barrygrussell
Senior Member
]IMG_6446_Edit.jpg[/attachment:1wskpa65]
Day two was a 350km round trip to visit more relatives in Yasothon, further in the north east of the country and therefore a test for the passenger carrying capabilities of the Adventure. With the panniers partially loaded with presents and the paraphernalia of a road trip and Mrs B on the back, I contemplated stiffening up the suspension with the convenient adjuster knob just under the seat, but decided to see how it went on the standard settings first. That was the last I thought of it, as the difference in steering and handling on asphalt or dirt tracks really was negligible. The 21 inch front wheel that gives so much stability off-road gives no problems on hard surfaces at all. Steering is easy from the wide bars and, while I have always found the fork dive under braking a bit too much on the Adventure, it is a small price to pay for the bike’s any-terrain useability.
One thing you notice when travelling on country roads during daylight in Thailand is that literally everybody looks up to check out the KTM as you rumble through the towns and villages. In fact I hadn't seen a single motorcycle over 125cc since leaving Bangkok, so I could hardly have attracted more attention if I had been travelling by helicopter.
The updates from my pillion passenger were entirely positive. She felt comfortable and safe throughout, even on the non-stop 200km race against the setting sun that we just won on the road back to Sangkha.
Our night was disturbed by a Khmer neighbour who pumped traditional country music through a massive sound system that had been towed into position by a tractor. The party-goers drank local hooch from the time we arrived home in the early evening through to around 10:00am the following morning when the proceedings morphed into a wedding ceremony. It was all to do with local Khmer customs, I was told, by the unsteady, bleary eyed revellers.
Despite the sleepless night I decided to hack around some of the bumpier farm tracks as well as the smoother dirt roads. Although I am only an occasional off-road rider, the KTM went easily through the deeper furrows and tyre tracks, without a moment’s uneasiness or a foot off the pegs and only the odd slight brushing of the gearbox, which would not have happened on the taller R version of the bike.
As lunchtime approached the temptation to explore overwhelmed us and we spent the afternoon skirting the tense border between Thailand and Cambodia. Heading east towards Chong Sangam, the scenery changed, becoming more mountainous, with roads that twisted up into the hills. The road surface deteriorated badly, with some sections quite difficult to find a clean way through the potholes. However, the big KTM was up to the task: the high seating position gave a bird's eye view of the terrain, the 300mm ground clearance was more than adequate and the big front wheel and suspension kept us sure-footed as we worked around the edges of the mini craters and through the dips and bumps. The border itself was grim and bleak, with a shanty town of tin-roofed shops, cafes and sheds and a red mud road leading to where the edgy Asian neighbours faced each other, safety catches off.
Without so much as stopping for a drink we retraced our tracks west and rode across to Chong Chom, a much happier border village famous for its market, which spans both sides of the divide, where three cheerful traders invited us to park the bike under the shade of their stall. We left our jackets and helmets in their care too and found a cafe that served us up with some fried flat noodles with pork and vegetables, a spicy papaya salad and barbecued chicken. We wandered through the market, checking the clothes, kitchen utensils, electronics, hardware and DVDs, bought some fruit and some energy drinks for the KTM's temporary guardians and rode cautiously up to the border.
With a better road this time and the bustling friendliness of the market, the prospect of crossing at Chong Chom seemed a good deal more inviting, so this time waves were exchanged with the Thai soldiers before we turned back once again for Sangkha.
We were up with the sun on day four and, after a delicious breakfast of chicken steamed with lemongrass, garanjal and chilli, we said our goodbyes and set off on the journey home to Bangkok. With the panniers fully loaded and a passenger on the back, the weight was much more noticeable than just carrying a pillion and the bike changed from being a playful, torque-rich hooligan to a purposeful tourer requiring more thoughtful input from the rider. It still travelled swiftly over the bumpy dirt road away from the farm, though without the mountain goat carelessness of before.
