“More is more.” It’s not a philosophy that always rings true in the real world, but it’s exactly what KTM has embraced with their new 1390 Super Adventure R. The outgoing 1290 was already a model of extremes but KTM has now layered on even more — more horsepower, more torque, more electronics, more amenities, more protection… more of everything it seems.

But when a manufacturer keeps stacking on features and upgrades, the real question becomes whether it all comes together as a cohesive package, or if the overloaded plate starts spilling off the edges. We put the 2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R to the test to find out which side it lands on. 

What’s New

KTM’s next-gen 1390 Super Adventure is the brand’s first significant update to its flagship adventure model since 2021. However, we had to sit on our hands for a year, since KTM rolled out the 1390 overseas for 2025 and only now brought it to North America as a 2026 model. While several of the chassis upgrades carry over from the outgoing 1290 Super Adventure R, this is more than a simple refresh — the SAR sees significant changes across the board. 

Starting with the frame, it’s been stiffened, not just to give it more stability in corners, but to handle all the extra power they’ve added. For all three of you out there that thought the old 1290 SAR didn’t make enough power, KTM has given it an eye-watering 173 peak ponies and 107 ft-lbs of torque (up from 160 horsepower and 12 ft-lbs of torque). That makes it the class leader in horsepower and just shy of the 110 ft-lbs of torque the BMW R1300GS puts to the ground.  

That power increase was achieved by punching out the cylinders for added displacement, up from 1301cc to 1350cc. The engine also breathes easier through larger throttle bodies and they found additional improvements by refining internal oil passages to reduce flow resistance. But the biggest factor in the gains was a completely new valvetrain system KTM calls ‘Camshift.’ This is a form of variable valve timing technology that has become common in the automotive industry and is now making its way into motorcycles on several models. Essentially, Camshift gives the engine two different intake camshafts – a high-lift lobe design that maximizes power in the upper RPMs and a low-emission, fuel-efficient profile that gives it improved responsiveness in the lower RPMs. The ‘cam-shift’ is controlled by an electronic actuator that swaps cam profiles mechanically in milliseconds at around 6,000 RPMs. 

Improving reliability was also on the list of priorities for KTM. While the LC8 platform has been known to be reliable over the years, the brand has taken a hit to their reputation recently with the LC8c powerplant’s camshaft failures. To help restore faith in their commitment to durability, KTM has given the engine harder valve seats. This has allowed them to extend valve-clearance checks from 30,000 km to 60,000 km. Other changes include new radiator fans that improve engine cooling and help reduce heat to the rider. In addition, the 1390 Super Adventure R, along with all KTM street models, gets a warranty with up to 4 years of coverage. 

To help riders manage that boost in power, there have been some upgrades to the electronics. The 1290 Super Adventure R already had quite sophisticated technology with a telemetry-sensing IMU, multiple ride modes and the 9-way adjustable slip control in Rally Mode. Now Traction Control has gotten even smarter. The latest update allows more rear tire slip off-road when it detects you are going up a steep incline, giving riders an extra boost in momentum. It also can detect when the rear wheel leaves the ground for a jump or whoop and ensures there’s no abrupt throttle cutoff that could lead to a nose dive.

The 1390 SAR now also gets the Dynamic Slip Control system we first tested on the Husqvarna 701 Enduro R. With this system activated in Rally Mode, the computer automatically adjusts the traction control level down depending on the terrain and throttle inputs. Previously, if you had the slip level at say 6 (9 being the highest level of TC intervention) and you hit a mud pit, you could easily get stuck without enough wheel spin to get you out of the hole. This often meant you had to stop to change your slip level manually to continue the ride. With the new Dynamic Slip system, it will detect low traction situations like this, while also sensing the rider still has the throttle open. In response, it will automatically lower that slip level down a few levels as needed to give the rider the wheelspin and corresponding momentum required to handle the situation.

