Ride Days: 2020 KTM 790 Adventure R

By Lawrence Hacking

Photos by Viktor Radics

We are all now well aware of how things can and will change very quickly in this Covid-19 world. The same goes for my pursuit of racing motorcycles that has waned over the last decade. I realized that there is way more to riding motorcycles than simply competing. Once I resigned myself to racing occasionally for fun, I immediately discovered I have tons of time available to do other things and considerably more money in my pocket.

For me, Adventure bikes have filled the void. Even after some 50 years of racing I still am stoked to ride; I love the sensation of ripping it up on two wheels. Not to mention the added benefit of having all of my friends ride as well. In my world the social side of bikes is now about 50% of the fun, twisting the throttle the most certainly the other 50%. When KTM Canada sent out a post-Covid quarantine invite to some local media types, I was happy to be included to spin some wheels on a few of KTM’s key new models. I was especially interested in the KTM 790 Adventure R as middle-weight adventure bikes are what blows my hair back these days.

We met at the local KTM dealer in Oakville and rode most of my favourite windy roads to a cool lunch spot in Alton, Ontario. Initially, I hopped on the KTM 390 Adventure to ease into the day, figuring KTM’s entry-level bike would be good place to start. After the lunch and bench racing, I swung my leg over the flagship 1290 GT. This land-based missile is designed to swallow long distances whole and in total comfort. With 160 hp on tap I determined I am simply not responsible enough to be allowed access to that much horsepower. I pried the KTM 790 Adventure R from CMG Online’s Dustin Wright’s gloved hands and the mayhem began. The 780cc parallel twin is smooth piece of engineering with plenty of power, top-notch suspension all in a tidy, tight knit package that is a pleasure to ride.

The KTM 790 Adventure R is very well appointed with a myriad of electronic rider aids to make the bike be the best it can be for all sorts of conditions and terrain. Even though we didn’t spend too much time riding, I enjoyed all of the KTM bikes immensely. The road choice for the launch was varied, with as many corners and elevation changes, we could find. Once we hit the gravel the 790 was about as good as you could want in an adventure bike. It feels light, and predictable which in turn gives the rider a lot of confidence, so much so that peeling off some nice power slides was pretty straightforward and grin inspiring.

The day was truly a blast and it was good to catch up with my fellow journalists, KTM staff and photographer Viktor Radics after being sequestered for so many months. The new KTMs were impressive, they definitely motivate you to get out and ride which in times such as these is a great idea.