KTM 890 Adventure R
Aprilia Tuareg 660
Ducati Desert X
Yamaha Tenere 700
KTM 890 R vs Aprilia Tuareg 660 vs
Ducati Desert vs Yamaha Tenere 700
Test on non-asphalt roads in Andalusia.
A total of about 5,000 km.
A test of motorcycles off-road and on asphalt, and an attempt to answer the question which of these motorcycles is the best motorcycle in the true ADVENTURE segment (i.e. motorcycles that can really go off the asphalt and it is cool and pleasant).
I finally got to test all these bikes!
Previously, I had a well-tested Tenere and Tuareg, on which I drove several times on unpaved roads in Andalusia, in total driving over 1,500 km in each of them on unpaved roads and on asphalt.
I drove Desert X a lot on asphalt (probably over 1000 km), but about a month ago I drove it for the first time on the unpaved roads I took the Ducati for 3 days of riding in the Andalusian countryside, covering about 500 km off the asphalt.
The last motorcycle tested was a KTM, which we finally managed to add to our fleet of motorcycles for off-road trips. I've ridden it for about 500 km so far, mainly on light terrain, although there were also sections (let's say about 80 km in total) of good and winding asphalt.
ENTRY.
Each of these bikes is extraordinary to me. These are the coolest bikes for me today. Each of these motorcycles rides great on asphalt, they handle great, they are a lot of fun to ride, they turn well, they are handy and agile.
Each of these motorcycles can also be driven off the asphalt, not only on smooth gravel, but they can also handle light off-road conditions. It's amazing to me how well you can combine these two worlds (road / off-road) with one motorcycle, so universal that you basically don't need another motorcycle in the garage (of course, it's good to have several motorcycles, but if there is no other way, these "Middleweight ADV" are the perfect solution!)
Okay, but which of these motorcycles is the best and which one would I buy personally?
As usual, this is a difficult question and as usual I will try to answer it, but rather subjectively, because as usual I test motorcycles together with our clients and their opinion about these motorcycles is sometimes different from mine, or also different from other participants of our trips.
To make it easier, I will divide this test into categories and briefly describe the feelings of riding each of these motorcycles.
DRIVING FEELINGS.
YAMAHA TENERE 700.
Year 2022 / Mileage approximately 14,000 km (km done by us and our clients)
This motorcycle was the first motorcycle from this segment that I had the opportunity to get to know better. I immediately liked the Yamaha. Easy off-road driving and great handling on asphalt, cool appearance, simple operation, no traction control, ABS can be turned off with one large button on the cockpit. Cool, good-sounding and flexible engine, good suspension for typical ADV driving. Legendary reliability. No whims. Good price. The perfect expedition motorcycle, the perfect companion for long journeys off the asphalt. I was really in love with this bike until I met the competition...
Of the minuses - a high center of gravity, a bit clumsy response to the gas when handled gently.
APRILIA TUAREG 660.
Year 2023 / Mileage approximately 9,000 km (km done by us and our clients)
The Tuareg 660 is the closest competition to the Tenere 700. We have had the motorcycle for a few months.
I'll start with the disadvantages of this motorcycle - uncomfortable seat, brakes - the front is too nervous in the field, especially on descents, the rear is too weak and the front suspension could be harder. In addition, the Aprilia is a great motorcycle in every respect and you can feel that this design is better and more modern than the Tenere 700. The motorcycle itself is easier, lighter and more natural to drive both in the field and on the asphalt. This is due to better balance, great responsiveness of the drive unit, good clutch operation, great QS, and a slightly wider handlebar. The Tuareg is simply easier and more pleasant to drive than the Tenere, both (or mainly) off-road and on asphalt. The engine has a little more power and delivers it more smoothly. The standing position itself is also better, the tank is better profiled.