Another new electronic aid that I am surprised the SAR never received before is Engine Braking Control. This lets you dial up or down the amount of engine braking you feel when you let off the throttle. Also available, but not new, is MSR (Motor Slip Regulation) that helps smooth out wheel chatter during aggressive deceleration, and HHC (Hill Hold Control), which locks the brakes for a few seconds on steep hills to help you from rolling backward. These rider aids, along with the Rally Mode, Dynamic Slip Adjust and the Quickshfiter+, are all part of the optional Tech Pack.

Standard ride modes for the SAR are Street, Sport, Rain and Offroad. Each of these new modes can be fully customized now for power map, traction control, ABS, etc. If you get the optional Rally Mode, it comes with three additional custom ride modes you can configure. Better yet, KTM has addressed rider complaints about their custom settings getting reset when you turn the bike off. Now the system keeps your settings whether you turn off the kill switch or the key. Let it sit for days and your traction control ‘off’ setting remains that way. And if your settings get a little out of whack and you want to start over, there is a quick way to set it back to the factory default. The only caveat is that front ABS can not be defeated on the 1390 Super Adventure R. There is an off-road sensitive ABS setting but no ability to turn it off on the front wheel completely. 

All the electronics are managed through a new extra-large 8” color TFT ‘touch screen’ that is mounted vertically like a Rally Roadbook. It features crisp 1280×720 resolution and 256,000 colors along with anti-glare and anti-reflection tech. The touch screen is designed to be glove friendly and there’s a new interface that’s packed with features like on-board telemetry monitoring, built-in navigation with off-line maps, as well as phone connectivity for phone calls, music, adaptive routing, live traffic, and more. We’ve also been told that they are working on adding the ability to load GPX files into the maps for custom route navigation. No word on exactly when though.

All the ride modes can be customized and selected through the touch screen while you ride or you can use the switch cubes on the bars. This gives you a mode button on the right side and a paddle shifter on the left to control things like your slip control in Rally Mode. There’s also a toggle for cruise control on the left side, and for the first time you can get ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) as an option on the Super Adventure ‘R’ model. This system automatically adjusts your speed relative to the vehicle in front of you and provides collision and distance warnings. 

Another change has been in the bike’s ergos. The SAR gets a 30mm wider tapered aluminum handlebar for increased leverage and control. The bar mounts, which are 2-position adjustable, receive rubber dampers to help quell any vibes transmitted through the bars. Footpeg position has also been adjusted to improve rider comfort and feel, now sitting 8mm lower and 10mm outward. Comfort on the highway has also been enhanced with a new windtunnel-tested windshield that was reshaped for improved airflow. It also boasts an additional 15mm of up/down range adjustment when using the hand crank.

Probably one of most noticeable changes has to be in the look of the bike. The new SAR features all-new bodywork and LED lighting. The old 1290 Super Adventure was always a distinctive design but the new 1390 has an even more futuristic look. The new LED headlight offers more illumination of the road and the cornering lights now sit lower and are more prominent for improved visibility of what’s coming around the turn. The bodywork has been updated to offer more comfort and reduced buffeting, while air ducts have been redesigned to redirect the engine’s hot air away from the rider with improved efficiency.

Some of the changes that might be less noticeable include a new front Brembo brake master cylinder, upgraded to provide more bite. Plus, crash bars and hand guards have been beefed up to offer improved off-road protection, while the tires also got a bit more off-road performance with a swap to the Dunlop Trailmax Raid 40% Street / 60% Dirt adventure tires. Also, the fuel tank storage compartment has been enlarged to fit some of the largest phone models and features a built-in USB-C port.

That’s quite a lot of upgrades they’ve added to their flagship machine but the core foundation remains the same. The Super Adventure is still powered by the LC8 V-Twin powerplant mated to a 6-speed transmission with a slipper clutch. Bump absorption is still handled by top-shelf WP XPLOR componentry with a 48mm USD open-cartridge fork and PDS non-linkage rear shock. The suspension is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound with individual clickers on top of the forks for easy on-the-fly damping adjustments. Suspension travel is 9.5” at both ends, which equates to a 34.6” seat height and 9.5” of ground clearance.

