Photo by: Masahiko Watanabe
Slowing down safely from a 100km/h cruise in heavy rain.
I attended the media test ride of KTM's 2021 Adventure Series and would like to report on it.
The highlight of this year's event was the 1290 Super Adventure, which was fully redesigned for the first time in four years. The ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) system, which was adopted for the first time on the on-road version of the S, drew particular attention.
ACC is a system developed jointly with Bosch that uses radar sensors to measure the distance to the vehicle in front and automatically adjusts the distance between vehicles. The distance between vehicles can be set in five levels, from 30km/h to 200km/h, and the ACC setting itself can be selected between sport and comfort, and includes functions such as overtaking assist. It also supports speed adjustment based on cornering and gear change with a quick shifter.
The test ride was held on the outer road of the JARI test course, and The operation of the ACC system is very simple. First, the system is turned on by pressing the Cruise Control button on the left-hand side, and then the motorcycle starts. The status of the system is always shown on the display. When the motorcycle reaches 100km/h while following the lead motorcycle, ACC is set to automatically optimize the distance from the motorcycle in front.
When the motorcycle in front decelerates, the motorcycle also decelerates, and when it accelerates, the motorcycle also accelerates. There is almost no time lag, and the response to acceleration and deceleration is extremely smooth. Even when the vehicle in front of me decelerated quite vigorously in anticipation of a traffic jam, the motorcycle applied the brakes quite strongly to slow me down. Even so, I didn't feel uneasy as the application of the brakes was gentle at first.
The distance and speed can be set by simply pressing a switch while driving, and the operation is easy to remember. Incidentally, the radar sensor was able to track the motorcycle even in a gentle curve on the outer road, so it should work fine in a curve on a Japanese highway. Also, it was raining so hard that visibility was blurred, but the radar sensor was not affected by the rain at all.
One thing I would like to add is that when motorcycles are tracking each other, the radar may not detect if the front and rear motorcycles are offset significantly to the left or right. I tried it out and the ACC worked fine for normal staggered driving.
We didn't have a lot of time to test the ACC system this time, but it's clear that the ACC system makes motorcycle travel safer and more comfortable, and further enhances the appeal of this versatile long-distance tourer.
The motorcycle body, bodywork and electrical system all evolved significantly.
Finally, I'd like to touch on some of the key changes to the fully redesigned 1290 Super Adventure S.
The KTM LC8 liquid-cooled V-twin engine delivers 160 horsepower and is Euro 5 compliant with improvements to the intake and exhaust systems and a thinner, lighter engine case. The two-piece radiator reduces hot air to the rider's feet and improves comfort.
A revised weight distribution, longer swingarm, and a 15mm rearward shift of the steering head all contribute to more agile and stable handling. The newly designed 23-litre tank has a three-part structure with space for left and right-handed distribution, resulting in a lower centre of gravity, more comfortable riding position and improved riding stability.
WP's APEX semi-active suspension has also evolved to the latest generation. The latest specs include real-time damping force adjustment, damping modes that can be set according to the road surface and riding style, automatic preload adjustment, and automatic leveling. The LED light system has been redesigned, the new 7-inch TFT display supports connectivity, and the control switches have been redesigned.
At first glance, it doesn't look like much has changed, but in fact, everything from the chassis and bodywork to the suspension and electronic controls have been completely redesigned.
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