KTM reimagined its 790 Adventure for model-year '21 with a host of improvements across the board to bring us the 890 Adventure. Upgraded suspension components turn in better handling for this street-centric machine with improved electronics and a gruntier powerplant to sweeten the deal. Built with a road bias, this base-model 890 Adventure nevertheless maintains some off-road capabilities for travel on gravel and other loose materials.

KTM 890 Adventure Design

KTM manages to make its unique mark on an otherwise textbook adventure-bike look with unmistakable KTM-ness evident throughout. I'm talking about those characteristic, forward-swept cheek fairings and alien-bug forward structure that's more headlight housing and windshield mount than a fairing proper. To be fair, it is very sporty looking very sporty looking}}, and is an exercise in economy that wastes nary an ounce on superfluous bodywork, so there's that.

The close-fit front fender gives away the long-stroke suspension through its tall, foil-shaped uprights that double as spoilers for the actual fork tube. Because of the Spartan front end, all of the lights are placed together with dual headlights, DRLs and high-mount turn signals, all in LED tech for maximum, two-way visibility.

A well-ventilated, rally-style smoked windshield gives the rider a bit of a break, but probably just as important, it shelters the five-inch color TFT screen that handles all of the instrumentation and acts as an interface for the ride quality electronics.

An adjustable, tapered aluminum handlebar lets you tune the rider's triangle with 30 mm of travel so you can dial in for your body type/preferences. The footpegs are placed for comfort whether sitting or standing, but the seat seems to be of the same “oak plank” construction as usual, with all of the comfort that entails.

An upswept subframe and lofted pillion pad make for a deep swale for the pilot's seat that is sure to provide decent rider/machine integration. Beefy J.C. handles flow into a wee cargo rack to provide anchor points for both passenger and parcel. The taillights are all high and tight, well out of harm's way, with the plateholder and taglight mounted on the short mudguard.

KTM 890 Adventure Chassis

Chrome-molybdenum steel was the material of choice for the main frame section of the 890 Adventure with the engine as a stressed member that completes the structure. The steering pipe is set for a 25.9-degree rake angle from the vertical to put it at the nimble end of the handling spectrum.

While this model does have a road bias, there are concessions made for the sake of off-road performance, namely the 21-inch front hoop, to say nothing of the laced-spoke wheel construction and long-stroke suspension.

Avon supplies the rubber with its Trailrider tread pattern that's good for both road and gravel. The WP Apex 43 forks have a generous, 7.87-inch (200 mm) stroke and adjustable compression- and rebound-damping values that's clearly geared toward off-road work. The new WP Apex suspension line makes another appearance at the rear shock to complete the support with its own 200 mm stroke alongside the full trinity of adjustments, so you can quickly dial in for changes in lading and riding conditions.

There's one final hydraulic shock, this one mounted on the steering head to dampen the kickback you can get in the bar when you come down from a moonshot or are working in adverse terrain. Improved brakes come with four-bore calipers and dual 320 mm discs up front, while out back, a 260 mm disc and twin-piston anchor take care of business. Bosch supplies the ABS with its 9.1 MP system that features cornering-ABS and has an off-road mode that lets you lock up the rear wheel only, plus it can be turned off in its entirety if you'd rather take your chances and rely on skill alone.

KTM 890 Adventure Drivetrain

KTM boosted engine size up to 889 cc on the 890 Adventure with a concurrent boost in horsepower up to 103.2 ponies total, and it pulled this new mill straight out of the new Husky Norden 901.

Fairly oversquare, the parallel-twin engine now runs a 90.7 mm bore with a 68.8 mm stroke. Under the hood, both the intake and exhaust valves were enlarged by 1 mm and the ports tuned for more efficient aspiration.

Short and light, the forged pistons rock a Diamond-Like Carbon finish for friction reduction, while there's a pair of oil jets under each piston to help carry waste heat away from the crown for heavy-duty capabilities. Nicasil treatment turns the raw aluminum of the cylinder into a tough, heat-conductive bore with none of the weight or fitment issues of sleeve inserts.

Up top, a balancer shaft takes some of the sting out of the engine vibrations for long-distance comfort, that's important as the engine runs a 435-degree firing order that gives it a V-twin-like lope at idle and uneven powerpulses uprange.

A slipper clutch between the engine and six-speed transmission for a super-light clutch-lever pull weight and anti-hop protection for the rear wheel, and if you spring for the optional Quickshifter Plus feature, you can bang your way both up- and down-range with neither a throttle roll-off nor any sort of clutch action.

KTM packs in its newest Traction Control system to match the equally-new ABS gen, all under the control of the Ride Modes feature that allows for quick personality changes that make this behave like several different bikes in one.

KTM 890 Adventure Price

The MY22 890 Adventure rolls for $13,399 MSRP. It's a KTM, so the paint package is some combination of black and orange that, admittedly, is really sharp, but there's a second package that is mostly black on black with just a whisper of orange highlights.

KTM 890 Adventure Competitors

KTM puts out a solid product, so I looked to their neighbor to the South for my competitor, and Ducati's Multistrada 950 seems to fit the bill quite nicely.

Ducati Multstrada 950

Like KTM, Ducati's genetic markers are unmistakable, and so the “950” carries itself with all of the usual swank you'd expect from the Italian giant. Sensual curves join with oodles of electronic goodies that matches KTM in Riding Modes, Traction Control, and corner-sensitive ABS delightfulness. Duc gains a slight edge with a Vehicle Hold Control that holds the brakes so you can deploy both feet to the ground when negotiating a grade and a Power Modes feature that lets you dial in the power delivery.

The Italian entry also packs more cubeage with 937 cc engine against the KTM's 889 cc. This brings with it a concurrent boost in power to give the 950 113 ponies total over 103.2 horsepower from the 890 for a difference that you'll feel in the ol' heinie dyno.

Like so many other things though, there is a tradeoff to be had. You'll have to cough up $14,495 base MSRP to ride the Ducati off the lot to leave a bit of cheddar on the table that is hard to ignore, especially given the not-too-dissimilar performance profiles and electronic package.

Read our full review of the Ducati Multistrada 950 and 950 S.

He Said

“If this thing just had some baggage, then you'd really have something. As it stands, it's a great machine, but until you add some bags and maybe even a topcase, you are going to be limited as both a commuter and a tour bike. Also, if you expect to spend a lot of time off the beaten path, I'd point out the up-range variants that place a premium on perfecting their off-road chops.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “This is the same engine as in the 890 Duke models, so we know it's punchy and gutsy and it carries the same enhancements we first saw in the 890 Duke R. The 890 Adventure has a nice electronics package for on- or off-road traveling, so it looks like KTM took a good adventure bike in the 790 and made it better.”

KTM 890 Adventure Specifications

Further Reading

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