Another great video, well thought out and put together. I recently had the opportunity to have a short ride on the pro suspension on a 790 back to back with my stock suspended 790. Im no simon pavey but the difference was noticeably better with more compliance. Its a case of improving on whats already very good.
I really enjoyed Simon's input on what the differences in suspension systems and how it changes the feel to the bike. Well done. Still love my T7. Cheers
I dont expect it to perform like the 790/890s, since its «only» 43mm tubes, but Rally Raid put a 35mm piston in them, versus the 20mm stock ones. My T7 has been on a weight cut and with improved suspension, I think it will be perfect for a dirt capable adventure motorcycle!
Typical KTM - no equivalent suspension for the S version. I went aftermarket and it made a huge difference. It’s exactly that early compliance which is needed on this bike - and that applies equally on the S and R. Some of us aren’t planning on doing big jumps, and like the lower seat height for really technical trails.
This is a great video. I was really hoping you guys would do this exact thing. What are your thoughts on how much better the adjustability of pro components are compared to the xplor setup? Also did you test the 240 mm pro setup or the 270 mm setup? The standard xplor is 240 and the standard length pro is also 240, but the Pro components on the Rally are 270 mm.
@@BrakeMagazine Mods such as what exactly?! Would you please elaborate on that, for those who won't be able to find an authorized ktm/wp xplore agent nearby?! Also, I'm confused: which suspension set is already on each version, 890 adv S, adv R, & adv R Rally? Thanks
Another great video, really enjoyed it. Can you do a GS review please, showing exactly what you can do with such a big Adventure Bike. Cheers Llew. 👍🏻👍🏻
7K buddy,over 7K and you could have real suspension. On top of a 17K bike. + upgrades at most there would be 27K in bike. Dont crash it and total it like a friend did. They go down hard.
I'm very disappointed with the standard suspension - the tyres are not tracking the ground well enough. The Pro suspension is simply too expensive for a potentially unreliable bike, so I've invested in TracTive (Touratech) suspension. I haven't had the chance to test it properly in all conditions, but its working a lot better than the OE suspension.
Great video and superb photography. I have tested the T7, 790 and 690 and like them all for different reasons. What's your preference for the ultimate ADV travel bike?
From your experience in fork upgrades, do you think the 790r would benefit from the k-tech ORVS kit in the forks ? It’s a fairly affordable upgrade if it’s worth it .
Thanks for the Video Lewy i respect you and your dads delivery of content , he's a legend. I've just fitted these and done a small test . i found 2 things . The high set were fitted and i found that the stock lines didn't work. They're just a bees dick short. Well mine where anyway. the fix is , a new line about 1200 mm from banjo to banjo if you choose to run a single caliper . Hel brake lines are practically my neighbors. you need to pull the tank too. its a job! second, these things just work like a bomb, and if you don't agree you don't need them imo. i felt instant improvement over jumps and deep rutts. cant wait to try them on a day long ride in the sticks.
If only I had known,the 890R suspension sucked so badly,I would have tried to find a Rally. Those who say the R suspension is good............I cant imagine what they're thinking. Mine needs springs at minimum right off dealer floor. Im 190 lbs so right in KTM's target weight. It shows near 0 sag at no preload on shock. Im told the damping is non workable if I put a softer spring on it.......as is it is airborne on a rough gravel road,skitters and hops bump to bump. My DR650 will smoke it off road. DR has a Cogent shock and good forks.
Awesome video guys thank you! I know this is a long shot but any chance you get to do a comparison for the xplor or xplor pro with a tenere with upgraded suspension would be sick! The main question being- how close can you get a tenere 700 to a ktm 790? Awesome vid thanks again guys!
@@BrakeMagazine awesome man haha I don't know how feasible that is as I know how much suspension kits are and how niche they can be, but omg would be a killer vid! The guys at mad tv told me their rally raided t7 'comes close' to the ktm 790... wouldn't we all want to know just how much?! Cheers man!
