Adventure Bike Test 2018 (under 1100cc): KTM vs Honda vs Triumph vs BMW 

Seems like everyone came into this ride with pre-formed conclusions.

Sadly one of the challenges of the growth of Social Media journalism is that you get stuff like this...not exactly helpful as you are stuck with the review of the individual reviewer and no comparative review, life is relative, these reviews aren't. Some pretty pictures though.

The bmw, triumph and ktm had fans of the brands riding while the Honda had someone who already didn’t like it!

the biggest difference is in 25 yrs the honda will still be running.

Best bike to own? The one you have right now...

Meanwhile the Himalayan is slowly chugging away up mountain and rough roads,while carrying 200 pounds of cargo

I was considering a BMW but now they cant make their own engines.....being made in China for cents on the dollar. Sorry I've already given them too much of my money from electronics that don't last, to home improvement products that are over priced for what you get. At least Honda and KTM still have confidence and pride in what they do! Buyer beware....shame on you BMW!

🤔KTM with knobblies on 🤔 Africa twin NO knobblies 🤔 off road the KTM is better 😯 shocking!

You guys were kinda against the Africa Twin from the start of the review. And I don't think the AT is as bad as ya'll make it out to be.

These are litre bikes, I would have thought middle weight was around 400-700cc.

have to agree Triumphs are most comfy and best sounding three cylinders

All too expensive. The big adventure bike market has become so fashionable it's becoming expensive.

so good to see the africa twin being compared to it's contemporaries, other bikes with a similar (70 odd KW) output, and displacement, rather than 1.2L plus behemoths. Great test, and very informative.

The Africa x2 is my choice DCT reliable what need more ?!

Oh the Honda is to tall... put the seat in the low position then!! “Has the DCT been changed?” Yes they are constantly making it better. Why do you get idiots who know nothing about bikes to review them?

Anyone with good sense chooses the bike based on their actual uses for it (and not their subconscious fantasy-life bias!). If you're going to ride on roads all the time or with a pillion (with the option to go offroad once or twice a year), you'd choose a Tiger or Vstrom. If you grewup on dirtbikes and live in the desert, forest or outer Mongolia on your own, you should definitely get a KTM. If youre new to adventure bikes and cant decide what you want, a BMW is your safe bet. I've had an Africa Twin for 2 years and wouldn't exchange it for any of the others. I live in New Zealand where backcountry dirt, sand, river crossings, and mountainside trails are everywhere and i'll push my offroad skills to some degree at least a couple of times every month, and the bike eats it all up like nothing (with minimum luggage and suspensions lowered, which takes 30 seconds btw!). At other times i also load up the bike with 4 packed boxes/tankbag & a pillion and ride for 6-8 hours to get a remote campspot and its comfy, capable and fun. For the many, many twisty roads its got plenty of power, control & great balance to pretend its a racing bike and laugh with delight on corners. The DCT isnt something you take to on your first ride (or 5 rides) because having no fine clutch control on slow speed u-turns is just, odd (but you re-learn it, to almost... damn-near, the same level of control anyway). You warm to DCT with ownership, until one day you realise all the benefits are soooo much better. Its not about the automatic changes either (i hardly ever use auto mode), more the simple click to change gear in any situation (& knowing you simply cannot stall on event the gnarliest terrain), but the bike on gravel, sand, loose boulders, mud, grass or anything just loves it all and makes you a better rider. Maybe i'll change my mind in the future (will consider a KTM 790 next time), but i'm convinced the AT is absolutely the best bike for this wide range of use, and none of the others could do all of those riding styles/terrain, so perfectly.

Got Tiger XRX Mid range road and I LOVE IT !

Honda african queen all the way. Bulletproof

Seriously, some people think the was a really good review of these bikes. My grandmother could have done better, and she's blind and in a wheelchair. But to be serious, this wasn't a review it was personal opinions of the bike they were on. The guy on the Honda was already hating on it when he showed up. Plus he apparently knows nothing about the bike at all. The 1090r and AT are great bikes. A lot is how you set it up and intend to ride it. I researched the 1090r and AT for a month and rode both. A few of my personal findings. KTM 1090r 1. To tall for me. 2. Excessive engine heat on longer rides. 3. Harder for me to handle in the tight off road stuff. 4. Uncomfortable seat and riding position. 5. I will never need 125 hp off road. But the grin you get when you open it up can't be denied. 6. To be honest It's a heck of a bike. Honda AT 1. Love the low seat position 2. Has a lower center of gravity and handles much better for me. 3. I liked the softer suspension, especially riding off road. Seemed to make it easier to manage. It's even better when properly set up. 4. 98 hp is plenty for me. 5. I liked that it had less electronics on it. Less to go wrong. ABS and traction control are plenty for me. 5. Its a Honda, Reliable !! Both are the same as far as ground clearance and suspension travel. A lot comes down to rider preference. But please DO NOT let this video sway any decision to purchase any of these bikes. Especially the AT. There are plenty of real test and comparisons on these bikes out there. At the end I went with the AT and love it.

