2021 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
160 Horses, Full Electronics
KTM built this one as the road-biased flagship of its adventure line, and the spec sheet tells you where the priorities sit: 1301 cc of 75-degree V-twin, 160 hp at 9,000 rpm, 102 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm. What keeps it honest as an adventure bike is the chassis wrapped around that engine. A 19-inch front wheel, 7.9 inches of travel at both ends, 8.8 inches of ground clearance. The electronics carry the other half: electronic suspension, radar adaptive cruise control, cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, ride modes, a steering damper, all managed through a TFT display with keyless ignition and tire pressure monitoring.
Rolling, it shrinks. A 540 lb wet weight and a 61.4-inch wheelbase should feel like a handful on a back road, and they don't; it changes direction with far less effort than the figures suggest and stays settled as the pace climbs. The 33.4-inch seat is the first filter: this is a tall motorcycle, and shorter riders will work for it at stops. The second filter is ownership. The electrical side of this bike wants attention, from fuel pump failures to TFT blanking and random warning lights, and a mid-range misfire can take more than one dealer visit to chase down. Buy it with a good dealer within reach and it earns its keep.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 160 hp (118 kW) @ 9,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 102 lb-ft (138 Nm) @ 6,500 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 | 8.8 in (223 mm) |
| Front travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.4 in (849 mm) |
| Wet weight | 540 lb (245 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.1 gal (23 L) |
| Fuel economy | 41 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
You notice the size at a standstill and then stop thinking about it. The seat sits high at 33.4 inches, the bars come back toward you, and the position is upright without going armchair slack, so you sit in the bike rather than perched on top of it. The V-twin has a hard, uneven pulse at idle that settles into a low hum once you're rolling, and just enough of it reaches the pegs to remind you what you're sitting on. Over a long day nothing nags at you: wrists stay unloaded, knees have room, and both the screen and the seat height move to sort you out. At real road pace it feels tight rather than loose, and it wants input from you instead of tolerating whatever you hand it. This one does not fade into the background.
Two decades of paddock conversations, owner chats at club nights and the messages riders send me directly feed a section like this. On the Super Adventure the chatter falls into a clear shape: strong agreement on how it rides, and a running undercurrent of doubt about reliability.
Ask an owner what stands out and the V-twin comes up first, every time. Riders describe relentless drive from low in the rev range that keeps building to the redline, and many rank it among the best motors in the adventure class. The electronics draw nearly as much praise, with cornering ABS, semi-active damping and the display named as the level other bikes get measured against. Handling comes up next: owners keep saying it feels smaller and more willing than its size suggests. The long-distance crowd adds that ergonomics, wind protection and tank size let them cover big miles without paying for it.
The recurring complaint is electrical. Owners report intermittent faults that turn up without warning, and it comes up often enough that it shapes how riders talk about owning one. A few also mention noise and buffeting off the stock screen at speed, usually solved with an aftermarket spoiler.
High-speed wobble
Owners report a headshake or weave developing at higher speeds, most often with luggage or a pillion aboard, or when the front tire is worn or unevenly loaded. The bars can shimmy noticeably until the rider backs off the throttle. Careful attention to tire condition and wheel balance, along with front preload and fork damping settings, usually calms the behavior.
Fuel pump failure
Some owners have experienced sudden fuel pump failure, leaving the bike stranded. A known issue with KTM, though not widespread.
Engine misfire requiring multiple dealer visits
Intermittent engine misfire in the mid-range that can resist diagnosis, with owners reporting repeated dealer visits over an extended period before a fix is found. Points to tricky fault-finding and possible parts-supply delays rather than a single failed part.
Electrical gremlins and intermittent faults
Reports of TFT display blanking, fuel gauge failure, and random warning lights. Often traced to voltage sensitivity during starting; keeping battery fully charged and starting in neutral can mitigate.
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
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 1290 Super Adventure S is actually built for.
At 540 lb with a 19-inch front and 7.9 inches of travel, it's fine on graded dirt and desert two-track. On slickrock and tight technical lines it's simply more bike than the day calls for.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
This is your bike. Big pull from low revs, lean clearance you won't use up, and a 6.1 gal tank that turns a 300-mile day of curves into one fuel stop. Comfortable without going soft.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
It'll do the distance: 41 mpg from 6.1 gallons, suspension that adapts to a pillion and full luggage, adaptive cruise for the interstate slogs. Stay on top of front tire wear when loaded.
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 · 2017–2020
Orange Attack, Fully Electronic
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
