Top left: Skid plate, crash bars, and knobby tires. We’ re not in Kansas anymore. Above left: Fully adjustable WP XPLOR suspension keeps everything heading in the right direction when the ground gets angry. Right: Pick your line and the big Katoom goes right where you point it.
wheelies and the nervous excitement of traffic court? Turn it up with a simple tap of the screen.
If you’ ve read anything about this new 1390 Super Adventure R, you probably know it packs 173 hp and 107 lb- ft of torque. But what you might not know is that the 1,350cc LC8 V- Twin is equipped with Camshift, a new variable valve timing system that optimizes power output across the rev range by using two different cam profiles below and above 6,500 rpm. And while you won’ t feel the 3- 5 millisecond transition from a calm, fuel efficient, low- emission sweetheart to an angry war beast, you will feel the result. Above 6,500 rpm, the lights get brighter, the music gets louder, and the band starts playing harder and
faster than you thought possible. You will never forget that feeling.
Soon our rolling band of gypsies found the end of the pavement. Ahead of us were miles of trails around Joshua Tree National Park, with a mix of rocky hardpack, sandy whooped- out sections, and moderate elevation changes. My first instinct when we came to the trailhead was to drop the tire pressures to around 20 psi, but we kept plowing forward with the tires inflated to street pressures. I feared that the very first square- edged rock I hit was going to cause immediate and intense deflection from the front tire, sending me off the trail, but it didn’ t. In fact, once I got comfortable, I was able to switch up my lines and hustle through the terrain with relative ease. A major player in this happy capability was the 48mm WP XPLOR fork, which offers a wide range of tool- less compression and rebound adjustments. While I left the compression damping alone, I went 2 clicks harder on rebound damping so they wouldn’ t unload too quickly when I encountered some bigger hits. I did the same with the rear shock, which kept the chassis stable and calm despite some hard bottoming on some G- outs and small kickers.
After a few unplanned trench- digging sessions with the rear tire, I tapped around on the TFT display and bumped traction control to 5( range is from 0- 9) so I could hit the throttle and generate enough power to break traction when I needed to steer with the rear but not so much that the engine in Rally mode would dig me to China by lunchtime. I was initially wary of rolling around in the dirt with 173 hp on tap when we started this happy adventure. Why? First, it’ s an insane amount of power to manage when you’ re riding a 547- lb motorcycle with greatly reduced traction. Second, muting all those ponies electronically can result in lazy power delivery when you need immediate snap from the throttle for direction changes and quick lofts of the front end. In other words, you either have an angry uncontrollable
The 8-inch vertical TFT display is simple to read, touchscreen capable, and offers infinite adjustability.
30 / SEPTEMBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM