Our KTM 990 Adventure longterm test bike is billed as one of the best all round bikes available and over the last eight months I've been bar to bar with despatch riders in London, scratched on country lanes and completed 1000's of motorway miles. I cruised over to the Nurburgring for the WSB round and I've even done a track day at Brands Hatch. But the one thing I hadn't ticked off the list was off road proper. I'd dabbled locally, but with a new pair of Continental Conti TKC80 tyres and some additional crash bars I was ready for a Welsh adventure... For more information on the Lee Walters training school where you can receive one to one or group training on some of the best off road terrain in the country check out www.leewaltersoffroadtrainingschool.co.uk or contact Lee on 07903 474661.
MCN's Michael Guy: "When I first got my KTM Adventure 990 I was on a mission to prove it was a bike that really could do anything. Now it's 12 months on and I think I've been proved right - well almost. "Over the last 7000 miles I've done all the usual motorway, A-road and B-road miles, plus it's been to the Nurburgring for a round of WSB. "It's been loaded up with panniers and a topbox, travelled two-up and not had even the merest hint of mechanical failure. A truly superb motorcycle." Get all the latest news at www.motorcyclenews.com
There is only one bike that can really take on BMW's new R1200GS Adventure and that's the KTM 990 Adventure. And what better way to test them than to tackle a bit of off-road in the Cairngorms mid winter. Check out the video to see how our team got on with the long ride north and the frozen conditions when they got there.
The KTM 990 SMR is the track-ready version of the standard SM. MCN's Adam Child has ridden the bike at the launch and you can read his full road test in this week's MCN, on sale February 25th. The engine is unchanged from the SM version, instead the differences can mainly be seen in the chassis and parts. Both bikes use WP suspension, but the track-focused R version has different fork internals and less suspension travel at the front and rear.
