Thinking about dual sport/ ADV bike

[SRTie4k]

Is the world-rally really throttle by wire? I had not read that anywhere.

I was initially turned off by the no cruise but have since decided I would be comfortable adding it as a kit and/or just using a throttle lock.

I agree it is nice. Have it on my RK and I use it constantly as well.

Reviewing the specs, I may have been mistaken. I thought I read somewhere it will have ride modes, which would imply TBW, but I don't see that anywhere in the specs.

[nhbubba]

My read is enormous, 2-cell tank. Fancier instrument panel and better, longer travel suspension and that's it.

I also read in 49283 places it was not coming to the US. Cool to hear their reps are saying otherwise.

[tls25rs]

FYI, Noel G (GixerJockey) is the sales GM at Colonial Power & Sport (KTM) in Milford CT, might be worth pinging that doofus.

As far as I know Noel is no longer affiliated with Colonial

[nhbubba]

As far as I know Noel is no longer affiliated with Colonial

Bummer. Good info. They are advertising a bike on cycle-trader and I had considered reaching out. But they are 3 hours and 4-5 dealers away. If he isn't with them I won't bother.

[SRTie4k]

Might be gone already but...

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/2...-sale.1544589/

[Paul_E_D]

As far as I know Noel is no longer affiliated with Colonial

Really? He's gone already?

[Spooler]

My half-informed read on the Norden is that it is only slightly incrementally different than the base/-S 890 Adventure. I stopped reading once I learned it has the 43mm Apex forks. I want the big-boy forks for this kind of $!

Are the electronics offerings different? I think I read they maybe were.

Shame as I kind of dig the styling.

That said, I love orange and have nothing against having KTM in my garage.

There’s a YouTube channel (I want to say BigRockMoto?) where the guy has a new 901 he’s kind of selling me on it as a worthwhile midpoint between the 890 and 890R, I’ll probably keep following him (despite not enjoying his presentation style very much) to see what his long term opinions are. He makes incredibly detailed and (overly) long videos, lots of info, a little boring but you can play it in the background while you’re doing something else and just glance at the screen once in a while. Anyway, he seems impressed with its off-road ability so far.

[nhbubba]

Talk me out of this : https://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/m...00-rally/rally

Tiger 900 Rally



I just smeared my crotch on one at National and enjoyed it. I hear they made a "cross plane" triple now that actually makes low-end torque. It also actually has some bark and doesn't sound like a jetsons scooter.

[LXnastynotch93]

Talk me out of this : https://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/m...00-rally/rally

Tiger 900 Rally



I just smeared my crotch on one at National and enjoyed it. I hear they made a "cross plane" triple now that actually makes low-end torque. It also actually has some bark and doesn't sound like a jetsons scooter.

Excellent review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDyxuneShrE

I've seen a few reviews where the riders state the Triumph is the better road oriented bike, but can't keep up with the 890R offroad.

If you're cool with Italian brands, there's also the Aprilia Tuareg 660 which is like a spicy Italian sausage version of the Tenere 700.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBmkDQ6W2AM

[MattR302]

Here ya go nhbubba. Fly down, ride the MABDR + NEBDR back to NH.
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/2...le-tn.1536601/

[number9]

Here ya go nhbubba. Fly down, ride the MABDR + NEBDR back to NH.
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/2...le-tn.1536601/

$5k on suspension! Ouch

[Garandman]

For the rest of us who didn’t know what a T7 is: Yamaha Tenere 700.

[Gixxer]

For the rest of us who didn’t know what a T7 is: Yamaha Tenere 700.

Would the 850 Tiger be a better alternative to a T7?

[nhbubba]

The Tiger 850 Sport is far more street oriented. Most especially with the 19/17 cast wheel setup vs the T7 with the 21/18 spoked wheels. The suspension spec is also a bit lackluster. I read it as much more an answer to the Suzuki V-Strom DL650. National had one. Nice bike, but not really all that off-road oriented.

The Tiger 900 Rally & Rally Pro seem to be the off-road oriented models. And they are both priced and spec'ed much further up-market than the T7. All the reviews I can find seem to indicate it is a nice comparo to the KTM 890 and the BMW F850GS. Of those, the KTM is the rowdy dirt bike of the bunch by far and a way. Everyone remarks that the Tiger 900 is most at home on bad pavement and well graded gravel. I think the T7 is a bit more over-grown dirt bike in comparison.

Super exciting to see so many awesome offers in this segment!

[MattR302]

Nice find. Keep those coming my way!

Ok, since you asked. Right in your backyard
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/2...ure-r.1538669/

[SRTie4k]

I've heard the 1090R is the best offroad variant in the 1x90 series (haven't ridden one myself), but not in the same league as the 890R.

As far as the 900 Rally Pro, I'd first be asking if they ever fixed the 1st and 6th gears. I believe they lowered 1st a little (it was way too high and would lead to a lot of stalling issues in technical terrain on the 800XC), but 6th was still screaming on the Tiger 800 my buddy had. It was not a very good bike to take on the interstate for that reason.

