I purchased the 2008 990 adventure ABS version from new and I now have 21,000 km on it. I've added a lot of options like bags, different windshields to it to get it set up for long distance adventure touring. I'm 5'-9" and I'm glad that I'm not any shorter. I wouldn't recommend this bike for anyone shorter than 5'-6".

The clutch slave cylinder started to fail so I replaced it with an Oberon. Other than that it has just been valve clearance checks and the usual maintenance.

I weigh 200 lbs. The stock fork springs are 0.48 and I'm getting 0.64 springs added as well as a revalve at Super Plush Suspension. I sent them off yesterday. The stock springs are definitely too soft for me, but most forums will say the same.

I've done a fair bit of two up riding. The wife finds that the ride is very comfortable. The stiffer springs should help minimize the nose dive on breaking.

I love this bike and plan on keeping it for the long haul.

After 3 years and 22 thousand miles this is my perfect ( nearly) bike.

KTM 990S.

Off road , Long distance and general riding......this bike can do it all. I love it to bits and it will be staying with me...sell it for a new "R" model ?....why ?.

We are all sometimes guilty of wanting new and shiny....maybe we should look at ourselves and not think that buying a new bike will solve all the problems.

Service it properly, including the suspension and there's no reason that a bike cant last 20/30/40 years....why not ?.

After 30 years of riding and around 20 bikes i found my bike...and i intend to keep it !!.

Thanks KTM, you built a cracker.

Bought this bike because I fell in love with its looks and styling. I was told by many I was making a mistake and my heart told me not to listen. My head quickly told me I should have ignored my heart!

It was a disaster!

Firstly the engine warning light came on. Mechanic couldn't find the problem after 2-weeks in the garage. Then by accident he found a very small hairline crack in the oil pressure switch and it was cured.

Then the clutch went!

Clutch replaced and went again!

Replaced with an heavy duty clutch and hey guess what it went again!

I was also sick of adjusting the chain, that long swinging arm eats chains if riden hard! I was left feeling with that insecure feeling everytime I rode it. My other gripe was the tank range! What muppet designs an adventure bike that has a tank range of 140 miles from full to reserve?!

Never again I, have to say the Austrians can learn a lot from the Japanese (and the Germans)!

This is just my opinion based on my experience, I m sure other people will have had a pleasurable experience but my bike was only 3-years old with 12000 miles and one owner whom I know of.

Not good.

When I told my boss what to do with his job and disappeared off to ride across Africa in 2007 I was presented with really only two choices of bike at the time on which to do it: the BMW F1200GS; and the KTM 990 Adventure. I had already ridden across Europe on a 1999 British spec Suzuki Hayabusa, which really only has one thing I 'really, really' liked ... it would do 300kph+ .. and at that time nothing faster. Autobahn here I come ..and I did. I had also ridden across South East Asia on an Aprilia Pegaso 650 which was just right for the roads and jungle treks of Malaysia and Thailand, engine a bit gutless, not a true off roader, but as 11 year old who used to bring the cows up from the meadows on the farm in Staffordshire on a Matchless 500..it was perfectly OK by me... and the rest of the time was a commuter in Singapore.

In 2007 I find myself in Cape Town and my first test drive was on the BMW 1200GS Adventure and after leaving my beloved R1 in Hong Kong where I previously lived it felt, how do I say, a bit like bringing the cows up on a Matchless 500! But it was the bike the Long Way Down guys were using at that time in Africa and designed for the job of crossing continents and being reliable. I wasn't really sure what to expect and what was needed.. I had yet to meet the surface of the road less traveled... sand and gravel! Anyway, I then headed off to KTM Western Cape and got my hands on the KTM 990 Adventure in black and grey with Dakar badges on and "adventure" written in bold orange etc.. and exhausts with the words Akropovik on. I'd never heard of them, but its a word a bit like "Kalashnikov" and so must be the exhaust world equivalent. As soon as I got on the bike the grin started and didn't leave my face until I was told the price. Everything in South Africa is expensive nowadays as the rich are very rich and the majority of the poor are very poor and getting poorer.