If you are interested, CamelADV has a video series on their RUclips channel where they take a SSS fork and put it into a Yamaha T7 and upgrade the shock. It's really amazing how big of a difference he said it made, but there was some serious design and fabrication work. Regardless it was a fascinating series and really made me like the company even more!
@@BrakeMagazine I set the front and rear to the comfort settings (like Chris Burch) and it works for me. However, I'm no speed demon in the dirt. Cheers
It'd be interesting to look into what electronic systems are fundamental on both bikes. They've both go EFI. The KTM has an electronic throttle system, but how much of the extras like TC and ABS affect the function of the bike when they fail? Can you easily override them? On a lot of bikes you can by pulling a fuse or riding regardless. I know the GS is very good at continuing when those systems fail and so I think that's the real question!
@@BrakeMagazine No one, the KTM you can even drive it without the TFT connected, with the ABS and TC failing... the only way this bikes stops is because of the EFI system failure... or if there is an antena problem with your key...
Yea, like @Fer Gz MotorDanko says it'll keep going with all the gizmos gone. Only the EFI is really required, just think of the rest as progressive enhancements. My ABS module totally failed, but I still rode it for a month.
Not without way too much effort. Currently they don't make anything for the T7 but based on what they do make suspension for, I'd suggest it'll come eventually. A lot of the popular Yamaha Street bikes have WP Pro Suspension options.
@@BrakeMagazine He could be talking about how it seemed like the video was more a review of the different kinds of WP suspension available for the bike than of the bike itself. Which is fine with me, I've got Tenere money but not 790 money so it doesn't matter either way hahaha. Thank you for making videos btw :D
Depends on the country. In the UK, they've been down to around the £10K mark in end of season sales for the 790 and so the price difference was around £500. In other places you're spot on.
I understand that the feeling of this suspension is great, but the reliability is awful mine has 2 blown shocks in less than 3000km WTF... I Dont care how good it is... if is not reliable is not good at all. And I'm with the de-cat system and with the heat shield all the time, is not a overheating problem is the shity quality of the WP components.
So you are investing 4209gbp or 4'770€ to improove a good suspension to a bit better suspension? Really? Guys invest the money on traveling. Or if you dont like an agressive bike like the KTM and want a more relaxing one buy a Tener 700 and spend the 8'000€ saved on a long adventure vacation.
If you work hard all your life and have the cash, why not spend it and get the most out of this amazing bike. It's still a lot less in total $ compared to buying a sports car, 4WD or a boat.
About 7 thousand dollars in suspension upgrades. 7000.00. Seven Thousand. I can buy a cherry 2019 300 KTM XCW for the same amount. Already has real suspension included.
I mean, it has the same suspension as the 790/890 does stock with different settings. As an owner of a Husky 350 with that suspension, I felt it desperately needed improving from stock. Great suspension is expensive; always has been.
@@BrakeMagazine Not always,and we shouldnt settle for it. My 2014 300 XCW was great right outta the box..the open cartridge forks were super plush,as was the shock. It was a trailbike that was all set to go trailriding. The huskys the same year had forks that really couldnt be fixed,and the shock needed work. I knew that before hand.
I got the 890 Rally and was happy to see the comparison! Change mine to comfort settings and looking forward to test it when the opportunity shows up
Another great video, well thought out and put together. I recently had the opportunity to have a short ride on the pro suspension on a 790 back to back with my stock suspended 790. Im no simon pavey but the difference was noticeably better with more compliance. Its a case of improving on whats already very good.
Indeed it is. I think that's often what makes it more expensive too. More internal components, more control, more price.
Isnt it more like replacing the boingers entirely?
I really enjoyed Simon's input on what the differences in suspension systems and how it changes the feel to the bike. Well done. Still love my T7. Cheers
I have rally raids fork inserts on its way in the mail. Excited!
Glad you enjoyed it We might do a similar video with the T7 once we're allowed outside again!
