If it ends in 90 it's probably a KTM. They have made 390, 690, 790, 890, 990, 1090, 1190 and 1290 models plus multiple variations of trim in each displacement. Sometimes the only way to tell them apart is by the sticker on the side.
Dan Bare
rw saunders
hey, how lucky can one man get.
I like the tiger models from a distance, and there’s a triumph dealer within the distance of a dog walk. Can’t figure out how a motorcycle makes sense for me, so I don’t take that walk.
Saw a BMW Urban GS under way this afternoon, while riding my pedal bike. It looked good. Better than it looks on the site.
https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/mo...eturbangs.html
Wow. I can't afford to look at this thread. There is some beautiful stuff here.
-mitch
I’m seeing BMW GSs daily on the southern Utah highways. At Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon NP, it was this KTM 390 Adventure instead of a big bike. 2 people, 9100 feet up. Not bad.
IMG_4251.jpg
Dan Fuller, local bicycle enthusiast
Seen in Vienna Austria today.
mod-scoots.jpg
A picture of mod scooter culture reminds me that I need to go back to Japan. (I didn't need the reminder)
More here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyapFNeReKR/
Dan Fuller, local bicycle enthusiast
The CTXP production team does a really good job. The little Triumphs look good, too!
Dan Fuller, local bicycle enthusiast
Speaking of KTM's, here is another boring garage door and a new (to me) '23 890 Adventure R. I only have a couple hundred miles on this beauty, but in a word, "Wow!". I have enjoyed my 2010 F800GS but this motorcycle is leaps and bounds better.
IMG_5919.jpg
^^^ Reviewers sure like that bike. Did you test ride anything else, or was that the one you wanted from the start?
Dan Fuller, local bicycle enthusiast
KTM did not have a middleweight when I got the F800GS in 2010. I've been very happy with the BMW but have kept an eye on the category because I like this type of machine. When the KTM 790 came out, I kinda poo-pooed the idea of all the dirt-enabled traction control and ABS. I keep saying, "I don't need that stuff." Plus, I had slowly developed my F800GS such that the weight is about 36 lbs lighter.
Over the last couple of years my riding has shifted from 90% street and 10% dirt to about 30% street and 70% road. Many of my riding buddies have made the switch to KTM. Recently, I came across a deal with this bike at a dealership with 432 miles on the clock with half of the warranty remaining and 30% of the list price. I jumped on it!
After spending a few hundred miles on it, I must say, "Boy, was I wrong!". Thirteen years of technology advancement in this category is a very big deal. And with the way the KTM carries its fuel so much lower, it is so much more nimble in the dirt despite being that much heavier.
Thanks for the answer. A question that betrays my long-time removal from owning a motorcycle: beyond contact points, what's your first upgrade on a bike like this? Is a wheel upgrade as typical with motorcycles as it is with bicycles?
Dan Fuller, local bicycle enthusiast
I would say luggage of some type or lighting would be a typical first upgrade. Wheel upgrade is not near as common as it is in the bicycle world. If the motorcycle comes equipped with tube type tires and rims some people will convert them to tubeless but an entire wheel swap is not common.
Dan Bare
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