dragonflyTN
New Member
A few weeks ago I rented a KTM 1190 from 360 Motorcycle Adventures in San Diego for a weekend of pavement. The very next week I was back home riding my 2012 Super Tenere, so I had a pretty close time frame where I could compare the two. This is entirely a sporting road riding comparison on mostly twisty back roads. The CA ride comprised about 600 miles over two days from San Diego to Big Bear Lake and back. The TN ride was about 200 miles just locally in the Nashville area.
What I found:
1. Engine - KTM wins this battle easily in my view - both smoother and more powerful than the Super T, it is also easier to modulate throttle inputs even in Sport mode. The Super T requires much more thought to maintain smooth throttle inputs unless it is in "T" mode, which mine almost never is. I'm aware that there are mods for the Super T to fix the smoothness issues, but out of the box, KTM wins.
2. Suspension - KTM wins, but it may not be entirely a fair comparison. My Super T does not have the ES suspension package that is available on the new models. On the other hand, I have modified the suspension on my bike to favor a more sporting ride. The KTM in "Single-Up Street" mode is a close match for my Super T, but is noticeably less harsh over sharp edged bumps.
3. Handling - Super T wins. Clearly handling characteristics are subjective, but I tend to favor quicker turn-in on corners over stability, and my particular Super T is definitely quicker on turn-in which still maintaining a reasonably stable line through the corners. The KTM takes a bit more planning, but is certainly no slouch and can be ridden very quickly. The KTM also feels somewhat lighter and smaller than the Super T (which it actually is, so that's understandable).
4. Ergonomics - Both bikes are great, but Super T wins. This certainly isn't a fair comparison since I have a Russel Day-Long seat, bar risers, and highway pegs on my Super T and the KTM appears to be bone stock. However, I should note that I've also rented a bone stock Super T from 360 Motorcycle Adventures and I still find the Super T to be more comfortable. A lot of this is because the seat on the KTM is just miserable, but part of it is peg position. The KTM positions the pegs at least an inch further back and a bit higher than the Super T, and this puts more weight on the wrists and hands. On the other hand, the KTM bar is shorter, which, for me personally, is better than the "longhorn" bars on the Super T.
Now to the $16,995 question - would I buy a KTM over the Super T if I was in the market for a new bike? The short answer is probably not, but I certainly like the KTM a lot. However, that answer might be different if I were to compare a stock 2015 Super T to a stock 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure. >
Of course, a lot of things outside the bike itself play into such a decision, such as reliability, dealer availability, and trust in the manufacturer, so this is clearly a subjective question.
At this point, I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to test ride both a 2015 Super T to a stock 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
What I found:
1. Engine - KTM wins this battle easily in my view - both smoother and more powerful than the Super T, it is also easier to modulate throttle inputs even in Sport mode. The Super T requires much more thought to maintain smooth throttle inputs unless it is in "T" mode, which mine almost never is. I'm aware that there are mods for the Super T to fix the smoothness issues, but out of the box, KTM wins.
2. Suspension - KTM wins, but it may not be entirely a fair comparison. My Super T does not have the ES suspension package that is available on the new models. On the other hand, I have modified the suspension on my bike to favor a more sporting ride. The KTM in "Single-Up Street" mode is a close match for my Super T, but is noticeably less harsh over sharp edged bumps.
3. Handling - Super T wins. Clearly handling characteristics are subjective, but I tend to favor quicker turn-in on corners over stability, and my particular Super T is definitely quicker on turn-in which still maintaining a reasonably stable line through the corners. The KTM takes a bit more planning, but is certainly no slouch and can be ridden very quickly. The KTM also feels somewhat lighter and smaller than the Super T (which it actually is, so that's understandable).
4. Ergonomics - Both bikes are great, but Super T wins. This certainly isn't a fair comparison since I have a Russel Day-Long seat, bar risers, and highway pegs on my Super T and the KTM appears to be bone stock. However, I should note that I've also rented a bone stock Super T from 360 Motorcycle Adventures and I still find the Super T to be more comfortable. A lot of this is because the seat on the KTM is just miserable, but part of it is peg position. The KTM positions the pegs at least an inch further back and a bit higher than the Super T, and this puts more weight on the wrists and hands. On the other hand, the KTM bar is shorter, which, for me personally, is better than the "longhorn" bars on the Super T.
Now to the $16,995 question - would I buy a KTM over the Super T if I was in the market for a new bike? The short answer is probably not, but I certainly like the KTM a lot. However, that answer might be different if I were to compare a stock 2015 Super T to a stock 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure. >
Of course, a lot of things outside the bike itself play into such a decision, such as reliability, dealer availability, and trust in the manufacturer, so this is clearly a subjective question. At this point, I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to test ride both a 2015 Super T to a stock 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