DUCATI DESERT-X
Year 2023 / Mileage approximately 17,000 km (km done by us and our clients)
It is also a typical ADVENTURE motorcycle, with the same purpose as the Tenere and Tuareg. However, Desert X was our motorcycle intended for a Motorcycle Testing Holiday on asphalt. Due to its approximately 20 kg higher curb weight, I concluded that it would perform better on asphalt and would be a bit of a waste for off-road trips. On the asphalt this bike is hard to describe, it's simply brilliant. It drives great and is a lot of fun to drive. It is very dynamic - despite only 110 HP, it accelerates at a similar pace to much more powerful motorcycles (due to the gear ratios and a large sprocket at the rear). It has fantastic suspension, great position, turns great, is handy and easy to drive, has very good brakes with great feel. It is currently my favorite motorcycle of all the ones we have for fast riding around corners in one person (during one-day trips for fun). However, after riding this motorcycle for over 500 km on the unpaved roads of Andalusia, it turned out that the Ducati can also ride off-road and does it really well. Despite the greater weight (which you don't feel that much), I had more fun with this motorcycle off-road than on the Tenere and Tuareg. This was due to the excellent suspension, great position (sitting and standing), and a powerful and characterful engine. Fast rides over rocks, fast gravel roads, mountain climbs - all this does not impress the Desert-X. Thanks to the excellent suspension, you get the impression that you can go anywhere with this motorcycle and not worry about smaller obstacles. At the same time, you have great fun riding in light terrain (there is as big a gap between heavier ADV motorcycles, for example the Africa Twin, as between the Tenere and the KTM 690 Enduro R).
KTM 890 Adventure R
Year 2021 / Mileage approximately 22,000 km
This is the motorcycle that was missing from our fleet of medium-duty ADVs intended for off-road trips. After driving it for about 500 km, I already know how much it was missing...
This motorcycle is a role model when it comes to what an ADV motorcycle should be like off-road. As usual, it turns out that the most important thing in motorcycles is the suspension. The hinge in the KTM is the legendary WP Xplor, which outclasses the suspension in the Tenere and Tuareg in a cruel way, Ducati is close, but also gives up at some point. This suspension in the KTM allows us to ride anywhere, quickly, confidently and with traction (we are talking about riding off the asphalt). However, on the asphalt it is also sensational, reliable, precise and stable, and the suspension does not dive even under heavy braking. Revelation! In addition, we have the most flexible and aggressive engine, which even at the bottom gives off power smoothly and is easy to control, but when you want it is really wild. The standing position is great, nothing gets in the way, the long seat allows you to ride the KTM very forward, and on climbs you don't get tired of spreading your knees too much. This is simply a great ADV motorcycle, a class above the Yamaha and Tuareg. Better off-road than Desert
CATEGORIES AND ORDER ACCORDING TO ME.
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Asphalt and travel.
Here, for me, the Desert
Desert X is built on the basis of the Multistrada V2, which is one of the most brilliantly handling motorcycles on asphalt. However, the Desert-X has better suspension than the V2, with more travel (which doesn't bother you at all on the asphalt because it's quite stiffly tuned), a more relaxed driving position and a larger chainring at the rear, which makes it more dynamic than the V2. This bike is simply amazing on winding roads. In addition, Desert-X has a great, relaxed and comfortable seating position, which allows for a lot of body work during more dynamic driving and does not tire you on longer rides.
Number two on the asphalt for me is the KTM 890R, which may handle even better than the Desert-X at times, or very similar. It's a little lighter, which makes it feel a little more agile. It reproduces the power from the bottom a little better. It has a suspension that works equally well on asphalt (WP Xplor). However, for me it has one disadvantage: the position on it is much more sporty, the knees are more bent, which makes it a bit uncomfortable for me during long rides (shorter people will not have a problem with it, I am 190 cm tall). But overall, it's also terribly, terribly good equipment on asphalt!
Numbers 3 and 4 go to Tuareg and Tenere. Both of these motorcycles will also be great for traveling on hard surfaces. Tenere is certainly more comfortable than Tuareg (both in terms of position and the couch, which in Tuareg is quite uncomfortable, soft and spongy). The Tuareg, however, turns a little better, is a little more agile and its power delivery is easier to control.
2. Off-road
Here, number one belongs to KTM. The power delivery, the standing position, the amount of space to work with the body and, above all, the brilliant suspension make me have the most fun off-road on this motorcycle, and I rode it relatively quickly. First of all, WP Xplor does such a good job that you don't even have to think about which line to choose, because it can cope with almost every obstacle without losing contact with the ground (except for places where you can jump a little). The engine is easy to control, with most power coming from the bottom, and it's the easiest bike to lose rear wheel traction when you want it to. The brakes are very adjustable. There is also a gearbox with QS, which always works well, even if, due to inattention or haste, you do not press the lever with the appropriate precision and force. All this makes riding this motorcycle the fastest, most enjoyable and at the same time very confident and therefore safe.
