Throwback Thursday Story- 2022 KTM Canada Adventure Ride

Words by Lawrence Hacking

Photos by Steve Shannon

There is no doubt KTM people as an organization are passionate about riding motorcycles. This passion further became especially evident after attending the KTM Adventure Rally this past weekend in the near north of the Quebec wilderness in and around the Auberge du Lac Taureau a few kilometers outside of the small village Saint Michel des Saints. KTM Canada brought back the rally after a 2-year hiatus, and the entire KTM Canada staff roster made the trek to attend and enjoy the ride with the participants. Obviously, their commitment to the adventure segment is significant; the investment in the Rally is one of the most important marketing exercises of the year for the orange brand.

Internationally KTM supports the adventure rally in a few different countries, each with varying degrees of difficulty and duration. For example, KTM’s adventure ambassador Chris Birch said the Australian Rally is six days long and is a true competition.

A European version will take place this year, as well as in New Zealand and the USA; each format can be slightly different however, the main goal is the same- offer adventure riders the experience of a lifetime on their motorcycles.

The Canadian version used the northeast terrain of Montreal, which is full of natural beauty and laced with gravel roads, single-track trails, and sandy logging roads that are perfect for letting loose on adventure bikes. Some of the boys and I got the band back together and trucked it over to participate in the two-day adventure challenge with about 100 other throttle-twisting nutters. The challenge is fairly straightforward; over two days, 2 to 4-man teams follow their GPS track as closely as possible, and the team with the nearest to perfect accumulated distance wins the coveted title. Two classes separate the riders; Route 1 is what I would describe as a serious off-road test, and Route 2 uses the many kilometers of two-track dirt and paved roads, as well as the many smooth and wide gravel roads the region offers to challenge the navigational skills of the riders.

KTM’s marketing specialist Allison Thompson summed up the philosophy of the rally, “The goal of the KTM Adventure Rally is to unite like-minded adventurers for a weekend of camaraderie and riding new terrain on their adventure motorcycles. At our latest installment of the KTM Adventure Rally in Saint-Michel-Des-Saints, QC, we knew whether participants were exploring the deep, challenging woods trails or touring gravel roads with their team, the riders would feel like they were part of a bigger purpose. After both days of riding, when we welcomed riders back to the staging area, we knew by the enormous smiles and laughter that our mission had been completed.”

This year’s event drew participants from as far away as Manitoba and New Brunswick as well as Ontario, most certainly Quebec, and one adventurer drove all the way from California. The area around Lac Taureau is a popular destination for off-road recreational vehicles in both summer and winter. ATVs are commonplace on the trails. The local ‘pourvoiries’ or lodges provide fuel for both machines and riders, the lunch stop on the second day seemed familiar to me, and indeed we had passed through the same spot years before on the Orange Crush Rallies I had ridden several years ago. That day I recall sitting at a table enjoying hot soup and coffee while warming up by the wood stove had us rejuvenated for the second half of the day. That boost got us to the finish.

Our Team 150 Racing rode the R1 course; the last time all four of us rode together in the event of this nature was back in 2018 in the Rally du Maroc. My buddies Keith Billings and Chris Allen brought their brand new Husqvarna 901 Nordens, and Lance Webb and I rode KTMs, a new 690 enduro, and I flew ‘business class’ on the KTM 890 Adventure R, (more on the bike in the sidebar). Seventy-eight riders made up 26 teams in the R1 class. Our team probably had too much fun to compete at a serious level. Most teams vying for the win were keeping tight to the apexes to reduce the distance on the odometers. Suppose there were 1,000 corners over the two-day ride every meter counts. We were less concerned with the results and had more fun throwing roosts and doing power slides. At least, that is our excuse. Riding to the many epic roads and trails around the region was a blast. Our good friends Neil Pond and Louise Mitchell brought home the win in the R2 class, which was a welcome surprise.

