2025 KTM 1390 Super Adventure S EVO – First Look
North American models will arrive for 2026 model year
KTM revealed the new 1390 Super Adventure S EVO, bringing its new 1350cc platform to its adventure bike lineup, and debuting its much touted Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), 8” TFT display, and Bosch next-generation radar-based rider aids.
The 1390 Super Adventure S EVO (besides being quite a mouthful) introduces new bodywork with a stubbier front end that creates a silhouette that looks a bit more like KTM’s rally racers, while still holding on to a few cues from the 1290 SAS like the opening behind the radiator shroud and pretty much everything else from the back half of the bike.
KTM’s aggressive marketing campaign around the new Super Adventure has it dicing around a racetrack with an RC8R, before activating the ultimate cheat code and cutting through the dirt to reach the next corner first. Getting better feel on-road or off means the chassis gets reworked frame stiffness, improving handling and track stability. Since the SAS is also meant to go long distances, the pegs are 8 mm lower and 10 mm wider for more comfort and a wider knee angle.
The latest generation WP Semi-Active Suspension Technology makes its way to the SAS, and compared to the previous generation, the biggest difference is better damping while dealing with higher frequencies. New PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) sensors and a new through-rod fork construction that combines design borrowed from Open Cartridge and Closed Cartridge suspension elements makes this possible.
What’s definitely not a carryover from the last bike is the bigger engine. Now boasting 1350cc, KTM says the LC8 V-Twin puts out about 171 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 145 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. This extra push is attributed to reworked engine internals as well as a revised version of KTM’s Camshift variable cam timing technology.
All this power is delivered to the ground via KTM’s new AMT, or Automated Manual Transmission. The AMT has the ability to do all the shifting automatically if you want (with different shift points depending on the ride mode selected and the type of riding you’re doing), or you can still shift yourself with the paddles or the traditional foot lever. There’s just no clutch lever. Yes, we’re well aware you don’t like the thought of an automatic transmission, but I had the chance to try a prototype version of the AMT that was still far from a finished product. My thoughts? Considering it was a prototype it was still rough around the edges, but I can understand how it could be useful in some situations. Unfortunately I didn’t loft the front over any obstacles, but one of the design parameters was being able to wheelie in first gear.
Aside from the mechanical powerhouse of the bigger engine and AMT, arguably the bigger talking point for the Super Adventure S EVO is the tech package. It all starts with the new 8-inch V80 TFT dashboard. It’s basically a tablet mounted in portrait mode, including being able to be used as a touchscreen – even with thick winter gloves. Further tech includes all new ride modes, new connectivity features, and KTM’s latest Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which adds Brake Assistance, Collision Warning, and Distance Warning to its arsenal.
This is made possible thanks to Bosch’s 5th-generation radar technology that has improved performance, is better able to detect trucks, allows for a higher max speed, and has updated cancellation thresholds depending on the functionality you choose: Dynamic, Street, or Group.
Having radar also means the Adaptive Cruise Control can work together with the AMT to allow another new feature: ACC Stop & Go. Just like it sounds, when activated, this system will bring the motorcycle to a complete stop if the vehicle ahead stops. Then once the vehicle moves, the motorcycle will move too. Nobody likes riding in traffic, but if you’re caught out in it, this will help reduce the pain.
The 2025 KTM 1390 Super Adventure S EVO will arrive in dealerships in early 2025… unless you’re in North America, where it will come much later as a 2026 model.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Adventure S EVO Photo Gallery
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Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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Stop & Go sounds like a solution to a problem fixed by common sense lane filtering/splitting laws... and it's not a "solution" if you can still get sandwiched between inattentive drivers... it just saves your clutch hand a little.
Sure am getting tired of being last in line to get new models. A bit later in 2025 wouldn't be so bad but reading about a new version in 2024 and then being told we won't get it until 2026 really sucks. Now I might know why KTM is struggling. I'm losing interest. I think I'll just look for an interesting used bike instead.