Number two, I actually have a little problem here. Because yes, the Tuareg seems to be the lightest and easiest to drive off-road, but it has a weak rear brake, the worst front suspension among these motorcycles and a front brake that is too nervous. Tenere - there is nothing to complain about here, but there is a little less power, which is delivered less smoothly at low revs (you have to get used to it), and is the least balanced, which can be felt at lower speeds. There is also the Desert-X, with the best suspension of the three (very close to the suspension in the KTM), but the engine can jerk a bit at slower speeds (you have to control it with the half-clutch), and it weighs about 20 kg more than the competition from this test ( which you don't feel that much), but it has definitely more power and a great standing position, too. On gravel I would definitely prefer the Desert-X, in more demanding terrain I would probably switch to the Tuareg, but overall the Tenere does well there too. On the other hand, I rode three of our off-road all-day routes on Desert-X (which I had previously only ridden on asphalt) and I don't know if I had more fun on it than on Tenere or even Tuareg, because it has a lot of nice power and great suspension, and the extra weight is bearable.
3. Value.
Number one here for me is the Tenere 700. It is the cheapest of these motorcycles, and at the same time promises (according to many verified opinions) excellent reliability. It's true that the electronics are worse here, but in a motorcycle like this it doesn't matter that much in my opinion.
The most expensive is Desert-X, but it's Ducati and it offers the most at this price - the largest engine, the most power, 6 riding modes, great ABS Cornering systems, great, adjustable traction control (which also works great off the asphalt, allowing for quite safe power- slidy), even has wheel control) and good QS.
Additionally, you have the impression that you are dealing with a premium motorcycle and, in my opinion, this motorcycle looks the best.
I wouldn't worry about reliability either, as long as you use this motorcycle as intended (i.e. riding ADV, not drowning in the mud, etc.), we had a total of 5 Ducati, including a 950S (i.e. the base for the Desert-X ) and despite high mileage of 20,000 / 40,000 / 66,000 km there has never been any failure.
The second most expensive motorcycle is the KTM, which also offers a lot of good electronics, a great engine and the best suspension of all motorcycles. Reliability - it's hard to say, we had several KTMs in our stable of test bikes, nothing serious ever happened, sometimes there were some errors, but usually when the ignition was turned off they went out, sometimes the fuel display went dark, but nothing serious ever happened.
Aprilia is much cheaper than KTM and Ducati, but it is still a bit more expensive than Tenere. It offers more equipment than the Yamaha, because there are 4 riding modes, modern ABS that can only be turned off on the rear wheel, and traction control. However, in Aprilla you get the impression that it is not so solid. Maybe it's just an impression, but I've heard about some failures, nothing has happened to us yet, and there are probably some isolated cases where the warranty usually solved the problem, but...
4. So which one is the best in my opinion and which one would I buy?
Difficult choice :) After these tests, I know that the Desert Tenere and Tuareg are lighter (this is especially noticeable in Tuareg), but it turns out that these few kilograms are not that important in everyday use of motorcycles for what they were created for. What I mean here is ADVENTURE riding - in short, a motorcycle trip in all conditions and combining asphalt rides and off-asphalt sections, also with light off-road.
If I wanted a motorcycle for traveling in the ADV style, assuming 50% asphalt, 50% light terrain, where I would also care about comfortI would buy it during longer trips Desert-X (if price didn't matter to me), or Tenere 700 (if price mattered). Tenere doesn't win in any category for me, but it does everything quite well, costs the least, promises reliability and solidity (which is important when traveling with ADV), and is as comfortable when sitting as the Desert-X. It's not as fun to ride, but it's still a great bike. Desert
However, if I wanted a motorcycle that I would ride at least a little more off-road (from 60% off-road - 40% asphalt) or even if I had slightly shorter legs, then I would definitely buy the KTM 890 R. It's fair to say that it's currently the best motorcycle in this segment, it rides best off-road (definitely number 1) and also gives a lot of fun on the asphalt, the only drawback I noticed is that the knees are too bent when riding while sitting. (but I'm 190 cm tall).
