KTM’s 790 Adventure and Adventure R have been out long enough now for owners to put them through their paces and find things they want to change or upgrade. And, as you might imagine, one of the most anticipated new adventure bikes in years is going to create a robust aftermarket catering to said owners.

Hepco & Becker has jumped into the KTM 790 Adventure accessories market with a full-line of farkles focused on improving the bike’s carrying capacity and armoring it against expensive damage that can result from the bike being used as intended: off the road.

Hepco & Becker is a German company that has been around since 1982, and has grown into one of the largest manufacturers of accessories for everything from adventure bikes to cruisers. A more comprehensive list of Hepco & Becker accessories for the KTM 790 Adventure is available online but here are a few of the items that caught our eye:

Engine Guards

The 790 Adventure’s low-slung gas tank is one of its defining features. It puts fuel weight low and keeps it centralized for better balance and handling. It’s also a cause for worry among riders who use the bike as intended and expect that the tank will meet a tree, a rock or the dirt at some point. Hepco & Becker’s Engine Guards provide no-drilling, bolt-on peace of mind. They stick out just past the tank’s lower bulge on each side, offering front-end protection without excess weight. They come in black, orange or stainless steel.

Headlight Guard

You probably don’t want to know how much it would cost to replace your 790’s fancy LED headlight assembly. (We did, though, so we looked it up: about $750 for the whole unit.) Not to mention that finishing a ride without a headlight could be a tricky proposition. It’s definitely an instance where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hepco & Becker headlight guard is a steel-mesh design that bolts to the fairing, offering solid protection from flying debris and stuff you might run into. It’s powder-coated black for a long-lasting finish.   

Fuel Cap Mounted STREET Tourer M Tank Bag

At eight liters of capacity, and expandable to 13 liters, the STREET Tourer M is right in the middle of Hepco & Becker STREET tank bag line, so it will blend with the 790 Adventure’s mid-size aesthetics. It has three external pockets, a map pocket with a cord pass-through for charging or connecting a GPS or phone, and internal dividers to keep things organized. It’s connected to the bike via Hepco & Becker Tank Ring mounting plate, which is specific to the 790 Adventure. The Tank Ring attaches to the bike’s filler cap with screws and holds the bag in place with magnets. It’s secure enough for off-road forays, easy to get on and off, and there are no straps to fuss with or get in the way when you are moving around.

Pannier Racks

Designed specifically for the 790 Adventure and Adventure R, Hepco & Becker Side Carrier racks bolt on to mounting points at the subframe and rear footpeg brackets, distributing luggage weight and adding extra strength in case of impact. There’s also a rear crossbar to tie each side together for enhanced rigidity, and there’s extra clearance on the right side for the exhaust. They’ll work with any of Hepco & Becker line of hard cases, and also with the latest quick-release, rack-mounted soft panniers available from a variety of manufacturers.

Rear Enlargement Rack

The 790 Adventure’s stock rear top rack is fairly small, and has a limited number of slots to mount luggage. Securing a dry bag large enough to carry a tent, sleeping pad and bag, etc. is precarious, particularly when the going gets rough. Hepco & Becker Rear Enlargement Rack is a good solution. It provides a wider platform with raised edges front and back to securely hold whatever you’re carrying, and eight strap slots to lash it down tight. Plus it bolts right onto the existing plate for an easy install.

Handlebar Guards

Kudos to KTM for equipping the 790 Adventure bikes with wrap-around handguards that attach at the bar ends and also inboard on the bars themselves. But serious off-road riders will immediately note that there is no metal bracing to take bigger impacts with trees, rocks or the ground. That leaves both your fingers and your levers at risk in the heavy stuff. Hepco & Becker solution is to keep the stock units in place and beef them up with 12mm thick steel tubing that wraps around the outside of the guard like an exoskeleton. The guards attach at two points, just like the stock units, and putting the protection on the outside has the advantage of maintaining the stock clearance for the clutch and brake levers. They look tough, too.

Side Stand Enlarger

KTMs are notorious for coming factory-equipped with tiny little feet on the end of the sidestand. We’ve never quite figured out why, but KTM must have their reasons. The result is a bike that can easily tip over in loose gravel, dirt, sand or really any surface that isn’t asphalt. That would be one way to test the integrity of that low-slung fuel tank (unless you already bolted on the Engine Guards, see above). A better solution would be to add a wider sidestand foot for increased zero-mph stability on your new adventure steed. Hepco & Becker’s Side Stand Enlarger bolts on and provides a larger platform to spread the weight. Think of it as cheap insurance. 

Hepco & Becker KTM 790 Adventure Accessories

Author: Bob Whitby

Bob has been riding motorcycles since age 19 and working as a journalist since he was 24, which was a long time ago, let’s put it that way. He quit for the better part of a decade to raise a family, then rediscovered adventure, dual sport and enduro riding in the early 2000s. He lives in Arkansas, America’s best-kept secret when it comes to riding destinations, and travels far and wide in search of dirt roads and trails.