The next chapter...KTM Super Adventure S

[Nikolajsen]

2000 miles in a month, wow

 

[Checkswrecks]

D_D likes to ride.

and btw does not commute with the bike.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Curious as to why you have an aftermarket GPS? All my riding buddies 1290's and the one I test rode had a fantastic GPS built in. Very easy to use and accurate. The OEM KTM GPS software is the gold standard for simplicity and being user friendly . Was the GPS software installed on your bike?

 

[yoyo]

I thought the in built GPS was turn by turn only, better than all of the other in built systems but not a patch on a Zumo XT, at that's how it is on a mates 1290R. Maybe different in other parts of the world compared to the UK though.

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[ballisticexchris]

I'm not sure about turn for turn only? I do know that special maps for KTM My Ride navigation can be downloaded and stored on WIFI before setting off on a journey. Routes can also be stored and used again later. It's a very feature rich system without all the fluff of a Garmin and the Basecamp setup requirements. I played with it a few times and found it much better than any other OEM system available. KTM software is some of the best out there!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

and btw does not commute with the bike.

Motorcycles are not transportation in my world. If I'm on a bike, I'm in my happy place, and don't want to have to be some where at some time. 4 wheels are for commuting. 2 wheels are strictly for recreation.

DM laughs that I only have 2K in the first month. She was well over 3K in the first month on her BMW last year. I know because I was at the Tenere event in Colorado last year trading FedEx packages with the dealer who screwed up the paperwork for the first payment.

As for the GPS, I think I might have mentioned my favorite review of the KTM navigation software was, "everyone associated with this navigation product should be fired." Harsh, but I understand. I did wait until I understood the KTM navigation before ordering the Garmin XT. It's better than nothing, not as good at the flawed BMW navigation package, and somewhat useful as a back up.

As far as what you get, it doesn't look any better than this on the bike.

There are other navigation products I've tried for the on TFT experience. They use different maps, but still look like above.

I found this to be too limiting. I'm accustom to riding past a road and checking the GPS to see where it goes. The KTM is useless for that. Okay, you could stop, pull out your phone, look, put the phone away, then get rolling again. God forbid it you just got ahead of some slower traffic, 'cuz now they're ahead of you again. I guess you could mount the phone on the bars as well to avoid that, but I've tried phone on bars before. I find it too small, too hard to see, too fragile, too susceptible to overheating for my taste.

One annoying feature of the KTM nav is it wants you to go to the next way point on your route. If you cut your route short and rejoin your track 6 way points ahead, it will constantly be trying to get you back to the first way point you skipped. The nav is useless at this point until you stop, pull out the phone, then start deleting way points one by one until it catches up with you. I don't want to answer to the nav system, I want it to serve me.

I have a riding buddy who raves about his XT, and he's usually just as jaded about Garmin as I am. Last month we found ourselves standing in the bright sunlight outside an Ohio restaurant comparing our Zumos . I could actually see his. Not so much my tired 665. He spent a lot of time extoling the virtues of the XT during a Tennessee lake trip back in May. (yes, I'm bragging a little that I actually did get to take 2 small rides this year...that's all I got) Anyway...so when it was clear the KTM GPS is not really an option, I knew I'd eventually be getting the XT. Don't ever tell DM that you're going to get something in the future...she will be relentless that you get it now...it can be a problem sometimes.

I have a lot to learn about the XT, but it is a dramatic improvement over the 665, and far more useful than the KTM TFT screen navigation.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I do know that special maps for KTM My Ride navigation can be downloaded and stored on WIFI before setting off on a journey. Routes can also be stored and used again later.

I have that 6GB download...insane, 6GB. At least on my wife's BMW we can download the specific states we want. That's one of the features that makes her turn by turn GPS superior to the KTM...did I mention it's 6GB?

 

[ballisticexchris]

Wow that's too bad the navigation system does not meet your expectations. 6GB is more than enough for my needs. I'm a map, landmark, and compass type of guy though. 2k in a month is a decent amount of travel for sure. That's a 66 mile a day average. A lot more than most riders.

 

[gunslinger_006]

I cannot tolerate nav systems in general.

