2026 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
173 Horses, Fully Adjustable
The 1390 Super Adventure S is built around a 1350 cc 75° V-twin with Camshift variable valve timing, and the point of that hardware is bandwidth. There is 107 lb-ft sitting low in the rev range where you actually ride, and 173 hp waiting once the road opens up. KTM Ride-by-Wire handles the engine maps, cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and ride modes come standard, and WP APEX Semi-Active Technology (SAT), 3rd Generation manages the damping. An 8-inch portrait TFT runs navigation and phone connectivity. This is the road-biased member of the 1390 family, riding a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear.
It rides big and it rides fast, and it never pretends to be a soft all-rounder. The riding position is upright and commanding, the 6.1 gal (23 L) tank buys genuine distance between stops, and seat height is adjustable, though 33.4 in (849 mm) is still a long reach for shorter riders. At 545 lb (247 kg) wet you feel the mass at walking pace and on loose surfaces. Chain drive is something you stay on top of across a long tour. Cruise control, quickshifter both directions, keyless and the TFT are standard; heated grips, luggage and adaptive cruise are not. Buy it for pace and range, not for technical rock.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 173 hp (127 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 107 lb-ft (145 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1350 cc |
| Engine | 75° V-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Ground clearance | 8.8 in (223 mm) |
| Front travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.4 in (849 mm) |
| Wet weight | 545 lb (247 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.1 gal (23 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Safety
Swing a leg over and it feels tall and wide before it feels heavy. The bars come back to you, your knees tuck into a tank that carries its fuel high and narrow, and the stance is upright enough that you sit above traffic all day. The V-twin idles with a lumpy, uneven beat you feel through the pegs and the seat, and it stays present at highway revs without leaving your hands numb. The quickshifter answers with a short mechanical click under the boot, up and down. Wind hits high on the chest and shoulders. The portrait screen sits right in your sightline, big enough to read a map at a glance. Ride into dusk and the headlight throws far enough ahead that you never back off your pace. After 200 miles the ache is in your legs, not your wrists.
Where this KTM 1390 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 1390 Super Adventure S is actually built for.
Fast desert two-track, sand roads and long graded dirt suit it well. Technical slickrock does not: 545 lb on cast wheels and street rubber asks more of you than the terrain should.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
This is where the bike makes the most sense. Semi-active damping, deep lean clearance and real torque turn a 300 mile day on twisty pavement into the reason you own it.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Range, seating position and cruise control all work in your favor across big Western distances. Budget for luggage and heated grips, since neither is included on this trim.
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 · 2021
160 Horses, Full Electronics
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