Once on tarmac I had to remind myself to use the back brake, something I rarely do as a solo rider, in order to settle the load behind me before squeezing the right lever, but it was involving and enjoyable to play with the weight distribution to keep everything balanced and moving smoothly. The lazy gear changing that the engine lets you get away with when the bike is unladen was out too. The KTM responded well though, with a powerful growl as it pulled strongly through the gears. I got plenty of practice during the first third of the journey on a 200km single carriageway section of the busy Highway 24, squeezing between cars and trucks while judging the speed of oncoming traffic. It made me reflect that riding well on any terrain and in any conditions requires a zen-like concentration to get the best results and that, in its own way, this kind of riding can be as satisfying as putting in a fast lap on a racetrack.
We blasted on for more than two hours before stopping for fuel and a coffee. It’s worth shouting for Cafe Amazon here as they serve good coffee and take the trouble to create a tranquil environment for you to enjoy it in. Out of the space they rent on the fuel station sites around half is used for lush landscaping and water features, so a different approach to the more usual one of packing in as many people as possible. It is a nice tropical angle on the Starbucks strategy and why I always try to buy my fuel at the stations with PTT’s lotus flower logo.
Another hour on and we switched to Highway 2 towards Saraburi, making a more leisurely stop this time at Lam Thakon for lunch on the edge of the water, before doing another long stint down to the intersection with Highway 1 and kept going right through to Rangsit for a fuel and rehydration stop before tackling the Bangkok traffic. Getting back to our home in Din Daeng was faster than the journey out, with a passenger who knows Bangkok better than most taxi drivers and, in relatively light mid-afternoon traffic, it proved to be one of the easiest trips I have ever made through the city, despite the width of the panniers.
Clearly, the KTM 990 Adventure is in the market for rally-style tourers that was created by BMW’s GS. Both are extremely capable, with many now favouring the 800GS as a more capable off-roader than the big, plush 1200. The differences at a glance are reflected in the detail, so, image aside, if you really want to hit all kinds of terrain away from civilisation the KTM will take you there with purpose. The twin fuel tanks carry the load low for stability and give you a survival option in case you drop the bike on its side and rupture one of them, while the highly effective Keihin fuel injection system is no more complicated than the unit you would find on a modern scooter, so a problem can be fixed without having to find a franchised dealer with special factory approved equipment.
KTM’s ‘hewn from the solid’ feel, powerful motor, slick gearbox and high riding position make you look good and imbue you with a tough confidence that the bike completely justifies. Of course, Thailand’s punitive import taxes push the price up to an eye-watering 980,000 baht (US$33,000), placing it right between BMW Motorrad’s 800 and 1200 GS models. It’s not a cheap date, but it is one you can take anywhere knowing that it won’t let you down, no matter what happens.
Second Opinion: Suki Clapp
Yesterday was the most fun I had in a long time – I took the KTM 990 for a 650 km test ride to Si Sawat. We left BKK at 8am and got back at 7pm. Entering the city I road straight to HD-Playground Harley party at Queen Sirikit, walking in smelling like shit after all day of riding.
First impression upon riding the KTM was how light it felt. Although its weight is almost identical to the BMW GS and Triumph Tiger, while riding, it felt so much lighter. I couldn’t get over how easy it was for me to flick the bike around: for a huge bike it’s extremely agile. The weight distribution was designed extremely well – one unique feature of this bike is rather than having one gas tank on top of the bike, the 990 has two separate gas tanks on the sides resulting in a much lower centre of gravity.
Another thing that surprised me was how stable the bike felt at high speed given the fact it has enduro style 21in front wheel fitted with all terrain semi-knobbly tires. I was able to reach top speed of around 210km/h and we were entering high-speed corners at around 150-160 km/hr. Not once did I felt the bike wobble or the wheel giving out.
It is almost pointless to compare the KTM 990 to the BMW GS/Triumph Tiger/Ducati Multistrada. That’s because while the other bikes are basically all-rounders, dual-purpose bikes, the 990 is a giant enduro (off-road) bike in my opinion. The engine/handling/riding position - all feels like an enduro. Because of this – and this is very important - you have to treat it and ride it like an enduro (for example, lean out not lean in).
