KTM 790 ADVENTURE R | HONEST OWNER REVIEW - LOVE AND HATE

KTM 790 Adventure R honest owner review. What I love and hate about the ktm 790 adventure platform.

After one year of ownership and 14,000 miles, I review my experience with the ktm 790 adv R. Its not a full review, but I do discuss in depth the top things I love and hate about the ktm 790.
The KTM 890 and 790 make great adventure travel motorcycles. They are extremely capable on and off-road motorcycles making motorcycle travel and motorcycle camping a wonderful experience.

Full review of the KTM 790 video here

KTM Warranty Experience Video

KTM 790 adv R Love and Hate

follow me on Instagram

[MobMoto]

KTM 790 ADV -The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly video review.

[pbinpg]

Sorry to hear you are having reliability issues. I have a 2020 KTM 790 Adventure R that I have ridden for 2 years and 25.000 km with 0 issues. I keep hearing about reliability issues with KTM bikes but I have not had a problem. I installed a Camel ADV skidplate but the rest it stock. I love this bike. This bike is so much fun even if it broke down once a week I wouldn't give it up lol

[RideOnTwo]

Good review bud, I honestly didn't know about the issues with the bike till we talked about it recently on the Podcast. Honestly I dont care if you pay 5k for a new bike having to tighten bolts that the factory missed is no bueno. No Unicorn I agree, if you like multiple types of riding you need multiple bikes! Good job!

[mrcreative]

Good review. I just toured Scotland on mine, 1500 miles no issues. If you look after this bike and Service it properly it will look after you. I scooped out the seat padding With a kitchen knife and refilled it with soft foam and 10 times more comfortable and an inch and a half lower. Use the original seat cover with a staplegun. Yeah there is no better bike than this for motorway touring and if you run out of road. There is nowhere to go so I would hang onto this bike

[texlee]

KTM dealer network and overall CS here in Texas is pretty good actually. I too worry about the typical KTM issues but so far so good. The fact that the bike is head and shoulders above everything else in it's class is a worthwhile tradeoff. I wouldn't have it any other way, my 890 R will be in my garage for a while.

[Ronin_Moto_FTFU]

I have a ‘19 KTM 1290 SAR. Purchased new. 15000 miles. I have only had one problem after I picked up some bad gas in Baja that affected my fuel pump. But the bike still got me back home to St Louis. Nothing has ever come loose, etc. Could be that since my bike is a 3rd year model all the kinks have been worked out. Luckily I’ve also had good luck with my dealerships.
Good luck in your search for a new bike.

[scottelton]

Can’t wait to see what’s next! Good luck with your search and keep us up to speed

[stevenmarker]

I owned a 990 Adventure. Within 10k miles the water pump toasted and put coolant into the oil. The dealer fixed the pump, saying water in the oil..no problem! Left me flabbergasted that the dealer (and some other owners)poopooed having chocolate milk in the crankcase. So, the new pump lasted a little more than 6kmiles. My friend and I fixed the pump .. modified it really. Lousy design has the impeller shaft catalievered way off the shaft bearing. Bearing gets sloppy which wears the seal which then leaks into the crankcase. Pathetic design no excuses for a water pump like that. I bought a DL1000...35kmiles later it's running beautifully with no issues. Valve check at 25K required no adjustment. Change fluids and go. Thanks for the honesty on the review.

[swexplorer]

That's why I love my DR650! Air/oil cooled and pretty light at around 360lbs. Easiest bike to work on and super reliable! I'll keep mine forever!

[whiterabbitt]

I bought a 2020 Ktm Adventure S in December 2020. I paid $9, 999.00 net (which included tax abd tags !). Ii love every thing about the bike. Added Tour Tec Pannier bags (38 & 31 Liter), after market rear rack, after market Corbin Comfort Seat. Plan on also adding upper and lower crash bars and Tourtech Top Case.

if you want a motorcycle that is light and tough enough to really trash around in the OutBack without worry look into the Yamaha TW200. They do not have a kick starter but you can have one installed by the dealer or yourself.