5:22 - I will always laugh at big nob and balls graffiti! Thanks for the informative review.

The problem with such reviews (same with car journalists) is that for them its just another toy for few hours. No matter for what it was designed they always drive/ride it like on racetrack and judge based on that. But that's pretty much the opposite of what comfort and adventure vehicles are aboot. Sure ktm is more exciting but does that make it good adv? Not so much imo. And i telling this as someone who thinks ktm990adv is the Best bike in the world. But is it best adv bike? Absolutely not. Its just too wild, too unreliable. Its great toy for Twisties and forests near your home. Not something id take for trip through whole europe. So with that you have natural bias against more tame, japanese bikes which may feel boring on such test. And to quote Ryan from fortinine: On tour boring and predictable is what you want!

Middleweight? By what standard? A KLR 650 or DR 650 are middleweights. These are heavy "adventure" bikes. I'll stick with my KTM 500 EXC, thanks.

Video makes no sense, judges the bikes where they are not susposed to be used, different tires so comparing handeling you can throw out the window

Yamaha XT660Z or CCM GP450 for me thanks, all yours are not really middle weights ( in my eyes)

You missed the mark, i was expecting 4 riders reviews on each bike. That would have provided a much wider range of experiences opinions. All we know now is how each rider felt on their own without any comparisons of opinions the same machine. At the end of the day i got what i paid for and your production values was great.

Welsh sheep must be more intelligent than Scottish ones because up here they run out in front of you when they hear you coming😅

Reaffirms what we already knew. Any UK ‘adventure bike’ review is total waste of time.

I'll take the Triumph please.

1. Africa twin 2. Ktm 3. Bmw 4. Triumph

Im going for the africa twin also. What big height ? the new generation is about 1.98 m tall. they need a big bike !!!!... stop to put dwarfs on a bike for review please ..

I'll take the KTM, but not a bad bike in this bunch.

Recorded sound, voices and discussions is really bad... you need to learn how to record on lev mic!

Still no regrets of buying the Tiger

4:39 mark look at the dumpster 🤣😂

Don’t like the bike when it is sitting still ? That is a criticism ? So you don’t ride your bikes then ?

Lovely scenery and photography and I enjoyed the banter. Very interesting to see the differences in the bikes. The KTM is of course the most fun (I own a 990 SMT) as always, and in my eyes, the best value for money. For real riding, aka doing very little off road, I'd suggest the Tiger XRT and the KTM Adventure S. The BMW seems, as usual, wildly overpriced for what it offers. It's a nice bike, and I don't know why, but BMW's practice of milking their customers for extras irritates me immensely.

stop filming the damn reviewers and show the bikes

I find it funny when in reviews people take Africa Twin Adventure Sports with DCT, complain that they took DCT and later they add that it is too tall... It is like I would take BMW F850GS and complain that it is too small for me (I'm quite tall). The ATAS is a bike for tall and you can point it but it is not a bad thing for everybody. Take riders that are well fitted for the bike next time. Next time you should exchange the bikes between each other to have a good comparison. Not to be only negativ (constructive) I have to say that it was well made and very interesting but not very convincing. Keep up good work

why would you wear a white adventure suit ???

This video and my last one create an interesting juxtaposition!

A light weight 600cc version of one of these bikes would be ideal. Just can't decide on what brand I want this unicorn to be 🤔

Should have gone with the Suzuki DR650(you can literally buy two DR650s for the price of these), its half the price and twice the reliability. Add heated grips for $50 and front and rear shocks for $400 and its a FANTASTIC adventure bike

You guys have to do this all over again after the release of the 'KTM 790 Adventure R'.

What a rubbish video. I was waiting for the winner , after all it says VS VS VS. No winner , no best bike? Too many bikes too many riders? Might as well watch a seperate video review on each bike.

Afrika Twin is the queen! ;)

Out of all the bikes the AT got the lowest rating.🤨 AT will be my next bike.

Great review, amazing scenery, Tiger for me..

