BMW R 1150 GS Adventure versus KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
BMW R 1150 GS Adventure
KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
Year of construction / RRP / Test report
Competitors
- Comfort
- Processing
- Off-road capability
- plenty of power
- lavish furnishings
- good usability
- good travel comfort for driver and pillion passenger
- successful deitails
- plenty of accessories available
- High weight
- high, but not unusual price in this class
- somewhat idiosyncratic front mask (a matter of taste)
- for some maybe a bit overloaded with technology
Dimensions & Weight
Length : 2.180 mm
Seat : 900 mm
Weight : 287 (max: 460 ) kg
Length : 2.250 mm Height : 1.520 mm
Seat : 849 mm until : 869 mm
Weight : 243 (max: 460 ) kg
Engine
Displacement: 1.130 ccm
Hub: 71 mm
Hole: 101 mm
Cooling: Öl-Luft
Drive: Kardan
Aisles: 6
Displacement: 1.301 ccm
Hub: 71 mm
Hole: 108 mm
Cooling: flüssig
Drive: Kette
Aisles: 6
Performance
Performance: 85 HP at 6.750 U/Min
Torque: 98 NM bei 5.250 U/Min Tank contents: 22 Litre
Consumption: 5 l
Performance: 160 HP at 9.000 U/Min
Torque: 138 NM bei 6.750 U/Min Tank contents: 23 Litre
Consumption: 6 l
Reach: 404 km
Chassis
Tubular space frame (steel) Front suspension:
Telelever (travel 210 mm) Rear suspension:
Central strut (travel 220 mm)
Rear suspension:
Paralever single-arm swingarm Tyres at the front: 110/80 B 19 TL
Rear tyres: 150/70 H 17 TL
Lattice tube (chromium-molybdenum) Front suspension:
Semi-active WP-USD fork Ø 48 mm (travel 200 mm) Rear suspension:
Semi-active WP Monoshock strut (travel 200 mm)
Rear suspension:
Die-cast two-arm swingarm Tyres at the front: 120/70 ZR19
Rear tyres: 170/60 ZR17
Brakes
Double disc brakes (∅ 305 mm) Rear brake
Single disc (∅ 276 mm)
Double disc Brembo four-piston radial fixed caliper (∅ 320 mm) Rear brake
Brembo two-piston fixed caliper (∅ 267 mm)
Cheap never, well mostly
MW driving has never been a particularly cheap pleasure. Although many specimens are around 20 years old and have collected correspondingly many kilometers, these GS are still not a bargain. It must be at least 5,000 euros, top-maintained specimens like our test bike like to scratch at the five-digit. You can understand this: The BMW R 1150 GS, if you don't catch a rocked-out model, is an almost ideal companion for the very big tour.
If you can do without cornering and agility, the GS is the ideal travel moped, where the road can be three steps below perfect.
As I said, a buddy for the good and the bad days.
Conclusion - what gets stuck
Well, bad motorcycles aren't actually built in this class any more. So what remains to be said? You have to look for the mistakes with a magnifying glass. But of course we have done this too and therefore mention the following criticisms: The compartment for the mobile phone is unfortunately too small for many models. From the point of view of a travel machine, a gimbal would also be nice – but clearly it's just KTM.
The optics of the front mask in particular are not for everyone – but this really falls under the category of taste question. The purchase price is quite lavish, but even with that the KTM is not alone. So let's return to the entry question of whether the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is the new benchmark. The new benchmark is perhaps very ambitious. But the KTM can keep up with the big competing machines from this segment. And you almost get the impression that the differences are getting smaller and smaller.
The test machine was provided to us by Motorrad Ruser.