KTM enlisted an organization called Rando Raid Canada to lay out the route and score the competition side of the event. RRC is run by two well-experienced event people; Dominique Lefebvre and Erwan Durand. The word on the street was that they spent more than 90 hours riding and re-riding the route to perfect the flow of the ride. The daily distance was pegged at a daunting 280 kilometres for each day for Route 1, which translated to about 6 to 7 hours of actual riding. I felt the route was just the right amount of challenge for the average but well-skilled adventure rider; every obstacle was passable if you made some good decisions and very tiring if you didn’t.

The smooth dirt logging roads were about as much fun to ride as you could wish for. Fortunately, rain kept the dust away, and some corners were as predictable as possible. The tighter trails were slick with black mud and long ruts, but the difficult sections were long enough to challenge the riders yet not too long to become a slug-fest. Just when you had enough of one type of riding, the route changed into something else to give you a break. We rode a good distance on rocky forest two-track that wound in and around the many lakes and marshes. There were some pretty good climbs and serious mud holes that were borderline swamps. There always seemed to be a good line around the big holes by the time we got there. Often we caught other teams dealing with their own issues, and they would pass us back further along the trail.

For security reasons, the team concept is good as each team is issued a SPOT tracking device, and the KTM crew had plenty of sweep riders to ensure no one was left behind. KTM’s world Adventure ambassador Kiwi Chris Birch was on hand to offer riding advice and wise words in the difficult sections, including a dodgy wooden bridge crossing with a steep, rooty climb on the other side. The last thing I wanted to do was toss KTM’s 890 into the drink so I erred on the side of caution and walked the bike most of the way on the slick, wet bridge. Once I charged up the hill, Canadian ISDE trophy team rider Phillipe Chaine was on the other side to give the bike a quick tug over the crest.

Both evenings the Auberge staff provided an excellent dinner, the accommodations were perfect, the outdoor hot tub eased muscle pain and the prize table at the end of the evening was chock full of great KTM gifts. I’d have to say the KTM Adventure rally is one of the best adventure events out there and should be on everyone’s list regardless of what brand of bike you ride. I know our team can’t wait for next year.

The 2022 KTM 890 Adventure R

The first time I swung a leg over the newest KTM adventure bike, it was at the start line of the rally, I jumped into the deep end on this one, and it is a great way to have a strong impression of a bike in a short time frame. Over two days and 560 kilometres in some of the most extreme conditions for Adventure bikes, one would attempt the KTM performed impressively. This particular bike was equipped with the optional WP Xplor Pro suspension upgrade, which was the best suspension I have ridden with on an adventure bike. These suspension components are available through authorized WP dealers. The retail price of the cone valve forks is $4,496, and the rear shock list at $2,895. KTM Canada enlisted the services of Bruno at PLX suspension for bike set up, which was a wise move on their part.

Bruno explained why the bike felt so good in such tough conditions; “We had two different riders spend time on the bike; set up is critical on this suspension as it is infinitely adjustable, but testing takes time. The WP Xplor Pro package comes with a shock and forks, generally, we start by among sure the spring rates are right for the weight of the rider. In this case, we didn’t need to change the springs. We set the rear sag to the correct setting and dialed in the damper clickers, which can take considerable time. The rear shock has both high and low-speed rebound and compression adjustments, and even a couple of clicks either way can make a big difference. Other than getting the settings right, we changed the oil on the stock steering damper to a heavier viscosity, and the bike was ready.”

Riding such a competent bike spoils you. Now my own bikes feel inadequate, but that is the risk you take for such a pleasant experience. Riding along, I couldn’t help but think, ‘life’s too short to ride crappy suspension’ that saying should be on a T-shirt or something.

The 890 was stock other than the addition of hand guards, a headlight shield, and a GPS mount. The bike used Dunlop D 908 F RR tires which are mainly for off-road use. The tires significantly impacted how well the bike worked in the mud and slick terrain. KTM’s technical guru Marc Brunet was pleased that I returned the bike unscathed, and so was I.