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2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R Built for the Long Way Around

The 2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R is the kind of motorcycle that makes a normal touring itinerary look unnecessarily conservative. Yes, it can devour hundreds of kilometres of highway in a day, but its real party trick is what happens when the bitumen ends. With a huge 1,350 cc V-twin, long-travel WP suspension, 21/18-inch spoked wheels and a chassis designed with serious off-road riding in mind, the 1390 R is built for riders who don't want their adventure to stop when the road turns into gravel, dirt or something considerably rougher.

At the centre of the bike is KTM's 75-degree, 1,350 cc V-twin, producing 173 PS and 145 Nm of torque, backed by a six-speed transmission. The increase in displacement over the previous-generation 1,301 cc engine is accompanied by KTM's CAMSHIFT variable-valve-timing technology. The system uses different cam profiles at different engine speeds, helping give the big V-twin a more manageable response at lower revs while still allowing it to breathe hard and produce serious top-end performance. In real-world touring, that broad spread of power is a major advantage: the bike can cruise effortlessly, roll past traffic with minimal fuss and still have a huge reserve of acceleration when the road opens up.

A genuine long-distance adventure machine

Despite its aggressive off-road credentials, the 1390 Super Adventure R is far more than a dirt bike with a big engine. The 23-litre fuel tank gives it the capacity expected of a serious touring motorcycle, while the adjustable riding position allows riders to tailor the handlebar, levers, shift lever and windscreen to suit their body and riding style. The 2026 model also receives new bodywork, a redesigned LED headlight with cornering illumination and additional storage areas.

That combination makes the R particularly interesting for long-distance Australian touring. Think long highway runs between fuel stops, sweeping country roads, corrugated gravel, remote backroads and the occasional genuinely rough section all on the same motorcycle.

The shorter, more off-road-focused windscreen isn't as obviously touring-oriented as the protection offered by a road-biased adventure bike, but that's the trade-off. KTM has deliberately prioritised standing ergonomics, visibility and off-road capability rather than turning the R into a road-only mile muncher.

And at 248 kg fully fuelled, it is substantial, but that's worth putting into perspective. This is a 173-PS, 1,350 cc adventure motorcycle with a 23-litre tank, long-travel suspension and serious off-road equipment. Once rolling, the weight becomes considerably less intimidating, while the big V-twin makes carrying luggage and maintaining highway speeds feel almost effortless.

Where the Super Adventure R really separates itself

The R's biggest advantage over more road-focused adventure tourers is its suspension and wheel package.

Up front is a 48 mm WP XPLOR fork with 240 mm of travel, matched to a WP XPLOR PDS rear shock with another 240 mm of travel. Both ends offer substantial adjustment, including compression, rebound and preload; the rear shock also provides high- and low-speed compression adjustment. This is serious suspension hardware derived from KTM's off-road expertise rather than simply a long-travel road setup.

The 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels are another major contributor to its versatility. Wrapped in Dunlop Trailmax Raid tyres, the combination gives the bike the geometry and tyre footprint to deal confidently with loose surfaces, rocks, ruts and corrugations while remaining perfectly capable on sealed roads.

There is also 242 mm of ground clearance, which gives the R considerably more breathing room when negotiating obstacles than a typical road-oriented adventure bike. The standard steering damper is another welcome feature when the surface becomes rough and the front wheel starts getting knocked around.

Technology that works when the going gets tough

KTM hasn't simply bolted a massive engine into an off-road chassis and called it done. The 1390 R has a suite of electronic rider aids designed to make its performance usable.

Rally Mode is particularly relevant to adventurous riders. It allows adjustment of traction-control intervention through nine levels of rear-wheel slip, along with throttle response, while Offroad ABS allows the rider considerably more freedom when braking on loose surfaces. That means you can configure the bike conservatively for a slippery gravel road or progressively loosen the electronic reins as confidence and terrain demand.

The combination of massive torque and adjustable electronics is particularly useful when touring. You don't have to ride the bike like a rally racer all day; instead, you can dial the electronics to suit the conditions, carry luggage and still have a motorcycle capable of becoming seriously entertaining when the road disappears.

The real-world touring equation

This is where the 1390 Super Adventure R becomes particularly compelling.

For a rider planning a multi-day trip, the bike offers the essential ingredients for covering big distances: a powerful engine, six-speed gearbox, substantial fuel capacity, adjustable ergonomics, strong Brembo brakes, excellent suspension and enough chassis stability to feel planted at highway speeds. The 23-litre tank is especially valuable when touring remote areas, where fuel stops can be considerably further apart than they are in the city.

Then there's the flexibility once you reach your destination. A conventional road tourer might require you to turn around when the sealed road ends. The KTM effectively says, keep going.

That makes it particularly well suited to the kind of touring where the journey is the destination: crossing Australia on a mixture of sealed highways and remote gravel roads, linking country towns via backroads, exploring alpine regions or taking a fully loaded bike deep into the bush.

The trade-off is that the R is unapologetically tall and substantial. Its 880 mm seat height and 248 kg ready-to-ride weight won't suit everyone, particularly shorter riders or those who spend most of their time commuting. But for an experienced rider who understands how to manage a large adventure motorcycle, those dimensions are part of what gives the R its impressive ground clearance, suspension travel and off-road capability.

The bottom line

The 2026 KTM 1390 Super Adventure R occupies an interesting space in the adventure-touring world. It isn't the softest, most road-biased option and it certainly isn't trying to be. Instead, it combines serious long-distance touring ability with genuine off-road hardware.

You get 173 PS, 145 Nm, 1,350 cc, a 23-litre tank, 240 mm of suspension travel at both ends, 242 mm of ground clearance, 21/18-inch wheels and Brembo brakes, wrapped in a chassis designed to withstand considerably more punishment than the average touring motorcycle.

In practical terms, that's a motorcycle capable of leaving home with a full tank and luggage, eating up a day's worth of highway kilometres, turning onto a remote gravel road without hesitation and still having the suspension and electronics to tackle genuinely challenging terrain.

The 1390 Super Adventure R isn't simply a motorcycle for getting to faraway places. It's built for taking the long way there nd then going further.