How is 229kg a middleweight. It’s a lump of lard

my favourite is the honda and will always be

With part of the opening statement “I think I have chosen the best one” it was already clear this is a biased “review” or whatever you want to call it. I did not look any further and looked at some of the comments and was not interested in looking any further and waste my time. Why do a f***ing review if you already chose your “best one” without giving the other a half a chance?

Great comparison! I have the 2022 1290 SAR with which I compete with, but I still drool over the 1090R and the ATwin….

I am sorry but where is the Suzuki V-Strom???? NO THANKS!

Middle weight??? 1090cc??? Blimey.

250-450cc lightweight, 500-750cc midnight, 800+ heavyweight or full size. 1200 = monster. Also why did you everyone start off hating the Africa twin? You obviously aren't going to be able to kick out the rear end on the dirt with those street tires. If you just did 5 min of googling you'd have figured out how to use the DCT, and how to adjust the seat to the lowest setting before you even got on the bike.

Holly shit! That tiger peg grind at the end, sweet!

My poor 13 duke 690 just took a crap. Less than 15k miles in over 7 years and the rocker arm bearings gave out cause cam damage. First KTM I bought, last KTM I will ever buy. Going back to a Honda vfr1200 x or a Yamaha Super Tenre.......

My best friend (turned 56 and 300lb) is thinking about getting that KTM. I'm not as experienced as he is and I just purchased the regular AT with DCT. Great review! I think I made the right decision. Cheers

If you were interested in buying one of these for ADV use, this video is useless. I've seen a video where four riders shared a ride while swapping bikes. It may have been the same brand bikes. Three out of four chose the Africa Twin for overall (dirt/road). In this video it was laughed at almost immediately. I think these guys were defending their choice for this ride rather than give an unbiased opinion. Take for instance I have a Vstrom 650. It is a true middleweight ADV class that is best for that class. IMO of course.

Africa Twin is disqualified for being DCT trash. Any of the 3 other bikes are great options. If the Africa Twin had a real transmission it would definitely be in the running. Having ridden the KTM, Triumph, BMW, and a real Africa Twin I'd go with a manual Africa Twin because it's almost as comfortable as the BMW on road and feels like a giant dirtbike offroad where the others feel a little more like crotch rockets that can do some offroading

i cant understand a word the africa twin guy says....

The ktm will exel due to the tyres. All bikes should of been on the same tyres.

Middleweight? 20years ago a 750 was almost a superbike...adventurebikes,trying to drag 150+kgs(min) out of a boggy mudflat or riverbed..or river(if your solo riding or even witha mate or2) for that matter,dont really sound like adventure for me(just my honest opnion),a 250-400would go anywhere a 700-900cc,alot easier,faster,lighter&cheaper,also haul just as much crap on the back..as every one of these "adventure"bikes

So unexpected that they all showed up with different bikes !!! What a coïncidence !! Waaaw !!

Middle weight bikes???? whats heavy than, a 1200cc BMW GS? or a TANK `? :/ fun thing is its always the same with the KTM guys, kind of arrogant... And btw, look at the price for a BMW, a KTM and then for a Africa Twin... not necessary talking her bad, the Twin has proved many times she is a good bike ;)

I'm happy with my Husqvarna FE-501

who put a complete doughnut on the Africa twin and a DCT. tragic.

Never thought 1200GS is a good adventure bike off road. Considering the weight at one liter realm, it could be off road as every bike is adv, but it is weight too heavy to maneuver on off road. Another aspect shall be on the list, it’s the cost of using a bike. I never thought a GS can be much better deal than the other brand in its class. Expensive parts made you pay more over the use of bike. I am not a GS hater. Let’s narrow down those bike’s features just on touring adventures for what the bikes are supposed to do. Is it a GS worth paying/costing that much, while being compared to the other reliable brands which have lower barrier to buy and do the exactly the same thing and sometimes even better?

TL,DW KTM is a hooligan bike Triumph is good on the street. BMW is a BMW. Honda is shit on. Standard motorcycle 'expert' review. ho hum

you cant really compare off rd performance between the bikes unless you have similar tires!

AT the best that’s a fact , mint on and off road proper build quality, good servicing pricing…. Ktm shit electrics .. bmw way to dear for parts a. Service AT all the way

Imho I have to say adventure bikes are just a sales gimmick. Enduro, Sports or Touring that's it. All the other categories for road bikes are utter sales pitch nonsense. I had a Matchless CSR and now it would be called a cafe race Dunstall exhausts, Ace bars,rear sets &fast back bum pad. To me it was a road bike with bits.