Although the most comfortable, I never liked the BMW GS, finding it boring an uninspiring. What makes the Tiger special is Triumph’s legendary triple engine, the torque just keeps on coming. I’m not familiar with the Multistrada so can’t comment. Overall, I would have to say the KTM 990 was the most fun for me to ride. The way you can throw the bike around and how it interacts with you and the road – I had a grin on my face the entire time I was riding it yesterday – it’s just plain fun.
Next week I’m going up to Loei and hopefully will find some dirt-tracks to test out the KTM – this bike was design for off-road purpose and it would be pointless to buy it without seriously taking it off-road.
In the past I would take my Tiger off-road which was just stupid, the bike is not designed for it and I would be falling left and right. Since then I have been looking for a bike that can do it all, take me anywhere, and the KTM 990 is the closest I have found. A bike that can comfortably do 180 km/h on the highway and at the same time cross rivers/go over desert/ go off the beaten tracks.
The only bad news is I’m gonna have to drain my bank account again!
Third Opinion: Phillip Gibbins
I have ridden a 2007 KTM 990 Adventure roughly 55,000 km through Asia including Cambodia, Laos & Thailand. Initially i was looking for a used KTM 950 Adventure with carburetors as i was concerned about the fuel injection system on the KTM 990 Adventure model with no service facilities within 1,800 km (nearest at the time being Penang, Malaysia - Now Bangkok, Thailand has an authorized KTM dealer). 55,000 KM later, I have had no problems with the bike at all, it has behaved impeccably.
This bike is a hooligan - a 100hp dirt bike that seems to swallow up whatever you throw at it and almost talks to you saying "want to take care of you". I think a lot has to do with the fuel tank configuration, with the twin fuel tanks being down each side of the bike, the center of gravity of the fuel is incredibly low and it gives the bike some amazing stability.
If you had to pinpoint one area where this bike excels, it would without doubt be flat wide dirt and gravel, with 100hp to play with and great stability and suspension on this terrain this bike is unbeatable"
Day two was a 350km round trip to visit more relatives in Yasothon, further in the north east of the country and therefore a test for the passenger carrying capabilities of the Adventure. With the panniers partially loaded with presents and the paraphernalia of a road trip and Mrs B on the back, I contemplated stiffening up the suspension with the convenient adjuster knob just under the seat, but decided to see how it went on the standard settings first. That was the last I thought of it, as the difference in steering and handling on asphalt or dirt tracks really was negligible. The 21 inch front wheel that gives so much stability off-road gives no problems on hard surfaces at all. Steering is easy from the wide bars and, while I have always found the fork dive under braking a bit too much on the Adventure, it is a small price to pay for the bike’s any-terrain useability.
One thing you notice when travelling on country roads during daylight in Thailand is that literally everybody looks up to check out the KTM as you rumble through the towns and villages. In fact I hadn't seen a single motorcycle over 125cc since leaving Bangkok, so I could hardly have attracted more attention if I had been travelling by helicopter.
The updates from my pillion passenger were entirely positive. She felt comfortable and safe throughout, even on the non-stop 200km race against the setting sun that we just won on the road back to Sangkha.
Our night was disturbed by a Khmer neighbour who pumped traditional country music through a massive sound system that had been towed into position by a tractor. The party-goers drank local hooch from the time we arrived home in the early evening through to around 10:00am the following morning when the proceedings morphed into a wedding ceremony. It was all to do with local Khmer customs, I was told, by the unsteady, bleary eyed revellers.
Despite the sleepless night I decided to hack around some of the bumpier farm tracks as well as the smoother dirt roads. Although I am only an occasional off-road rider, the KTM went easily through the deeper furrows and tyre tracks, without a moment’s uneasiness or a foot off the pegs and only the odd slight brushing of the gearbox, which would not have happened on the taller R version of the bike.
