KTM 1050/1190 Adventure: First Ride Impression

Since both the 1050 and 1190 Adventure share the same basic chassis design with different functions, horsepower and torque I will combine both the review into one. All functions mentioned here will be referring to the 1050 Adventure unless specified.

Price wise the 1050 is cheaper as it is a CKD and locally assembled. The 1050 was to introduce as a more affordable bike to riders who are interested to wet their feet into the adventure bike world without breaking their bank account. The 1050 comes with a cast rims whereas the 1190 comes with spoke wheels which means the 1050 is more road oriented than the 1190.

1050 Adventure

1190 Adventure

The seat height of the 1190 is taller by 40mm than the 1050 coming in at 890mm. Both seats are very comfortable and the seating position is high and commands a great view of everything that’s going on in front of you. It feels like sitting in a bus where you are able to see over the car roofs and further down the road.

The dashboard is a combination of analog and digital which works very well. On the right-hand side of the dashboard is a large, analogue rev counter and digital information including gear change indicator, time, fuel gauge, speed and current riding mode. The 1190 comes with an additional load setting. On the left side is a digital display which shows your favorite settings which can be changed to your own preferences and also acts as a shortcut to the page itself without scrolling through everything.

Dashboard of the KTM 1050/1190. Note this is the dashboard of the 1190 as it has the load setting displayed on the right digital display

The settings on the left digital display can be changed via a 4 way mode switch located at the left side of the handlebar. It reminds me of the game console controller and it is very simple and intuitive. Press the “up” and “down” to select through the menu selection, select the desired menu item with the left button, confirm it with the right. It offers plenty of information from the Favourites page to other information such as Trip 1 and 2, Settings, MTC/ABS, Set Favorites and General info. The 1190 comes with an additional TPMS function, EDS mode, Damping, Oil temperature and the MTC/ABS has an additional setting for ABS which can be set to either Road or Off-road. There is also a Off-road mode in the riding mode which comes standard for the 1190 but it is an additional package for the 1050.

4 way mode switch

There is a difference between the two bikes on the right side of the cockpit. The 1190 comes with a 12V car adapter whereas the 1050 doesn't come with anything. The USB port in the test ride unit was installed by the previous owner. This is a personal preference but I prefer the 12V adapter as it is more versatile than a USB port.

   

The windscreen is adjustable but it cannot be done on the fly. There are 2 two clamps to unlock at either side and a quick flick up on both clamps allows one to slide the screen up or down. There is no middle setting so it is either all the way up or down. The high setting does a good job at pushing most of the wind to the top of the helmet. The low setting is nice at city speed as it allows the wind to blow into the helmet to cool it.

  

There is a storage compartment which I have yet to figure out its usage as it is too small to fit a phone. The only thing I could think of are either for house keys or small change on the road without the hassle of taking out your wallet.

Storage compartment at the right side of the cockpit. Function is to be determined

One minor irritation is the ignition location which is difficult to remove the keys if there are any other keys or a keychain attached to it. It is also hard to engage the steering lock and to remove the key.

The bike has a lot of torque to it. Vibrations are felt at higher rpm but it is expected from a 2 cylinder engine. At low revs the bike is smooth but subconsciously there is something which is telling you to open the throttle and enjoy. This bike is powerful and one can easily find themselves going far too fast for their skill level. It is also very easy to get into trouble and get unexpected and unwanted tickets if you are not careful.

I tested the bike on all 3 modes and sport mode is the one with the most sensitive throttle response. Rain mode cuts the power and also has the highest intervention of traction control. On the bike one can feel a bit of heat from the engine even though heat shields and deflector wings has been installed on hte bike. The heat is only noticeable during the city riding and when stuck in rush hour.

Remember to ride safe, be vigilant and keep the rubber side down