Be interested to hear how they fair!
I dont expect it to perform like the 790/890s, since its «only» 43mm tubes, but Rally Raid put a 35mm piston in them, versus the 20mm stock ones. My T7 has been on a weight cut and with improved suspension, I think it will be perfect for a dirt capable adventure motorcycle!
Typical KTM - no equivalent suspension for the S version. I went aftermarket and it made a huge difference. It’s exactly that early compliance which is needed on this bike - and that applies equally on the S and R. Some of us aren’t planning on doing big jumps, and like the lower seat height for really technical trails.
This is a great video. I was really hoping you guys would do this exact thing. What are your thoughts on how much better the adjustability of pro components are compared to the xplor setup? Also did you test the 240 mm pro setup or the 270 mm setup? The standard xplor is 240 and the standard length pro is also 240, but the Pro components on the Rally are 270 mm.
It was the same as standard we tested. So you can specify what length you purchase but you need a few other mods to fit the 270mm to a stock bike 🙂
@@BrakeMagazine Mods such as what exactly?! Would you please elaborate on that, for those who won't be able to find an authorized ktm/wp xplore agent nearby?! Also, I'm confused: which suspension set is already on each version, 890 adv S, adv R, & adv R Rally? Thanks
Another great video, really enjoyed it. Can you do a GS review please, showing exactly what you can do with such a big Adventure Bike. Cheers Llew. 👍🏻👍🏻
Great idea!
Why did you show me this?! I was perfectly happy assuming the upgrade was only for pros. 🤑
Sorry Will 🤣🤣
7K buddy,over 7K and you could have real suspension. On top of a 17K bike. + upgrades at most there would be 27K in bike. Dont crash it and total it like a friend did. They go down hard.
Great Video Lel and Simon 👌 Regards from Mexico ! Met you some years back at the KTM 450 Rally Test with MCs Bike.
I remember well Patrick! How is your race? We would love to ride it some day!
I'm very disappointed with the standard suspension - the tyres are not tracking the ground well enough. The Pro suspension is simply too expensive for a potentially unreliable bike, so I've invested in TracTive (Touratech) suspension. I haven't had the chance to test it properly in all conditions, but its working a lot better than the OE suspension.
Good to hear! Tractive make cool tuff for a good price!
Great video and superb photography. I have tested the T7, 790 and 690 and like them all for different reasons. What's your preference for the ultimate ADV travel bike?
Kind words indeed! I'm not sure what my preference is. Probably the one I'm on! I love the 790, T7 and Tiger 900 though.
Great video, love the new speaker descriptions. Is WP Gareth the same Gareth from Race to Dakar?
The very same!
Great preview as usual 👍
Love you videos. Do you recommend going for the rear only first with the standard 240 mm ?
Thanks 🙏
Me 1090R would be sic with explore kit in her
As an inept eejit in the dirt the standard setup seems pretty damn good.Maybe when I'm a grown up
Not even as an inept eejit. Without a doubt the stock suspension is already fantastic.
Great video, very informative!!!
You can really see the difference just by looking a the bike’s reaction👍🏻👍🏻
I'm glad that came across! I tried to be really careful with the clips, but matching them up is tricky 😂
I'm a big fan; great video as usual 👍
Do you recommend buying the peo suspension in regular 240 mm hight ?
Thank you
Yes I do!
From your experience in fork upgrades, do you think the 790r would benefit from the k-tech ORVS kit in the forks ? It’s a fairly affordable upgrade if it’s worth it .
Probably yes.
The orvs is great. It makes a huge difference
Correction more like 220 kilo bike...I mean once it has fluids and a minor upgrade or two 20 kilos is a lot to blow off as nothing
Same Garreth as race to Dakar 06!
You bet man! Dude's a legens!