As lunchtime approached the temptation to explore overwhelmed us and we spent the afternoon skirting the tense border between Thailand and Cambodia. Heading east towards Chong Sangam, the scenery changed, becoming more mountainous, with roads that twisted up into the hills. The road surface deteriorated badly, with some sections quite difficult to find a clean way through the potholes. However, the big KTM was up to the task: the high seating position gave a bird's eye view of the terrain, the 300mm ground clearance was more than adequate and the big front wheel and suspension kept us sure-footed as we worked around the edges of the mini craters and through the dips and bumps. The border itself was grim and bleak, with a shanty town of tin-roofed shops, cafes and sheds and a red mud road leading to where the edgy Asian neighbours faced each other, safety catches off.
Without so much as stopping for a drink we retraced our tracks west and rode across to Chong Chom, a much happier border village famous for its market, which spans both sides of the divide, where three cheerful traders invited us to park the bike under the shade of their stall. We left our jackets and helmets in their care too and found a cafe that served us up with some fried flat noodles with pork and vegetables, a spicy papaya salad and barbecued chicken. We wandered through the market, checking the clothes, kitchen utensils, electronics, hardware and DVDs, bought some fruit and some energy drinks for the KTM's temporary guardians and rode cautiously up to the border.
With a better road this time and the bustling friendliness of the market, the prospect of crossing at Chong Chom seemed a good deal more inviting, so this time waves were exchanged with the Thai soldiers before we turned back once again for Sangkha.
We were up with the sun on day four and, after a delicious breakfast of chicken steamed with lemongrass, garanjal and chilli, we said our goodbyes and set off on the journey home to Bangkok. With the panniers fully loaded and a passenger on the back, the weight was much more noticeable than just carrying a pillion and the bike changed from being a playful, torque-rich hooligan to a purposeful tourer requiring more thoughtful input from the rider. It still travelled swiftly over the bumpy dirt road away from the farm, though without the mountain goat carelessness of before.
Once on tarmac I had to remind myself to use the back brake, something I rarely do as a solo rider, in order to settle the load behind me before squeezing the right lever, but it was involving and enjoyable to play with the weight distribution to keep everything balanced and moving smoothly. The lazy gear changing that the engine lets you get away with when the bike is unladen was out too. The KTM responded well though, with a powerful growl as it pulled strongly through the gears. I got plenty of practice during the first third of the journey on a 200km single carriageway section of the busy Highway 24, squeezing between cars and trucks while judging the speed of oncoming traffic. It made me reflect that riding well on any terrain and in any conditions requires a zen-like concentration to get the best results and that, in its own way, this kind of riding can be as satisfying as putting in a fast lap on a racetrack.
We blasted on for more than two hours before stopping for fuel and a coffee. It’s worth shouting for Cafe Amazon here as they serve good coffee and take the trouble to create a tranquil environment for you to enjoy it in. Out of the space they rent on the fuel station sites around half is used for lush landscaping and water features, so a different approach to the more usual one of packing in as many people as possible. It is a nice tropical angle on the Starbucks strategy and why I always try to buy my fuel at the stations with PTT’s lotus flower logo.
Another hour on and we switched to Highway 2 towards Saraburi, making a more leisurely stop this time at Lam Thakon for lunch on the edge of the water, before doing another long stint down to the intersection with Highway 1 and kept going right through to Rangsit for a fuel and rehydration stop before tackling the Bangkok traffic. Getting back to our home in Din Daeng was faster than the journey out, with a passenger who knows Bangkok better than most taxi drivers and, in relatively light mid-afternoon traffic, it proved to be one of the easiest trips I have ever made through the city, despite the width of the panniers.
Clearly, the KTM 990 Adventure is in the market for rally-style tourers that was created by BMW’s GS. Both are extremely capable, with many now favouring the 800GS as a more capable off-roader than the big, plush 1200. The differences at a glance are reflected in the detail, so, image aside, if you really want to hit all kinds of terrain away from civilisation the KTM will take you there with purpose. The twin fuel tanks carry the load low for stability and give you a survival option in case you drop the bike on its side and rupture one of them, while the highly effective Keihin fuel injection system is no more complicated than the unit you would find on a modern scooter, so a problem can be fixed without having to find a franchised dealer with special factory approved equipment.
