First ride of 2023!

 Cloudy and grey skies, time to get going!

The weather gods are kind to us this time of the year. Time to set the beast loose for the first time this year! 

Some impressions about my sunday ride.  Drove about 200km mixed on and offroad but mostly tarmac. Not the most beautifull ride I ever did but I got to ride and thats the most important.

Those wind turbines are popping up everywhere, I never saw one up close, they are huge!

Bye for now ✌

KTM 1290 SAR Outback Motortek ultimate protection combo review

Welcome to my review of the outback motortek ultimate protection combo for the KTM 1290 super adventure R.

👉Why did I buy this Kit?

First of, I bought the ultimate protection combo which consists of  the following items:

• the skidplate and bracket
• lower crashbars
• upper crashbars

• 

Outback Motortek performs crash tests on all of their newly develloped equipment and they put

all those test video's online here: Outback motortek youtube page

I bought this kit  because they are one of the only companies that make protection kits that actually work in real offroad circumstances.

👉Where did I buy the kit?

Outback Motortek works with a dedicated dealer network. For my location that's allroadmoto .

The kit costs 765 euros. This might differ depending on where you live. It's quite a bit of money, but if your bike crashes it will cost you more in repairs.

👉 Installation

You don't get any printed instructions with the gear. However, on the plastic packaging you'll find a QR code, when you scan it, it brings you to the installation video on their YouTube chanel

I'm not going to cover all this since that is done by Outback Motortek, it is pretty straight forward when you follow the instructional video's.

👉 Overall quality and Issues

The cons 👇

• I've noticed that the videos aren't always consistent with what you receive. By that I mean they will talk about what screws and bolts to use in certain locations, but I found myself not having the same type of bolts or screws in the kit. For example longer bolts than mentioned.
• Also some bolts were too short to work. I had to repurpose some KTM bolts to get the lower crash bars to attach to the support bracket.
• The paintwork is not the best quality,not to say it is bad but I received the bars with slightly damaged paint but it was not clearly visible when mounted. I will say they do a good job of packaging everything to avoid this.
• I also think they could provide better quality bolts with the kit, I'm afraid the bolt heads will get round very easily.
• You should also keep in mind that this kit adds significant weight to an already heavy bike, it certainly isn't light.
• To my surprise, I found that the fuel pump high pressure line was exposed on the left side due to the skid plate design and that's a really big minus for me. See the picture below. The original KTM protection is higher and does provide more protection in that area.

The pros 👇

• Once everything is assembled, the bars feel very sturdy.
• The skid plate provides better than stock protection for the engine cases and exhaust. It can also be easily removed for maintenance.
• The lower crash bars are firmer than stock and offer better protection.The cross braces are well thought out and provide the stiffness that was missing from the stock bars.
• The uppers provide extra protection for the side panels and are very rigid. they also allow the mounting of small panniers for inner tubes or other small items.
• The looks, the kit looks really good on the bike, it's not just functional, it also works aesthetically.
• The kit fits just right, no need to bend things to make it fit, everything fits really well.

👉 End result

👉 Conclusions

I have no doubt that this kit will protect the engine better than the gear supplied by KTM. After all, we all want to protect our investment. 

You might think that the list of negatives is quite long, but those are in all honesty minor things. none of those things should be a deal breaker. 

If you look critically at a product, you will always find room for improvement, but that does not make it a bad product.

So in conclusion there is always a bit of a trade-off, it is a very well thought out product that does exactly what it is supposed to do. The thorough product testing by outback Motortek speaks volumes about their dedication. 

So in resume the biggest drawbacks for me:

• The added weight
• A little more hassle when working on the bike
• Unprotected high pressure fuel line

👉 If the above mentioned stuff doesn't bother you, I'd say this is the perfect kit for you.

Bye for now ✌

New toys for the 1290!

 Finally my chrashbars have arrived!

I bought a set of upper and lower crashbars+ engine skidplate from @outback motortek. I ordered them from @allroadmoto who send over last week. Thanks for the goodies!

I also have a set of Motoz Rallz waiting to be installed. 

Getting ready for the new season!

Outback Motortek and Motoz Rallz

Outback Motortek skidplate and crash bars uppers and lower

UPDATE KTM 1290 SAR 1 year ownership review

 helloow

Small update, you can start reading about my 1290 review here KTM 1290 SAR 1-year ownership review

I still have a lot to cover but it's a start, happy reading.

Bye for now 👊

New 2023 Ktm Super Adventure R Promotional video

 

KTM 1290 SAR in the Mojave Desert!

You ever ask yourself how the KTM 1290 SAR performs in the Desert?

☝Here is a link to the original article👉KTM 1290 SAR in the Mojave desert  

Some tips for adventure bike riding

Adventure bike riding, dual sport or enduro riding, involves riding motorcycles on a variety of terrain, including pavement, dirt roads, and off-road trails. It can be a thrilling and challenging way to explore the great outdoors and test one's riding skills.

👉What are the key things to take into account went starting adventure riding:

• Choose a motorcycle that is suitable for the type of terrain that you will be riding but also take into account your skill level. Are you an experienced adv rider or you just entering the dual sport world? 
• Do not only choose a motorcycle for the terrain you are riding. Think about what you are planning to do with your bike. Is it going to be your do it all bike? Or is it going to be dedicated for dual sport riding only? Do you want to travel on and off-road? These are all things to consider before even starting to ride. Your choice will set the boundaries of what will be possible with your bike in the future so you want to think ahead.
• Wear protective gear, I cannot stress enough how important that is. Wear a helmet, gloves, boots, and protective clothing. Adventure riding can be physically demanding at times and can involve you falling so it is important to protect yourself from injury.
• Also think about not only protecting yourself but also your bike. If you are in it for the long run you might want to invest in crashbars for your newly acquired bike.
• Planning. If your are driving in remote areas make sure you have more then one way to navigate back home or to your planned destination. Cell phone service might not work, make sure to have a gps device as primary source or backup solution for navigation puroses. This will depend on where you are off course. Take some supplies with you, such as water, food, tools, and spare parts. aigain depending on where you are it is important to be self-sufficient.
• Know your limits and ride within them. Adventure riding can be physically and mentally challenging, and it is important to pace yourself and take breaks when needed.
• Be as respectfull as possible to the environment, reduce you footprint.

☝ What do you think? Is this list complete or should something be added?

Bye for now 👊