2017–2020 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
Orange Attack, Fully Electronic
This is the tarmac-leaning flagship of KTM's adventure line, and the 1301 cc LC8 V-twin is the reason it exists. 162 hp and 103 lb-ft is absurd for a bike with a 19-inch front wheel and 7.9 inches of travel at both ends, yet the steel trellis chassis and a fairly tight 61.4-inch wheelbase keep it honest. The semi-active WP suspension is standard, with Comfort, Street, Sport and Off-road settings, and it changes the bike's manners more than most riders expect. Cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, cruise control, TFT dash, keyless system and TPMS are all factory equipment.
The riding experience is pure orange: aggressive stance, a front end that talks to you constantly, and a throttle that rewards deliberate hands. At 33.9 inches, the seat is tall, though it adjusts. Ground clearance of 8.7 inches and the long-travel suspension mean gravel and dirt roads are genuinely on the menu, but 162 hp and a 19-inch front are not a hard-enduro combination. The honest caveat is electrical: TFT blackouts, keyless fob refusals, indicator and switch failures, battery drain, even full shutdowns. Radiator leaks at the top right seam are a documented weak point too. Buy with service history.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 162 hp (119 kW) @ 8,750 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 103 lb-ft (140 Nm) @ 6,750 rpm |
| Displacement | 1301 cc |
| Engine | 75° V-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Wheelbase | 61.4 in (1560 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 8.7 in (220 mm) |
| Front travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.9 in (860 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.1 gal (23 L) |
| Fuel economy | 37 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The first thing you notice is that the bike feels smaller under you than it looks in photos. It's tall, and at a stop you know exactly how tall, but once rolling the mass disappears and the bars sit wide and high enough that you steer with your shoulders rather than your wrists. The V-twin gives you a hard, uneven pulse through the pegs at low revs that smooths out as the tach climbs, and the sound is all mechanical intake honk rather than exhaust theater. Lean clearance is deep enough that you run out of nerve before the bike runs out of angle. The LED headlight with cornering lights turns night riding into something genuinely relaxed. After a couple of hundred miles the wide tank and the roomy triangle keep you fresh, and the 6.1-gallon capacity at 37 mpg means you stop when you want to, not when you have to.
Two decades of listening adds up: pit lane conversations, riders cornering me at club nights, owners talking over a fuel stop, and the messages that land in my inbox every week. On the 1290 Super Adventure S the pattern that comes back is a split one. Riders are close to unanimous about how it goes down a road, and just as consistent about what has gone wrong.
The V-twin is where almost every conversation starts. Owners describe a deep well of torque from low rpm and acceleration that keeps building, and they point out how little effort it takes to ride fast or slow. Close behind is the way the bike steers for its size. Riders call it light, quick-turning and composed through corners, easier to maneuver on a twisty road than the numbers suggest. The electronics package draws steady credit too, mostly for the safety and convenience it adds over rivals.
Two gripes dominate. Electrical and software faults come up constantly, described as intermittent rather than terminal, and owners find them at odds with the rest of the bike. Radiator leaks are reported just as often, and riders treat them as a long-term ownership issue rather than bad luck. Comfort is a quieter theme: some owners find the stock seat too firm over distance and move to the optional Ergo item or an aftermarket seat.
Radiator leak
The radiator develops a leak, typically at the top right seam or from a broken mount, often when the engine is hot. Repairs involve JB Weld or replacement.
Electrical and TFT glitches
Intermittent issues: TFT screen blanks or flickers, keyless fob not recognized, indicator/switch failures, battery drain, and complete electrical shutdowns that sometimes reset after battery disconnect.
TFT day/night mode switching overly sensitive
The dash switches too readily between day and night brightness, often while riding under bridges or in changing light, distracting the rider. A software update partially addressed it.
Where this KTM 1290 Super Adventure S pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 1290 Super Adventure S is actually built for.
You can ride this on desert two-track and fire roads, and the travel plus 8.7 inches of clearance will back you up. But it's a big, fast, 19-inch-front machine, not a tool for tight technical sections.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
This is your bike. The lean clearance, the torque and the adaptable suspension turn a 300-mile day on Highway 1 or the Blue Ridge into exactly the ride you had in mind.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Range, comfort and cruise control cover the long days, and the suspension handles a load. Just budget for the electrical quirks before you plan a trip through country with no dealer for 400 miles.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2013–2016
Brakes That Corner Hard
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this KTM 1290 Super Adventure S. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2021
160 Horses, Full Electronics
Competitor · 2013–2018
The Boxer That Rewired Everything
~$1,200 pricier used than this bike at 8 yr
Same Platform · 2017–2020
160 Horses, 21-Inch Front
~$1,400 cheaper used than this bike at 8 yr