Some astute readers may have noticed the suspension travel spec went up 0.8” from the original announcement of the 1390 Super Adventure R, and they’d be right — on paper. In reality, there is no change in the suspension from the 2025 1390 SAR, or the 2024 1290 SAR for that matter. KTM explained the bump in suspension travel is due to a change in measuring technique. In short, they noticed their Japanese competitors were using a different method to calculate suspension travel that was resulting in higher numbers, so they decided to follow suit.

As for  wheels, the 1390 SAR still rides on a dirt-friendly 21” front and 18” rear, both of which are tubeless. A pair of 4-piston radially-mounted Brembo calipers on 320mm discs sit up front and a 2-piston Brembo caliper bites on a 267mm disc in the rear. The wheelbase is on the longish side at 62.1” and the bike holds 6.1 gallons (23 liter) in a 3-piece tank that is designed to carry the fuel down low for an improved center of gravity. 

As you might expect with the increase in CCs, weight has gone up by 6.6 pounds from the previous-gen 1290 Super Adventure R. It now weighs 509 pounds without fuel and 547 pounds fully fueled. There’s no denying that’s a heavy lift, as is the price tag at $21,649 — a $650 bump from the outgoing model. If you want the optional Tech Pack that includes Rally Mode, Engine Braking, Quickshifter+, HHC, and MSR, it will set you back another $959.99. So let’s see what you get with all these changes and find out if it’s a significant improvement over the 1290 Super Adventure R platform we tested a few years ago.

On-Road Performance

As far as the ergos, the seating triangle is very comfortable with a good knee bend angle for a taller rider like myself (6’2” with 34” inseam). The tank is short and wide but doesn’t splay the knees excessively as most of the fuel is carried down low. In addition, the reach to the bars doesn’t stretch you out like the Gen-1 1290’s used to and you feel much more over the front of the bike.

The seat, however, feels low, like you are sitting in the bike rather than on top of it, with a pronounced step that locks you in place. It limits how far you can adjust your position when a pressure point develops. I also noticed my shins brushing the new crash bars when sitting far forward, something I don’t recall happening on the old 1290 SAR. There’s enough room to shift back and avoid this, but taller riders may find it restrictive.

After spending some time on the highway leaving the city for more adventurous destinations, I did start to notice the seat getting a little uncomfortable earlier than I expected. It never became painful, but I was squirming around 30 minutes into the ride trying to relieve hot spots, and the inability to slide backward didn’t help. A taller, flatter enduro‑style seat would open up the cockpit, which is something KTM offers in the PowerParts catalog for about $200. That said, shorter riders will likely appreciate the lower perch. One rider in our group, at 5’8”, had no trouble getting on tiptoes and maneuvering the bike at slow speeds.

Wind protection on the highway is adequate, but it could be better. KTM added more adjustment range to the windscreen and made it slightly wider, but the overall height feels unchanged. Coverage around the torso is good, yet instead of pushing air over my helmet, the airflow hits right at the top. It doesn’t create serious buffeting, but another inch of height would make a noticeable difference for taller riders. In the low position, though, it stays well out of the way for off‑road riding.

Although we didn’t test the adaptive tech, cruise control worked as flawlessly as before with intuitive controls. Considering there are a lot of extra buttons and switches for CC, TC levels, and navigating the TFT, all mixed in with your standard controls, I could still find the turn signals and horn without searching. Changing your modes is easy with the right-side Mode button and the electronics transition swiftly after you let off the throttle. The big 8” display was easy to read, clearly showing your current ride mode at a glance and the interface felt intuitive to understand when navigating through menus.

We got a chance to try out the offline maps feature and it has a lot to offer. The bikes came pre-set with local maps downloaded but from what I understand, if you go to a new area, you can download maps for that region to the bike using an app, then they are available to you even after you are disconnected. Once the data is downloaded, you can search for local businesses or type in specific addresses and it will calculate the most efficient street-route to get there, even when you’re far away from cell towers. If you are connected to the Internet with your phone, it’s also able to calculate routes based on current traffic. The big screen offers plenty of real estate to have turn-by-turn map navigation along with current speed limits and other important data. It’s easy to swap between screens with the joystick as well, say if you want to check out your current lean angle on the telemetry screen.