[T-zw]

I have a 2019 790 with 16k miles, not one issue. I have a 2016 690 with 13k miles and zero issues. I have a 2014 350 EXC with over 140 hours and no problems. I’ve owned a 2014 1190, and two 300 EXCs no problems. Now the bad news. Lousy customer service not just from dealers but from KTM America related to a defective accessory that I bought. It’s so bad that I’ve considered selling all my KTMs because as you said customer service on bikes, especially if you’re riding hard off road, is critical. Im at a point where I’m thinking of going back to Japanese bikes. I also have a 2022 Beta 300 XTrainer and it’s great but I’ve sent Beta USA three emails with questions and no response. Hopefully Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha or Suzuki will have better customer service, these days who knows.

[bluejfpv]

Funny you say that those 3 particular items, bolts, dealers, reliability are exactly what I'm dealing with. Hope to get the quirks out. Thank alot for your content!

[erickelly]

I love your videos. What I got from this video is the ktm has reliability issues that can possibly leave you stranded or worse. I think instead of picking the bike for the terrain rather pick the terrain to the bike. Got a 2021 ktm 690 but love my 1250gsa a lot more. Love riding the elephant offroad even after getting stuck for 1.5 hours bypassing a closed forest service gate lol serves me right.

[RTRrentals]

I really appreciate your honest review, but What I don’t like about this review, is you didn’t give an honest feedback of YOUR experience on the reliability of this Ktm. Your Ktm ownership gave you zero reliability issues, (besides some bolts that went lose unfortunately and a software update) but even so you share this review of reliability negatively based on what you “read” on the internet. There may be 20 unreliability threads on the internet, but there’s thousands of RELIABLE bikes you don’t hear about because their out riding in Baja and not biatching on a forums page somewhere.
Your one of the positive reliability experiences, which could have contributed to 4, 000 views of reliability views, but because your positive experience mentions all the “negative” experiences you’ve read on the internet, now this is 4, 000 viewers thinking it’s another negative reliability issue.
Share YOUR experience of reliability and not what you read on internet on YOUR review video.
My 790 and 890 have both done multiple trips to baja Mexico, phx2 Vegas, Colorado adv, and more without any issues.
Otherwise all else was great honest feedback and perceptions we all need to hear/want to hear that we can’t get from a manicured magazine review! :)
Thank you

[juanfelipearango]

17k kilometers on mine. I had issues with the battery, rear brake was serviced on the global recall and after the recall, it failed, got locked up, overheated, disc was KO, pistons etc...Got the entire rear brake system replaced under warranty but my confidence on the bike was terribly diminished. Unfortunately, in the country where i live in, Yamaha has not introduced the t700, triumph left the country a few years back (so no tiger 900), aprilia well, there are like 4 shops who would service the bike in the entire country so not an option for the moment when the tuareg 660 gets introduced. BMW f850gs...ijust cant stand how is it getting heavier and heavier (besides the top heavy feeling), no adjustabe front fork and here is way more expensive than ktm (both bike prices, parts and service). Im thinking maybe getting a husky 701 or 690 enduro r and mod it to suit my needs.

[seisamigos]

Good honest review. Having a lousy dealer really downgrades the owner experience. But, now you really know what you're looking for. Hope you find it out there and enjoy the search! Nothin' like a new bike!!

[georgesolomon]

Thank you for the video. I was SERIOUSLY thinking of getting the 890 but I just cannot get over the reliability issues. I currently have a 2012 GSA (bought new 24k miles) with no issues at all. I really want to like the 890 and like the looks but you have just cemented my decision not to get the 890. I think I may look into the 690 or 500 EXC-F and keep my GSA.. Thanks

[greatfallskam]

Another awesome and honest review...the good, the bad, the ugly. If you sell the KTM 790 Adventure R, I have a bike for you. The new KTM 890 Adventure R ;-)

[ianferrier]

Great review Rodney, I have a ktm 990 and although I haven't had any problems its always in the back of my mind, reliability issues. But man it puts a smile on my face every time I twist the throttle. You should get a Yamaha t7 super reliable.

[lewiss]

Hello, Thanks for the video. Have you noticed the heat coming the engine? Did it bother you? Thanks