Everything not on a smartphone is a garbage UI / user experience.

Even google maps added motorcycle hostile features like the new re-routing that has to be dismissed in 10s or it changes your route by miles to save 5 minutes.

So far the best routing app i have found is Calimoto to get me deep into a place via fun roads and then google maps to get me home. Both support full offline navigation and work when the phone loses network.

 

[Goldwing]

Congrats on the new bike. I jumped ship about a year and a half ago trading my 2014 ES for a R1250GS, have never looked back. I love my GS. I have almost 7000 miles on her without a problem!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Travel mode has now been seen.

Considering how far out the right bag is located we'll see if it want's to ride in a constant right turn.

 

[twinrider]

Same thing with the chain and spockets...will they make 6,000 miles? If not, need to trash them prematurely in prep for the trip. I have absolutely no interest in trying to get work done on the road, so I'll be curious to see how this plays out.

You should add a Scottoiler or some other lube system. They really work. The first chain on my VFR800 lasted just 20,000 km, I added a Scottoiler and the second chain still looked mint at 45000 km when I sold the bike. It only needed adjusting once.

 

[gunslinger_006]

You should add a Scottoiler or some other lube system. They really work. The first chain on my VFR800 lasted just 20,000 km, I added a Scottoiler and the second chain still looked mint at 45000 km when I sold the bike. It only needed adjusting once.

+1 scottoilers are amazing if you do big miles on a chain bike.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Mt wife's BMW has a Scottolier...she has instructed me to turn it off. Just got tired if dealing with the mess every where. She'd touch her side case and end up with black fingers. And I had it turned down to 1/3 the recommended flow rate. She likes a clean bike, and that's been impossible with the oiler.

 

[gunslinger_006]

Mt wife's BMW has a Scottolier...she has instructed me to turn it off. Just got tired if dealing with the mess every where. She'd touch her side case and end up with black fingers. And I had it turned down to 1/3 the recommended flow rate. She likes a clean bike, and that's been impossible with the oiler.

That one sounds like it has a defective valve, causing it to release too much oil. Mine was great at the recommended setting and never got oil anywhere except the chain.

 

[RonH]

Clean is not possible with chain drive if you want the chain to last any length of time. I managed 60,000 miles out of a chain, but to get those miles meant taking chain oil on trips and lubing every time the chain looks dry, and on a 800 mile day the chain may look dry 3 times in nice dry weather or 12 times in rain or dust. Yes I lubed a chain 12 times in a day. I'm glad I don't live with carbs, points or chain ever again.
Thankfully my old Kawasaki's had big ugly chain guard that pretty much put oil only on the wheel. These new chain drive bikes I can't imagine, and thankfully will never have to.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Just ride as many miles as you want, lube the chain once a day and replace as needed. It's not that big of a deal. If you are trying to squeeze every last mile out of equipment past its intended use, then the KTM is not the right choice. The modern 0-ring chain needs very little maintenance. Ron you were very lucky not to wad up a chain at that many miles.

 

[ballisticexchris]

FWIW, I own and owned bikes with chains, tubes. It's really a matter of performance and reliability. I'm 100% sure Dirt Dad knows that his KTM is going to require a lot of wrenching to keep it running reliably. It's all part of owning a KTM. Fortunately the KTM 1290 is a reliable platform as long as the owner understands the frequent low hour service requirements.

 

[RonH]

Old Kawasaki used a big 630 chain. I like big and heavy. 630 chain won't ever break. I suppose the new bikes don't even use a 530 anymore. Don't care really. I still would like a KTM 690 enduro for fun on trails or a 500 ect, but for a street bike that is going over the road, not something I would care to own. Too many miles on chains. Never had a failure though, so simple and messy is not all bad I guess.

 

[Boris]

A mate of mine, who I’ve ridden with for around 30 years and trust his opinion, he uses a Tutoro chain oiler on his S1000XR and highly rates it. I’ve done about five, week+ tours with him and he never touches the chain or the oiler. It just gets on with the job.

Prior to his XR he had a Tiger 1050 with a Scottoiler, for about 7 years.

He rates both oiler systems. As I understand it, the Tutoro does not need fitting to the bikes intake.