Something else I liked about the controls are the self-cancelling turns signals. They work flawlessly, turning themselves off shortly after you complete your turn. Another convenience that was appreciated was the Engine Braking control, which was nice to have riding in highway traffic. If you turn it down all the way, the motor just freewheels when you let off the throttle with almost no deceleration. This smooths out the jerkiness of constantly adjusting your speed, which would be especially useful when riding with a passenger.

The smoothness of the engine on the highway was another plus. The new rubber‑mounted handlebar clamps made a noticeable difference, and the extremely tall 6th gear keeps revs low at cruising speed. You can blast down the highway at 80–90 mph with an almost electric‑like lack of vibration. Passing is effortless even in top gear—just roll on the throttle in top gear and it surges ahead. The only thing you need to watch out for is how quickly the bike climbs into triple digits. More than once, after passing slower traffic, I glanced down to see 120 mph on the dash. I’m not sure if there’s an electronic limiter, but with the right tires and a closed course, it feels like the machine could push well past 185 mph.

When you are getting on the throttle hard, that is where the fun starts. Power in Sport or Rally mode is just ridiculous. There’s no waiting for it — the explosive drive arrives right off idle, all the way through the mid-range, getting even stronger as the revs climb. Cruising in third gear at 80 mph, you can point the front wheel sky high with nothing but throttle – no clutch or body English needed. In fourth gear, it still comes up with a little coaxing. Need to get past an erratic driver? Twist your wrist and they disappear instantly. 

While I couldn’t hear the Camshift switching camshaft lobes in real time, I did notice it has a throatier exhaust note in the upper revs than before. The 1390 already sounds good with the stock exhaust, so I can’t imagine how sinister it would be with a good aftermarket pipe on it. In short, the power is addictive. It fills your soul with joy. Who said you don’t need this much power on an adventure bike? 

The straightline performance wasn’t the only capability that got the adrenaline pumping. We rode some fantastic twisty backroads during the test that showed off the 1390’s sporting prowess. If you want to have a thrill, drop it into the Sport throttle map with traction control off, and you can leave huge black marks coming out of every turn. As far as handling though, I have to admit I wasn’t feeling overly impressed with it in the bends. Just minutes into the ride, we got into some mid-speed swoopy turns and I was feeling a little timid sticking with the pace of the group. Understanding the front wheel grip was proving to be a mystery.

As the day progressed, I began to feel out the tire’s edge grip a bit more and slowly began pushing the limits. I never pushed it hard enough to exhibit any strange behavior or warning signs though. It’s definitely a capable bike in the twisties that can be leaned to aggressive angles without scraping any parts and it’s a stable platform without much dive or squat. The Brembo brakes have a tremendous feel with one-finger stopping power as well. It’s still a fun bike to ride fast, it just doesn’t offer the precise, flowy feel and good feedback you get on more street-oriented adventure bikes like the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce, Multistrada V4 or the BMW R1300GS.

We also got to test the 1390 in city traffic during an unseasonably hot winter day in Southern California that had temps soaring into the mid-80s F.  While KTM has made upgrades to improve heat transfer from the engine to the rider, it’s still noticeable at a stop light. Let’s just say that it was hot enough that I had to move my leg back on the peg to get it away from the heat source. I guess there’s only so much you can do to dissipate heat when you’ve got such a large lump of an engine and catalytic converters sitting right next to your legs.

In The Dirt

Hitting the dirt on a bike with nearly 1,400cc and weighing almost 550 pounds wet isn’t usually the most exciting thing for me but in the case of the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R, I was confident it was going to be the highlight of the ride. Easing into the saddle, it feels too street oriented for my taste with a cut out design that has you sitting more ‘in’ the bike than ‘on top’ of it. As I mentioned previously, as a taller rider, I’d opt for the flat enduro seat option that would let you slide your weight backward and forward easily and put you 37mm higher for less distance travelled between the seated and standing position, plus it would provide even more leg room for working the foot controls. Despite this, the reach to the bars is natural with the short tank design that gets your torso more over the front wheel. 