Thanks for the Video Lewy i respect you and your dads delivery of content , he's a legend. I've just fitted these and done a small test . i found 2 things . The high set were fitted and i found that the stock lines didn't work. They're just a bees dick short. Well mine where anyway.
the fix is , a new line about 1200 mm from banjo to banjo if you choose to run a single caliper . Hel brake lines are practically my neighbors. you need to pull the tank too. its a job!
second, these things just work like a bomb, and if you don't agree you don't need them imo. i felt instant improvement over jumps and deep rutts. cant wait to try them on a day long ride in the sticks.
Where Rade Garage come in... like an online tutorial for stripping parts off of KTMs :)
If only I had known,the 890R suspension sucked so badly,I would have tried to find a Rally. Those who say the R suspension is good............I cant imagine what they're thinking. Mine needs springs at minimum right off dealer floor. Im 190 lbs so right in KTM's target weight. It shows near 0 sag at no preload on shock. Im told the damping is non workable if I put a softer spring on it.......as is it is airborne on a rough gravel road,skitters and hops bump to bump. My DR650 will smoke it off road. DR has a Cogent shock and good forks.
Awesome video guys thank you! I know this is a long shot but any chance you get to do a comparison for the xplor or xplor pro with a tenere with upgraded suspension would be sick! The main question being- how close can you get a tenere 700 to a ktm 790? Awesome vid thanks again guys!
That's actually something we've been thinking about a lot!
@@BrakeMagazine awesome man haha I don't know how feasible that is as I know how much suspension kits are and how niche they can be, but omg would be a killer vid! The guys at mad tv told me their rally raided t7 'comes close' to the ktm 790... wouldn't we all want to know just how much?! Cheers man!
If you are interested, CamelADV has a video series on their RUclips channel where they take a SSS fork and put it into a Yamaha T7 and upgrade the shock. It's really amazing how big of a difference he said it made, but there was some serious design and fabrication work. Regardless it was a fascinating series and really made me like the company even more!
@@timmoore6789 thanks a lot man will check this out
Do you think softening the stock suspension would improve feel at slower speeds?
Depends on what you mean by softening. You can probably get a long way by lowering compression on the clickers. Maybe try a little less preload.
@@BrakeMagazine I set the front and rear to the comfort settings (like Chris Burch) and it works for me. However, I'm no speed demon in the dirt. Cheers
you could also get it sprung and valved for you
@@damytzeus 100% You could and you'd probably get a good result if the person doing the work is good. 🙂
I really like the 790R, but I'd be scared to take it around the world. I'm leaning more towards the Tenere 700 due to lack of electronics.
It'd be interesting to look into what electronic systems are fundamental on both bikes. They've both go EFI. The KTM has an electronic throttle system, but how much of the extras like TC and ABS affect the function of the bike when they fail? Can you easily override them?
On a lot of bikes you can by pulling a fuse or riding regardless. I know the GS is very good at continuing when those systems fail and so I think that's the real question!
@@BrakeMagazine No one, the KTM you can even drive it without the TFT connected, with the ABS and TC failing... the only way this bikes stops is because of the EFI system failure... or if there is an antena problem with your key...
Yea, like @Fer Gz MotorDanko
says it'll keep going with all the gizmos gone. Only the EFI is really required, just think of the rest as progressive enhancements. My ABS module totally failed, but I still rode it for a month.
@@BrakeMagazine sounds like a great video idea!
@@MotorDanko Very Interesting Indeed!
Is there way to install it on other brand, like T7..?! 🤔
Not without way too much effort. Currently they don't make anything for the T7 but based on what they do make suspension for, I'd suggest it'll come eventually. A lot of the popular Yamaha Street bikes have WP Pro Suspension options.
Rally Raid makes a complete kit for the T7.
Was it a 240 or 270mm pro version?
The standard length version.
did you use the same settings as the stock suspension?
Yes. Completely stock.
When are you guys going to review the 890 R and/or 890 Rally?
When lockdown ends 🙂
title's a bit misleading isn't it lol?
