KTM 890 ADVENTURE R (2023 - on) Review

KTM’s 890 Adventure R has been at the forefront of proper, off-road-capable middleweight adventure bikes since its launch in 2020. It’s inspired by their 450 Rally machinery that has been so successful in competition, developed by the very best of the best in order to create a truly capable machine that can handle just about anything, both on and off-road.

For 2023 there’s even more focus on the latter, at a time when improvement has never been so important. With competition from the likes of the retro-infused Ducati DesertX, the refined and capable Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro and the heritage-laden Honda Africa Twin to name but a few, the premium middleweight adventure sector has never been hotter.

Alongside its more aggressive appearance (that looks edgy and well-finished up close), the latest 890 Adventure R gains light updates to its fully adjustable WP XPLOR suspension, in order to further improve its off-road capabilities.

These subtle changes don’t make a huge amount of difference in terms of feel, but the result is a package that works an absolute treat on tarmac or on dirt, where the 890 Adventure R feels more like a big enduro bike, rather than a middleweight adventure machine.

This is partly down the incredible trickery in weight distribution too, which sees the fuel tank carry a significant proportion of its volume far lower than you’d expect – the twin tanks extend down around the top end of the engine.

The engine remains unchanged from the previous generation, this is good news, as that thumping 889cc parallel twin unit is another huge jewel in the KTM’s crown. It gives you the best of both worlds, by offering a responsive and exciting, yet still predictable, delivery of power and torque, especially when switched to the softer, off-road guise. From B-road blasts to boggy green lanes and everything in between, it really is a peach of a motor.

Perhaps the most pertinent updates to the new model come in the form of electronics though, and the addition of not just a 5” TFT dash that’s packed with features, but also the new ‘DEMO’ mode.

Unlike the previous model where you had to buy luxuries such as an up/down quickshifter, cruise control, Motor Slip Regulation and the additional ‘RALLY’ mode, you get of this all as standard… but only for the first 1500km. After that, you’ll have to head down to your local KTM dealer, hand over £859.87 if you want to unlock all of those features for you, which isn’t ideal considering how much these extras add to the riding experience.

You can specify individual features if you want, but the complete package works out cheaper than adding them one at a time. The range of adjustability in ‘RALLY’ mode is a must for avid off-roaders, and the comforts such as cruise control and a quickshifter not only work incredibly well but also go a long way to making it easy to ride fast and/or over distance on an adventure machine.

There’s absolutely no denying that the 2023 890 Adventure R is a serious bit of kit. It is truly one of the most capable off-roading adventure machines that you can wheel out of a showroom, with a chassis, engine and electronics package that is not only incredibly exciting, but insanely competent on the road too.

That being said, it isn’t the comfiest machine for racking up the miles nor is it the most well-rounded, and paying to keep the electronic goodies you’ll come to love in the first 1500km is a bitter pill to swallow.

If you’re serious about exploration of the dirtiest, most hardcore kind, you’ll be hard stretched to find a better alternative, but if you’re a predominantly road-based rider and unlikely to tackle anything tougher than gentle green lanes and fire roads, the standard KTM 890 Adventure or Husqvarna Norden 901 (sharing the same platform as the KTM) would be the better machine for you. All in all? Yes, it’s a lot of money, but it’s a bloody awesome bit of kit that will work wonders for the most extreme adventurers among us.

It’s fair to say that KTM have improved the ergonomics on the 890 Adventure R compared to the previous model, with the facelift and changes to the fairing, fuel tank and cowling making a noticeable difference.

Even so, the seat causes discomfort after a day in the saddle and even though it’s a roomy machine, the riding position is still fairly aggressive in terms of the seat height to the pegs. Although the screen is slightly bigger, you still don’t get a massive amount in terms of protection from the elements compared to more road-biased adventure models.

Alongside this, KTM have equipped the R with Mitas ENDURO TRAIL+ rubber. Considering their aggressively off-road looking appearance, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they coped with the KTM’s feisty power delivery and impressive braking power on the road in dry conditions, both in terms of grip and stability.

Sure, they’re not as effective as a road-biased tyre and still give a slight vibration through the ‘bars, but they’re ample enough to have a reasonable amount of fun on, and offer an impressive level of confidence and feel, even in muddy conditions when taken off-road. The brakes offer a huge amount of power and feel, with the tyres being the only limiting factor in their usage when anchoring up incredibly hard.

In a segment that’s almost overflowing with incredible machinery, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. Yet the 890 Adventure R does just that, with an engine that packs a seriously impressive punch, throughout the rev range. Although the delivery is aggressive, it’s always manageable and is incredibly addictive, which offers a true sense of excitement with every rotation of the right wrist.

For road riding it really is a hoot, which places the 890 Adventure R as one of the most aggressive and playful machines in the sector. Yet even so it is more than happy to bimble along quietly at motorway speeds and has an incredibly delicate clutch feeling, making city riding and heavy traffic a doddle to navigate.

Alongside its road manners, the 890 Adventure R’s powerplant handles itself with incredible poise off-road too, with the optional ‘RALLY’ mode offering a huge amount of adjustability that allows for a precise, smooth and effective delivery of power, no matter what the surface throws up.

KTM have come a heck of a long way in terms of improving the reliability and build quality of their models, with the latest generation of the 890 Adventure models proving to be a truly solid bit of kit.

Since KTM built their Adventure range around the 890cc platform, there have been a few minor niggles, yet it has proved to be a largely reliable machine, no matter what owners have thrown at it.

Care and maintenance between dealer services, especially if you’re hammering it off road and jetwashing it regularly, will go a long way to ensure it’ll stand up to the kind of riding it was built for.

Although it’s not the most expensive model in the segment (especially when looking at the likes of the £14,795 Ducati DesertX), it isn’t on the cheaper end either. The base base model requires extra cash to be thrown at it to match the spec of a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro at £14,195.

The KTM will cost almost the same as the Hinckley machine once you’ve achieved spec-parity. On the opposite end of the scale, a Yamaha Ténéré World Raid will set you back £11,910, while a basic BMW F850GS Adventure starts at just £11,750.

Yet no matter how much thought goes into the base value of the new 890 Adventure R, having to pay extra to enable the use of electronic hardware and features it already has after 1500km is a bitter pill to swallow, especially as it is as simple as plugging in a laptop.

Software-based upgrades are already a staple in the four-wheeled world: we hope it doesn’t set precedent for manufacturers adding/withdrawing features at will, or introducing subscription models.

The new dash is intuitive and easy to use and now gives extra functionality, including a turn-by-turn navigation system and a phone call out feature that will allow you to save ten of your favourite contacts.

But, considering the 890 Adventure R comes equipped with all the software and hardware to run the likes of cruise control, a quickshifter and even the additional ‘RALLY’ mode, you must remember that they are not standard fitment, and will disappear after 1500km. This does not include the additional cost of heated grips or a centre stand.