With the new footpeg position and wider bars, the standing position on the 1390 SAR is ideal off-road – like riding a Rally Bike. The wide bar gives it a commanding feel with just about the perfect height to stand comfortably when cruising for long periods of time, or getting down in the attack position when hitting it hard. The new wider stance of the footpegs also allows you to let the bike float around between your legs in technical situations, while also giving you good leverage to squeeze the tank. 

Bump absorption hasn’t changed since the last 1290 Super Adventure R and that’s not a bad thing. That tried and tested XPLOR suspension is the same componentry you get in the KTM 890 Adventure R. Damping is nicely tuned right out of the box, eating up everything from small rocks and baby heads to jumps and whoops. Sometimes, I would come around a blind corner and encounter a big dip or water bar in the road and instinctively brace for impact, but the 1390 just rolls through it like butter. Only on a few occasions my 215 lb frame bottomed out the rear shock ever so slightly and it was just a soft hit on the bump stops. Most adventure bikes, especially ones in this weight class, aren’t able to leap off things higher than a few feet without a landing that goes straight to the bottom of the travel but the 1390 takes it in stride.

The sweet handling on this bike was probably the biggest surprise. You’d expect it to be tippy to turn around and not have the most precise steering, but it’s quite agile. The low-slung tank design puts all the fuel down low on the bike and you can crawl at one or two mph in technical terrain, picking your way around rocks better than many adventure bikes weighing 100 pounds less. 

Superbike-style Brembo brakes can sometimes be overkill for off-road situations, but these work well in the dirt with lots of feel, and just one finger needed for finesse braking or emergency stops. The Offroad ABS setting has been refined for years by KTM and it’s something that you rarely ever notice when it’s intervening. We tested this system previously with the 1290 SAR on some very steep, loose descents that can bring the pucker factor on a 500+ pound machine, and those were the rare times when you might want to have it completely off. But it’s also rare you’d ever want to take a bike like this into those situations.

Sand isn’t everyone’s favorite, especially on a liter-plus bike, but I was having a blast during this ride in the deep powdery stuff. I was surprised by how well it bangs through sandy whoops at speed and stays straight as an arrow as the XPLOR suspension does its job. The same goes for riding through rutted out chunky terrain that could easily knock your front wheel offline. You can thank the built-in steering stabilizer, the long 62.1” wheelbase and its overall mass for that stability. 

Even more surprising was taking it slow and making turns in soft, fluffy sand sections. The front tire never tucked and it never felt like it wanted to tip over. There is a point of no return if you lean the bike way over, but it’s hard to get to that point under normal riding conditions. I was a little nervous to try a kick turn on this beast of a bike, but it whipped around just as easily as any middleweight ADV on a tight trail.

It’s hard to believe this bike is 547 pounds wet. In fact, it probably hides its weight better than any bike I’ve ever ridden. Compared to the 890 Adventure R, the feeling is quite similar off-road. Only once the going gets very technical and fast do you start to feel the 1390’s prowess drop off a bit. It goes where you point it and keeps a clean line, yet it is still a big bike that is going to be harder to get through tight squeezes than a middleweight. Also, when it does inevitably go down, you might need some help getting this big girl back up on her feet. 

Having 173 horsepower on the dirt seems a bit suicidal and that’s why KTM limits the Offroad mode to 100 ponies. If you are a solid off-road rider riding it with full power in the Rally Mode is doable though, and quite fun. With the new Camshift system, it optimizes the low-end power for improved rideability. This gives it super smooth throttle control in the lower revs and noticeably more pop off idle. Say you want to lighten the front end to get over a rock or log, it just takes a small blip of the throttle and you’re sailing through the air. And despite the massive power on tap, there’s good throttle control. No jerkiness, just smooth torque whenever you need it.