[dankatz]

I've heard the 1090R is the best offroad variant in the 1x90 series (haven't ridden one myself), but not in the same league as the 890R.

As far as the 900 Rally Pro, I'd first be asking if they ever fixed the 1st and 6th gears. I believe they lowered 1st a little (it was way too high and would lead to a lot of stalling issues in technical terrain on the 800XC), but 6th was still screaming on the Tiger 800 my buddy had. It was not a very good bike to take on the interstate for that reason.

Yes, supposedly. The 800XC had the older variant of the triple which was generally designed to be very smooth in high RPM. I put a few thousand miles on them and you do get used to the higher RPM as it is very smooth. I didn't do anything technial so can't comment on 1st gear. My 2011 street triple R was doing 7k rpm at 80 mph. It was very smooth but still annoyed the heck out of my highway commutes.

[nhbubba]

I didn't remember that about the Tiger 800 "roadie" I rented in CA. I did a lot of super-slab on it and don't remember the gearing being that wild.

I think I have my heart set quite intently on an 890 ADV-R. I have the $. I am ready to part with it. I don't even think I want to "settle" for a 790 ADV-R. No compromises this time!

Someone find me a dealer ready to sell @ MSRP plus reasonable fees. I'm ready to travel up to 3 hours with a trailer and looking to take delivery sometime between now and the end of April.

[ducatirdr]

I had an 800XC back in 2012. The thing was an excellent street bike and this video had me want one.

Of course that 1st gear was a bit too high and the clutch was a bit too weak on that version. I went through my clutch in 2400 miles and got stuck during the Big Bike Adventure ride in the Berkshires. I adjusted it and got home but the clutch pack was cooked slipping the clutch up a hero section of what was a trail that turned into a brook. I blame a KLR rider as well. The guy kept blocking my pass and finally I gassed it and let out the clutch to thinking my rear wheel was slipping. DOOH! It was all clutch smoke and very little forward motion.

The bike was great handling on the stock tires. But on TKC80's it was nervous. I put them on along with aluminum panniers and the bike was the worst highway bike I had ever ridden. The slightest wind buffet would have the bike change lanes.

The new ones are a lot better.

[SRTie4k]

According to Cycle Trader, both Motorsports Nation and Colonial have one.

The one at Wagner says pending.

[tls25rs]

FYI, Noel G (GixerJockey) is the sales GM at Colonial Power & Sport (KTM) in Milford CT, might be worth pinging that doofus. They also have a pre-owned 2004 Harley on their website so knows maybe they wants yours.

As far as I know Noel is no longer affiliated with Colonial

According to Cycle Trader, both Motorsports Nation and Colonial have one.

The one at Wagner says pending.

Even if Noel is no longer at Colonial he might have a suggestion as to who to talk with to see if they can help you out or screw you less on the one that they have

[MattR302]

I know of a KTM 950 Super Enduro for sale, think he’s asking $9k

[Gixxer]

I’m torn.

Go for broke and buy a Triumph Scrambler XE, likely not really go off pavement… but you never know.

Or spend half the cash on a klr650 adventure, get bags and fogs included, not care as much if I did go off road and dropped it compared to the XE…

And maybe catch the bug and upgrade in a year or two to something else.



Plan to keep the Street Bob also… but most likely just until Laconia and sell it.

[MattR302]

I’m torn.

Go for broke and buy a Triumph Scrambler XE, likely not really go off pavement… but you never know.

Or spend half the cash on a klr650 adventure, get bags and fogs included, not care as much if I did go off road and dropped it compared to the XE…

And maybe catch the bug and upgrade in a year or two to something else.

My general advice for someone in your situation is: find a used DR650/KLR650/XR650L in good condition with some good farkles for $3-4k, whichever you can find a deal on. It’s like a free trial - You can ride the piss out of it for a year (or more) and it will still be worth that same $3-4k. The 650 thumpers are a good middle ground to get your feet wet in the dualsport/ADV world, and see how you actually end up riding. If you want to upgrade, you can easily flip it and get something more pavement biased or dirt biased.

[nhbubba]

I think that is probably good advice. The 650 thumpers are surprisingly fun, if very, very low performance. I could actually imagine doing a ton of ADV riding on a KLR if I lived closer to the good stuff and didn't have to traverse highway.

I saw the Scrambler XE and XC in person at National in Pembroke last week. I think it has a lot more chops than you might think. The sales guy said he was riding one right now and called it a "naked ADV bike with some retro style". Key here is it isn't the retro street naked with some ADV bits tacked on that it might look like from a distance. A lot of the hardware compares to the Tiger line. Weight isn't even that bad (~450-500 wet). And they look completely bad-ass.

I get it!

I don't know how I'd feel bouncing that pretty motorbike off some rocks though. For well traveled dirt roads I be it slays. Probably pretty good on our typical beat up paved roads too.