[2cati]

@oldfella, I'll be over to your house soon so we can ride those 26 bikes together.

I had over a dozen enduro and sports bikes in the past and the 425-pound Honda Nighthawk 700S might have been the most fun. More recently, I bought a new Honda Goldwing in 2018 and sold it within 24 months. I found it comfortable, like a recliner, but at 845 pounds, only 97.8 horsepower and 108 pound-feet of torque, it's so it feels like you are riding a big fat slow responding whale. Also, I did not like that you could not remove the trunk or side bags, and my helmet could not be stored in the trunk or either side bag because they reduced the size of storage in 2018 from past models.

After that whale, I mean, Gold Wing, I bought a 525-pound 2015 BMW R1200RT. Immediately, I liked the lighter and more agile feeling, but I found it to be a bit boring. It claims to have 125 HP, but its slow response feels like 70 HP. Also, it sounds like a lawn tractor, and the seating was too cramped for any ride beyond 3 hours. I recently rode a friend's BMW K1600GTL Exclusive all day with my wife. She liked the comfort a lot, and at 708-pounds and 160 HP @ 6750 RPMs and 129 lbs of torque @ 5250 rpm, I found it to be a much more enjoyable ride compared to the Gold Wing Whale. On the second day, I took the K1600's rear trunk off and rode by myself, and that machine has lots of power!!

I am planning to ride the KTM 1290 SAS soon, and I'm sure at 485 lbs dry-weight, 160 HP @ 9000 RMP, and 101 lbs of torque at 6500 RPMs, it will be a joy.

Did you ever test ride the new SAS? If so, would love your feedback and perspective…

 

[steve59]

Took the sas out hunting gravel and dirt roads yesterday and what a great, versatile machine. It chews up the tollway and smooths out the b roads in the process, but passenger comforts are slight for us over 60 couples.

 

[Andrew Antoneypillai]

I just got my 2022 SAS as of now I am loving it. It’s true there is a wiggle when you reach high speed. I owned HD Vrod and it hardly wiggle due to it weight.
I have to get used to the SAS. I am also a 5’5 so I love the preload setting where I can bring her down to 20 or 30% and safely put one foot down.
looking forward to put some mileage on her.

 

[steve59]

Congrats on the KTM! Did you test ride the pan am or tiger or any of the other adv's before picking this one?

 

[seabumb]

Conflicted... I have a change to buy either a brand new 2022 SAS or a used 2022 SAR with only 1900 miles. I was looking for the SAS but since I do go camping off-road and now just ride a CRF300L Rally offroad, the SAR is tempting. Comments are greatly appreciated. At 59, I have about 600,000 riding miles behind me, mostly touring and commuting and many forest roads in NM and Colorado for camping. I think at 5' 9", both will be adequate, with me stretching. Thanks.

 

[Desert rider]

Buy the 2022 1290sar simply the best

 

[seabumb]

He who hesitates, loses. The SAR sold this morning before the dealership even opened. They knew I would be coming to look at it when they opened (120 miles away). Wasted trip.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[steve59]

You already have an 890 adv and either S or R in the 1290 will only be better on the road. get the s if you want to upgrade and put aggressive tires on it.

 

[seabumb]

I just bought the S. Thinking exactly as you wrote, aggressive tires for off road. I really wanted to love the Pan America but so many electrical issues. I just picked it up at the shop after "fixing" issues with two recalls, only to have a warning light on it when they brought it out. Verdict, maybe a bad module, maybe a bad .... Apparently HD said they have seen this several times but the bike needs to be torn open to check the modules and wiring - maybe four days. It has been at the dealership 18 days already.

I phoned the KTM dealership and told them to get the SAS ready, I would be there soon. Wired the money.

I hope this bike has better luck. I know the KTMs also have electrical gremlins.

 

[steve59]

My new sdr was plagued with mtc failures til I put the full akra exhaust on it and eliminated the servo, but my sas has been gremlin free. I expect you'll be happy with the new purchase.

 

[steve59]

dbl post

 

[seabumb]

Thanks Steve59. I will now have to start a thread asking about what spoked wheels to go with for the SAS. I read posts saying people use the R wheels but at the dealership here they said that is an issue with the fender.

 

[emarsh]

Anyone have actual experience with the KTM 1290 SAS bike to share any pros and cons I should know about before making a purchase?

I've had a 2021 SAS for a year now. I've been riding for about 50 years and decided to move to an adventure bike after retiring and moving from the US to Spain. My previous bikes in the States were a Hayabusa and Ninja 14.

The Super Adventure S is a pretty good bike but it really depends on what you're looking for. We have a lot of mountain roads where I live and the S feels like a more comfortable oversized sports bike on those roads. I don't like it as much on the freeway because after a while the vibration becomes annoying. Part of the reason I got an adventure bikes was because there's a lot of dirt and gravel roads around here but after a year I've hardly ridden on them. The height of the S makes me uncomfortable at a stop with a pillion on back. I'm on my toes and worried that I could lose my balance. It also feels to me like the KTM is undergeared. It has enough power to lift the front wheel in third and that tells me that it has plenty enough power to pull a taller gear. I love the adaptive cruise control.

My other road bike is a 2006 K1200 GT. It's the better bike on a freeway and I think more comfortable when riding at a slower pace. It has a good engine, handles well and I prefer it two up. I don't like the clunky transmission and it's wind protection is too good on hot days. I traded this bike for the R1150 GS I owned before my KTM because I needed a restricted power motorcycle for two years until I got my A license. The BMW turned out to be a better bike than I expected.

Ultimately the KTM is the bike I will take out for a fun half day ride. The BMW is the bike I will take out to go cruising, especially with my wife. I enjoy riding the KTM but neither of these are exactly what I think I'm looking for. Perhaps such a bike doesn't exist.

Would I recommend it? That really depends. It's not perfect but it's pretty good. If you're looking for a big adventure bike that does most things well and has power to burn you might want to consider one. If you want a more sedate adventure bike consider the BMW. If you want to spend a lot of money on an adventure bike get a Ducati.

But if you're not planning to go off pavement you might find that there are better choices for that which will cost a lot less.