It’s usually best to leave your traction control on though because without it you are fighting constant wheelspin in loose terrain, and this latest system works in the dirt. Every year TC electronics seem to get better as the algorithms improve and KTM has gotten it fully dialed with this latest iteration of the Super Adventure R. Compared to what KTM was putting on bikes 10 years ago, it’s a night and day difference in seamless intervention.

To start off, I put the traction control in the highest setting, 9 out of 9, just for giggles. Most systems, you’d expect so much intervention that it would make it completely unrideable in the dirt. On the 1390, I only noticed less power output, like it had been tuned down to about 60 horsepower. There was no tire spin but also no annoying throttle cutoff. It was like a safety mode for a new off-road rider that would get you through a loose, chunky fire road with medium-steep climbs with no drama. 

Taking it to the next level, I enabled the new Dynamic Slip system that automatically adjusts down the traction control level as needed. With the slip control still at 9, I noticed the bike got a lot more lively. If I kept the throttle open, it would initially keep it mellow, then slowly start letting the rear tire spin a bit more. Turning the slip down to 5 with Dynamic Slip on seemed like a sweet spot for good controlled spin that would allow you to keep momentum going up loose hills or in deeper sand. If you really need more slip, you can use the left hand toggle to turn down the slip level even more. But I wouldn’t recommend going down lower than 2 or 3. Sure you could turn it all off and control the slip with your throttle hand, but with these settings, it keeps the power at bay and the intervention feels natural, giving you everything you need to power through loose sections that appear in the trail. With a bike this big, and with so much power, it makes sense to keep it on for all but the most extreme situations.

As far as durability during the test, the bike held up well throughout all the abuse. There were no loose mirrors or bolts, but there was a technical glitch experienced on a couple of the bikes. An error message popped up on the screen that pointed to a faulty battery connection. It didn’t affect the bike in any way but it’s not great to see that warning appear on your screen when you are hundreds of miles away from any form of civilization. We were told these were pre-production bikes so hopefully this will be resolved with a software update on the 1390s shipping to showroom floors.

The Bottom Line

So is ‘more’ actually more? In the case of the 2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R, I couldn’t think of a more fitting tag line. It’s got the brains, the brawn, and the finesse. It’s the full package with everything maxed out and somehow it all works together in synchronized form. There’s no denying it’s a big bike to be riding off-road, but the 1390 tackles the dirt  more like a middleweight than anything in the liter-plus class. Despite its premium price tag, it’s a proven platform that lets you go hard off-road and it’s been engineered to take the abuse, which isn’t always the case with bikes in this category.

Of course large, expensive adventure bikes with lots of electronics aren’t for everyone. There’s a sizable population of the ADV community that are looking for the complete opposite of this in their machines, along with plenty of bikes that can meet that demand. The Super Adventure R appeals to riders who really enjoy heaps of power and the performance to match on both the street and dirt. Also, those who intend to cover a lot of highway miles and want to do it with all the creature comforts and conveniences that come with a flagship bike.

There’s also a high level of sophistication you get with the 1390. Whether it’s the one-finger pull brakes, the extra-large touch screen with offline maps, the adaptive cruise control option, turn signals that magically turn themselves off, the vibe-free highway cruising, effortless passing, or plush tuned suspension – all of it adds to the premium experience.

Sure it has a few flaws I would address like the hard seat and a windscreen that should be an inch higher, but both are easily addressed on the aftermarket. And while its sporting performance in the twisties isn’t as thrilling as its off-road prowess, those interested in a KTM ‘R’ model will probably take that tradeoff. And please KTM, don’t try to fix that. Let’s keep its dirt focus first and foremost because there’s nothing else quite like this bike out there.

So is it better than its predecessor? It’s still the same bike you can comfortably cruise across multiple states in a day, then eat rocks and dirt all weekend before heading back home in luxury again. For me, the added power and improved rideability in the lower revs, along with the set-and-forget electronics made this bike even sweeter for that type of riding. Sure you could do the same thing on an 890 Adventure R for less, but the experience is so much more exhilarating when you super size it.

2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R Specs

Photos by Simon Cudby

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.