Home / Motorcycles / Adventure Vehicles

A Beloved Adventure Moto Middleweight Brings Back Its Most Off-Road-Ready Form

KTM’s authoritative 890 Adventure motorcycle is once again getting a rally-inspired overhaul that begs to explore parts unknown.

Rear side view of an orange and black KTM Rally motorcycle showing the rear wheel, exhaust with Akrapovic logo, and part of the engine.KTM
Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google
Gray Van Dyke headshot

By Gray Van Dyke

Published

·

Updated

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

As the more hardcore, dirt-focused version of KTM’s middleweight 890 adventure touring bike, the Adventure R boasts some significant advantages in off-road capability.

Notably because of changes like upgraded suspension, a single-piece seat and a lower windscreen. They’re all upgrades yielding an adventure bike that’s much more comfortable at tackling the rough stuff.

Orange and black KTM off-road motorcycle with knobby tires and Red Bull branding against a concrete wall.
The 890 Adventure R Rally returns after a run in 2024.
KTM

Nevertheless, if you’re after a motorcycle that’s truly terrain indifferent, look no further than KTM’s latest release. After leaving the market a few years ago, it’s finally making a return.

A return of the rally

The model in question is, of course, the 890 Adventure R Rally. Following a run in 2021 and then another in 2024, KTM is now bringing it back as a 2027 model.

Off-road motorcycle with orange and black accents jumping on a dirt trail with trees in the background.
With its trick WP Suspension, the Rally is the pinnacle of KTM’s middleweight adventure offerings.
KTM

Like its predecessors, the bike is a limited-production special drawn from the brand’s extensive well of rally-winning expertise. As KTM puts it, the Rally is “built to conquer, rather than to merely traverse” and “it draws direct inspiration from the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rally machines.”

In practice, this means that it touts an even more robust suspension setup than the already capable Adventure R. Along with WP’s XPLOR PRO fork up front, it also benefits from a WP XPLOR Pro PDS shock at the rear.

Beyond riding on some trick Cone Valve technology, this also means that the Rally delivers even more ground clearance. It’s up to 10.6 inches (270mm), compared to roughly 9.5 (240mm) on the standard Adventure R.

Orange and blue KTM adventure motorcycle with Red Bull branding and off-road tires on a white background.
The livery takes inspiration from the brand’s Dakar-winning 450 Rally.
KTM

Dialing in the details

Of course, the Rally treatment isn’t a mere suspension swap. In its efforts to overhaul the Adventure R for even more authoritative off-road performance, KTM has looked to other areas of this adventure bike, as well.

For instance, although the 890 Adventure R Rally comes powered by the same 105-horsepower 899cc parallel twin, KTM has fitted it with an upgraded Akrapovič Line slip-on exhaust. Along with shedding a bit of weight, it’s sure to add a healthy bark to the bike’s sound.

Motorcyclist in orange and black gear riding an orange and black dirt bike kicking up dust on a forest trail.
That Akrapovič slip-on is sure to provide a sonorous soundtrack as you’re ripping dirt trails.
KTM

There are other refinements, too. KTM switched the single-piece seat for a race-inspired rally seat, and the ergo change comes complemented by some new Factory Racing footpegs. Elsewhere, you’ll also find carbon tank guards and a Supersprox-Stealth rear sprocket.

Riding on a set of high-strength Excel rims (21-inch up front and 18-inch at the rear), it’s made only better by the slick new livery. To make the 890 Adventure R befitting of its designation, KTM adorned the bike with a two-tone design reminiscent of the Dakar-winning KTM 450.

As with its Adventure R stablemate, the Rally benefits from a 5-inch TFT display and a suite of electronic rider aids thanks to the included Tech Pack. From Rally Mode and Quickshifter+ to Cruise Control and Motor Slip Regulation, it’s a far cry from an analog machine.

Off-road motorcycle with bright headlights ridden on a dirt trail surrounded by trees and bushes.
If you don’t have the skills to tackle Dakar, KTM’s 890 Adventure R Rally comes with plenty of electronics to help keep things rubber-side down.
KTM

Availability and pricing

KTM has stated that it will be building the 2027 890 Adventure R Rally in “limited numbers” worldwide with production beginning this month. 

At $22,649, it’s safe to say that factory-level equipment isn’t cheap. Nevertheless, if you’re interested, you should act fast, as the bike has sold out quickly in the past.

Orange and blue KTM rally motorcycle with Red Bull branding and off-road tires on a white background.KTM

2027 KTM 890 Adventure R Rally

KTM’s 2027 Adventure R Rally represents a return to the touring bike’s most capable off-road form. Accordingly, it touts an even more robust suspension setup comprised of WP XPLOR PRO forks and a WP XPLOR Pro PDS shock, yielding a towering 10.6 inches of ground clearance. Complemented by an Akrapovič Line slip-on exhaust, a rally seat and other competition-approved ergo changes, some high-strength Excel rims and a livery inspired by the Dakar-winning KTM 450, it’s a motorcycle fit to hit the dirt in style. KTM only builds a limited number of these bikes with each run, so even though they don’t come cheap, they’re highly desirable steeds.
About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

Read More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

add as a preferred source on google
,