible in strong sunlight, while allowing endless adjustments even with thick gloves, from the WP electronic suspension settings to the radar-based adaptive cruise control system, which can even bring the bike to a complete stop and then set off again - a system designed to protect you when you get a little tired of all the drama.

The screen also tells us the air temperature is a wonderfully cool 19 degrees Celsius. It’s no coincidence the commercials show a rider in a leather suit with race-track sliders, because the winding road climbing toward Beit Oren, surrounded by lush European-style scenery, twists beneath us while the 1390 feels surprisingly light for its size. Moving part of the fuel tank lower down into the side sections is a stroke of KTM brilliance that lowers the center of gravity. The monster dances through corners, the active suspension reads the road and stiffens itself precisely as you lean in, and Teddy babbles into my helmet: “Listen, this is the closest thing to that thing people do with someone they love.” And he’s right.

Then comes the dirt. After all, this is KTM’s DNA. Despite the weight, despite the dimensions, the moment you stand on the pegs and switch to “Enduro” mode, something happens. Some secret spice or ingredient unique to this company born from off-road riding suddenly makes itself felt, especially in the off-road-oriented R version with its longer-travel WP XPLOR suspension. It swallows holes and gives you the confidence to keep riding long after the asphalt ends. In reality, everything depends on the rider’s skill - and beside me Teddy is already floating the oversized beast with both wheels in the air.

Teddy, who rode the outgoing model, praises the technology that allows, for example, engine braking intensity to be adjusted at the touch of a button. “This is a machine for crossing continents,” he tells me. “One that makes the world feel smaller. And you’ll see - there’ll be peace with Saudi Arabia and we’ll ride through the desert all the way to the Emirates.” Hopefully.

To sum up - KTM’s flagship arrives exactly as importer D.L.B. Motorsport celebrates 25 years, while parent company Lubinski marks its 90th anniversary. They’re coming in with pricing meant to make a statement - thousands of shekels cheaper than competitors - with the intention of gaining a stronger foothold in the luxury adventure motorcycle segment, expecting to sell several dozen units. But it’s important to clarify:

The KTM 1390 Super Adventure is not a motorcycle for everyone. It demands skill, concentration, and still requires a deep wallet. Not only to cover the wear and tear on tires and chains that must cope with the engine’s enormous power, but also because fuel consumption, although improved over the previous model, still makes it very easy to drop into the 15 km/l range or even lower. That’s because the Super Adventure is less of a “flying sofa” than its German rivals. Its seat is firmer, its reactions sharper - it’s more of a “thrill machine” that pushes you toward the edge.

If you’re looking for peace of mind and a calm commute to work, look elsewhere. But if you want to feel your pulse rise every time you climb onto the saddle, this orange monster is an intriguing option - and also a glimpse into the future of two wheels.