Hereareg 660 yes, it drives better off-road than Tenere and Desert X (although the front suspension is weak), it also handles great on asphalt, it has a nice engine, it is very agile and easy to control. However, somehow he didn't appeal to me, he also has an uncomfortable couch (ok, I'm sure it can be easily improved) and I wouldn't be able to trust him in the long run. But I must also add here that if I travel with clients off-road and I have a choice between Tenere and Tuareg, I always choose Tuareg without hesitation :) Because, as I would like to emphasize, it drives better than Tenere both on asphalt and off-road :)
SUMMARY
I believe that the current times and the variety of motorcycles on the market make it more and more difficult to make a unanimous choice of motorcycle. He's a motorcyclist for usthat's great information. Somost motorcycles on the market are simply very good.
When choosing, the most important thing should be your own driving sensations. After reading or watching the test of the motorcycle, very little indeed we know about a given motorcycle.
It is impossible to make a good choice without a proper test drive. Such an hour-long motorcycle ride gives something, but these are only first impressions.However, a full day (or several) in suitable terrain anddirect transfer from one motorcycle to another motorcycle (sometimes even on the same day)we are already building an image of what we want, what we like, what bothers us, etc. We are then able to make an appropriate analysis and certainly (although it is never easy) determine which motorcycle is right for me.
A lot of our clientscomes to us to have fun on motorcycles, because we have here (I don't want to convince you, it's worth checking it out for yourself) some of the best motorcycle routes in the world, both on and off asphalt (and I'm not writing here generally about Andalusia, because it is very large and also very different, but only about our region Andalusia - the area around the Costa Tropical and the Sierra Nevada mountains).
However, many of them also come for this very purpose be able to test various motorcycle models in ideal conditions.
I can't say that I don't advertise our offer here, because that would be a lie, but seriously, such a trip can change a lot in your motorcycle choices :)
If anyone would like to know the details of such a trip, please check it out by clicking below!
Sunny greetings from Almunecar, Adam Love For Ride!
PS. TECHNICAL DATA OF THE MOTORCYCLES CAN BE FOUND BELOW!
TECHNICAL DATA OF MOTORCYCLES:
KTM 890 Adventure R technical data:
Engine:
R2 (in-line, 2-cylinder)
889 cc
105 HP / 100 Nm
Suspension:
front - WP Xplor-USD 48mm
240 mm travel
rear - WP Xplor PDS
240 mm travel
clearance 263mm
Motorcycle weight wet with a full tank (measured by "Cycle World") - 216 kg
Seat height - 880 mm
Fuel tank - 20 years old
Tires:
90/90 R21
150/70 R18
Aprilia Tuareg 660technical data
Engine:
R2 (inline two-cylinder)
659 cc
80 HP / 70 Nm
Suspension:
front- Upside down Kayaba - 43 mm
240 mm travel
back- Kayaba Monoshock
240 mm travel
ground clearance - 240 mm
Weight of the motorcycle ready to ride- 204 kg
Seat height - 860 mm
Fuel tank - 18 years old
Tires:
90/90 R21
150/70 R18
Ducati Desert technical data
Engine:
V2 (2-cylinder V-engine, cylinder opening angle 90 degrees)
937 cc
110 HP / 92 Nm
Suspension:
front- Upside down Kayaba - 46 mm
230mm travel
back - Kayaba Monoshock
230mm travel
clearance- 250 mm
Weight of the motorcycle ready to ride - 223 kg
Seat height - 875 mm
Fuel tank - 21 years old
Tires:
90/90 R21
150/70 R18
Yamaha Tenere 700technical data
Engine:
R2 (inline two-cylinder)
689 cc
73.4 HP / 68 Nm
Suspension:
front - Yamaha - 43 mm
210 mm travel
back- Yamaha
200 mm travel
clearance- 240 mm
Weight of the motorcycle ready to ride- 204 kg
Seat height - 875 mm
Fuel tank - 16 years old
Tires:
90/90 R21
150/70 R18