HEAVYWEIGHTS GOING DOWN (to Devon and Somerset)

Big adventure bikes are still as popular as ever. And for good reason. They combine performance and comfort in an enviable way. We take out four main competitors to see what they are made of.

- Mikko, Dave, Gary & Ross

BWM R1250 GS, Harley-Davidson Pan America, Ducati Multistrada V4 S, KTM 1290 Super Adventure S

Although adventure heavyweights sell well, they also divide opinion. Do you need all that bulk, power and tech? And will you really use your bike for ‘adventure’ riding?

Both are valid questions. However, at the end of the day, even if you only ride on blacktop, and if you are happy with the equipment, you’re probably having too much fun to worry about what anyone else thinks about it. They are questions that matter to whoever asks the question, not to the one they are trying to get the answer from.

Whatever the case, we thought it would be a good idea to see how the top bikes in this category go. So, we took them down to Dartmoor and Exmoor for a good long run on Tarmac, and a little off-road detour, too. Here’s what we thought about the bikes…

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S Cruise missile in adventure clothes

WORDS: Dave Manning

With adventure bikes seemingly becoming very alike when it comes to styling, the KTM Super Adventure S stands out with that insectoid ‘face’ looking even more aggressive with the addition of the centrally mounted Bosch radar for the adaptive cruise control.

Those racy good looks were enhanced even more when we slid on a pair of Bridgestone AX41 hoops, adding an aggressive off-road edge to a bike that already looks ready to take on the world.