KTM’s ‘hewn from the solid’ feel, powerful motor, slick gearbox and high riding position make you look good and imbue you with a tough confidence that the bike completely justifies. Of course, Thailand’s punitive import taxes push the price up to an eye-watering 980,000 baht (US$33,000), placing it right between BMW Motorrad’s 800 and 1200 GS models. It’s not a cheap date, but it is one you can take anywhere knowing that it won’t let you down, no matter what happens.
Second Opinion: Suki Clapp
Yesterday was the most fun I had in a long time – I took the KTM 990 for a 650 km test ride to Si Sawat. We left BKK at 8am and got back at 7pm. Entering the city I road straight to HD-Playground Harley party at Queen Sirikit, walking in smelling like shit after all day of riding.
First impression upon riding the KTM was how light it felt. Although its weight is almost identical to the BMW GS and Triumph Tiger, while riding, it felt so much lighter. I couldn’t get over how easy it was for me to flick the bike around: for a huge bike it’s extremely agile. The weight distribution was designed extremely well – one unique feature of this bike is rather than having one gas tank on top of the bike, the 990 has two separate gas tanks on the sides resulting in a much lower centre of gravity.
Another thing that surprised me was how stable the bike felt at high speed given the fact it has enduro style 21in front wheel fitted with all terrain semi-knobbly tires. I was able to reach top speed of around 210km/h and we were entering high-speed corners at around 150-160 km/hr. Not once did I felt the bike wobble or the wheel giving out.
It is almost pointless to compare the KTM 990 to the BMW GS/Triumph Tiger/Ducati Multistrada. That’s because while the other bikes are basically all-rounders, dual-purpose bikes, the 990 is a giant enduro (off-road) bike in my opinion. The engine/handling/riding position - all feels like an enduro. Because of this – and this is very important - you have to treat it and ride it like an enduro (for example, lean out not lean in).
Although the most comfortable, I never liked the BMW GS, finding it boring an uninspiring. What makes the Tiger special is Triumph’s legendary triple engine, the torque just keeps on coming. I’m not familiar with the Multistrada so can’t comment. Overall, I would have to say the KTM 990 was the most fun for me to ride. The way you can throw the bike around and how it interacts with you and the road – I had a grin on my face the entire time I was riding it yesterday – it’s just plain fun.
Next week I’m going up to Loei and hopefully will find some dirt-tracks to test out the KTM – this bike was design for off-road purpose and it would be pointless to buy it without seriously taking it off-road.
In the past I would take my Tiger off-road which was just stupid, the bike is not designed for it and I would be falling left and right. Since then I have been looking for a bike that can do it all, take me anywhere, and the KTM 990 is the closest I have found. A bike that can comfortably do 180 km/h on the highway and at the same time cross rivers/go over desert/ go off the beaten tracks.
The only bad news is I’m gonna have to drain my bank account again!
Third Opinion: Phillip Gibbins
I have ridden a 2007 KTM 990 Adventure roughly 55,000 km through Asia including Cambodia, Laos & Thailand. Initially i was looking for a used KTM 950 Adventure with carburetors as i was concerned about the fuel injection system on the KTM 990 Adventure model with no service facilities within 1,800 km (nearest at the time being Penang, Malaysia - Now Bangkok, Thailand has an authorized KTM dealer). 55,000 KM later, I have had no problems with the bike at all, it has behaved impeccably.
This bike is a hooligan - a 100hp dirt bike that seems to swallow up whatever you throw at it and almost talks to you saying "want to take care of you". I think a lot has to do with the fuel tank configuration, with the twin fuel tanks being down each side of the bike, the center of gravity of the fuel is incredibly low and it gives the bike some amazing stability.
If you had to pinpoint one area where this bike excels, it would without doubt be flat wide dirt and gravel, with 100hp to play with and great stability and suspension on this terrain this bike is unbeatable"