Ummmm....ok.... no real winner then I'll pick my Harley Road Glide. I didn't see any gnarly stuff to justify this review for the off road portion. Looked like a typical WV gravel road we all ride our street bikes on to get home.

I’ve ridden a 1090 on the road. It was great. The Honda seems like a good bike but it’s so ugly. I have a ton of Orr road trails where I live. I’m the guy that will actually take the bike off road regularly. Any suggestions? That tiger looks bad ass too. I have all 4 of these dealers within 5 miles of my house too

They took the Africa twin adventure sports with dct without offroad tyre comparing with much lighter bike with offroad tyre😂😂😂 so thirefore you all got this from me 💩💩💩💩 you think people r dump???

The BMW 850 motor made in China, do you want it, really. Shows that BMW has no respect for it brand!

The KTM 1090 , probably one of the best pure motorcycles ever built. I just wish it had a kick starter. Then it would be perfect.

So much an argument n ignorance comments here well every brands deserves its quality n handling for each person n theres no such thing to call...PERFECT thank u

I would not buy any of them. My idea of an adventure bike is 20% pavement and 80% off road (where the adventures begin). You ride it on pavement only long enough for the next trail or off the beaten path to new sights and new adventures (places that you can't get to with a car or even 4 wheel dive passenger vehicles).. Try having an issue and have to push one of these monsters 3 or 4 miles or getting one unstuck from mud or sand, or even tipped over and having to pick it up and you will soon change your mind about these monsters being anything other than a street machine, pretending to be something that they are not.. These bikes are road bikes, with limited off road to maybe a dirt drive-way at your house..

I never had a low cc stree bike, only dirtbikes, and 1100cc + motorcycles. I want to get a nice dual sport that can do some off-roading I had the ktm 790 R in mind. Being a low cc bike Would that get boring quickly on road? Also would the bigger 1000cc+ bikes be too heavy to practically go offroad? I live in Florida so off road is mainly sand where i live. I'm worried the bigger bikes will be a bit too heavy and i won't be able to control it well in the sand vs a lighter bike. I also want the oomph when i'm bored on the street and to make passing ppl on the highways quick and safe.

Hello.Where you record this film?Very good test.I think about KTM Vs AT

Funny how you speak bad about Africa twin in the beginning. It’s way better & value for money compared to the competitors

The fact that the Suzuki was not included is indefensible. Not going to bother watching. Note, I don't even own an adventure bike, but I'm looking.

So chaps, in your opinion.. What makes a good ADV bike?? Adjustable dashpanels.. taller windscreen and heated seats of course! Wanks..

A

Among the finest trails in the world? Lolol, are you serious? They are perfectly find but hardly among the best.

Howzabout under 900cc? You call 1099cc a middleweight!? BS.

Would love to see a klr 650 in the mix trying to keep up

adventure bike is one of the best bikes to own...but they make it seem like old people stuff :( nothing against them.. Everybody has right to enjoy the bike they want I am just saying the vibe they put out is like old people stuff

África Twin with those tires???? Why compare.. unfair unfair.

300 something miles in 2 days...what did they do after lunch ? Wasn't riding.

I thought the almost completely positive comments about the Triumph said a lot. Most of these bikes will see very little off road traveling, mostly contained to dirt/fire roads here in the US. The first comments about the BMW were somewhat negative, That tells me BMW may have some catching up to the Triumph to do, especially concerning their "Premium" (for what you get) cost over the others. I thought it was odd that the Africa Twin had road tires.

Adventure sport is an overkill. Standard should do just fine. But Ktm looks awesome

5:49 "is it still Austrian? Yes, they would never out source it..." That didn't age quite so well.

Naaa, i like my V-Strom ;-)

There is an old, new king back on the scene, called Yamaha T7. This bike is offering less gimmicks for old men but much more driving ecstasy than all of these bikes together.

"Africa Twin is so soft, KTM is so hard, sporty ..." What's your point - both have adjustable preload and damping, front and rear! A few clicks in one or the other direction and you can make the KTM soft and Africa Twin hard as a rock right?

I ve noted u guy s had road tyres on the BMW maybe you should put on semi road and off road tyres on and then compare? I think tyres play a huge roll where it come s to offroad and offcause on road

What is it with the GS?, a programme was made riding them then every other twot under the sun goes and buys one.. still to this day following like sheep 🤣

If you want a realistically priced bike go for the vstrom suzuki.

6.43 Beautiful road beautiful country and beautiful motorcycle.