Is it? It's a question 😏
@@BrakeMagazine He could be talking about how it seemed like the video was more a review of the different kinds of WP suspension available for the bike than of the bike itself. Which is fine with me, I've got Tenere money but not 790 money so it doesn't matter either way hahaha. Thank you for making videos btw :D
exactly. it's a misleading title
Yep, it is. However, I do love the video as usual :)
@@lyubengeorgiev1751 I am so sorry, I completely mistyped the title. I didn't realise it just said 790 R 🤣 Total non intended clickbait 🤣🤣
That suspension is great but I wish the rest of the components on the KTM 790 ADV-R were as good and reliable. It’s a disappointing package overall.
Please, tell us all about your multiple negative experiences with YOUR 790.
is possible to put this on a 1090 r??
Don't know sorry. You'd have to ask WP Suspension. 🙂
T-shirt outdoor in January? That suspension really got you sweat.
Was filmed a few months ago 🤣
@@BrakeMagazine Here in tropical Thailand we sweat a lot! ruclips.net/video/5MgXQPRW3Eg/видео.html
Ten out of ten for the cheesy brake magazine shirt plug.
Thanks Marty 🤣🤣
What about the height increase for a us shorter riders?
I don't know inches sorry, but he's correct. You can have it at stock height or increased. your choice. We tested at the stock height.
I have an 890 Rally and I am 6 ft tall. I am on my toes when standing, so it is tall. Certainly the tallest bike I have ever owned.
Desperately after a set of forks for my 990 Adventure if anyone has any let me know
Any forks or Cone Valve forks?
@@BrakeMagazine any forks mine are pretty much beyond repair now 😭
My thinking 🤔
If I want a bike 🏍 < 10k => Yam’ Ténéré 700 T7
If I want a bike 🏍 at 14k => KTM 790 Adventure R
Depends on the country. In the UK, they've been down to around the £10K mark in end of season sales for the 790 and so the price difference was around £500. In other places you're spot on.
@@BrakeMagazine 25% is a lot of discount...
Showa is the best.
I understand that the feeling of this suspension is great, but the reliability is awful mine has 2 blown shocks in less than 3000km WTF... I Dont care how good it is... if is not reliable is not good at all.
And I'm with the de-cat system and with the heat shield all the time, is not a overheating problem is the shity quality of the WP components.
That is WILD. So sorry to hear you've had problems with it.
So you are investing 4209gbp or 4'770€ to improove a good suspension to a bit better suspension? Really?
Guys invest the money on traveling. Or if you dont like an agressive bike like the KTM and want a more relaxing one buy a Tener 700 and spend the 8'000€ saved on a long adventure vacation.
That's a whole conversation in its own right. 🤣 Not my place to tell people how to spend their money 😅
I can't say too much because I'm about to spend 10k usd on a road legal dirt bike when a mint drz400s is half that price.
If you work hard all your life and have the cash, why not spend it and get the most out of this amazing bike. It's still a lot less in total $ compared to buying a sports car, 4WD or a boat.
About 7 thousand dollars in suspension upgrades. 7000.00. Seven Thousand. I can buy a cherry 2019 300 KTM XCW for the same amount. Already has real suspension included.
I mean, it has the same suspension as the 790/890 does stock with different settings. As an owner of a Husky 350 with that suspension, I felt it desperately needed improving from stock. Great suspension is expensive; always has been.
@@BrakeMagazine Not always,and we shouldnt settle for it. My 2014 300 XCW was great right outta the box..the open cartridge forks were super plush,as was the shock. It was a trailbike that was all set to go trailriding. The huskys the same year had forks that really couldnt be fixed,and the shock needed work. I knew that before hand.
If only the rest of the bike wasn’t complete rubbish. Amazing machine. Horrible quality control. Terrible warranty support.
KTM needs to work on reliability.
I own four ktms and I've had no issues with reliability, save fuel level sensor failing on the super duke
well over 100,000 miles on the last 3 , what models did you have with what issues ??