After traveling across Africa twice on this bike, on gravel, tar, sand and occasionally down rivers and streams fully laden with "all" my kit it is the real deal... It went round corners like a sports bike, and handled the off road like an enduro. Nothing really went wrong with it that wasn't my own fault (chain eating the swing arm because of poor adjustment and maintenance, some wires rubbed and shorted the fuse). The fuel capacity is not great, but I took a 10 litre plastic jerrycan with me that I filled when I thought I might need it and that added another 100+kms. Occasionally I put some crap fuel in it and the EFi seemed to handle it OK. I could make ground at 160kph all day if I felt like it and push it to 200kph for a blast. Seat was comfortable as any that you sit on for 8 + hours a day. As ex military I have sat on worse!! I could stand on pegs all day if I wanted to. I later added a touring windshield and wish I had done so earlier.. Sand.. it was a pig, but as my skill improved I seemed to handle whatever was presented in front of me and when said and done the handling of any bike is largely down to confidence and experience rather than anything technical., and for that you have to get on the bike "do it".

Now I plan a ride around the world and new contenders on the block that meet the sweet spot of weight, power and robustness are Yamaha XT660Z Tenere , which seems to have come back into the fold after the XT500 glory days, the BMW F800GS and Triumph's 800XC... are now designed for the job. Unfortunately I can't wait for KTM's new 800 Adventure (and a 1200 Adventure and a 650 for Africa) which may be the dream bike. I have an enormous fondness for the KTM and out of 30 odd bikes I have owned since a kid its my favourite. However, as I am traveling with a Chinese team this time the decision isn't entirely mine. Cost, reliability, seat height, and ability to repair and maintain on the road are going to be key factors.

But for me... KTM is the true big grin adventure bike.

After 22 months and 16500 miles of KTM 990 Adventure ownership , I feel I am now qualified to comment on the "ownership experience" of the large Austrian. I arrived in adventurebikeland after 30 years of large sports tourers, Pan Europeans and K series BMWs, a whole raft of small capacity Japanese bikes and at one point a Harley Davidson 1200 sportster. I bought my first "adventure" bike , a 650 Honda Transalp , when I fancied something lighter and more economical than the Honda Pan European , but almost immediately missed the power of the Pan , not all the time , just two up and during those hurried overtakes we all do at some point !!. What the Transalp did do however , was hook me into the adventure bike "thing" !! I always struggle for words to describe the difference between a tourer and an adventure bike - it's that "thing" that makes you want to go down that side road , just because it's there , and makes you wonder where it leads. You don't do that on a traditional tourer for some reason , I would have passed the side road on the Pan as it ate the miles to my original destination. It's that "thing" that makes you seek out the back roads and less travelled routes , it's that "thing" the keeps you late for tea , because you've found something more interesting to look for. But, as I say, The Transalp just lacked a little oomph when you needed it. So a more powerful trailie was sought. It boiled down to a straight fight between the KTM 990 and the BMW1200GS. The BMW is a good bike , in fact a great bike, and I would have been happy to own it , I think , but the £2000 difference in cost for similar spec'd bikes and the general attitude of the BMW dealer , swung the deal in favour of the KTM.

So how has it been over the last year and ten months ? It's a fast, great handling,beautifully sounding bike with superb road presence. It's quite comfortable over distance , having covered John o Groats to land's End and back in two days and the only real ache was my right wrist (holding the throttle in a fixed position) , a Crampbuster throttle paddle thingy was purchased the day after completing the charity ride !!! I use my bikes all year round for commuting and it has been flawless. The general finsh of the bike has held up well to the two West of Scotland winters it has endured , just some very (and I mean VERY) slight corrosion on one or two spokes in the front wheel.

For a claimed overlander it does have a fairly limited fuel tank (19.5 litres /4.3 gallons) which gives a modest tank range at (the approx) 42MPG it returns. You can get as much as 47- 48MPG if you are on a long journey and behave , but for normal riding, commuting and exploring, it's around 42mpg.

The bike came with ABS and Hepco and Becker Gobi panniers as standard fit. The aftermarket equipment catalogue is fairly extensive and my bike is equiped with...... the matching H&B topbox , crashbars , Akraprovic cans (OOO! sweet music!!), tripmaster switch ( to transfer the dashboard functions to a switch on the handlebar), alarm and heated grips. All this is from the KTM catalogue , I also have a heavy duty sumpguard , radiator guard, rearbrake master cyclinder cover , large brake pedal and "fatfoot" on the side stand from the Rugged Roads catalogue........ www.ruggedroads.co.uk

The general reliability has been good , I can report only one "oh shit" with an early life failure of the fuel pump at 1600 miles. The back-up from KTM and their dealer was excellent on that occaision , the dealer came to pick-up my bike with a van , brought a loaner bike, and swapped them over , fixed it - no drama.

Servicing is required every 4500 miles, alternating between a small service at 4500 and a large service at 9000. the engine is quite fussy about it's bucket shim clearances and that takes time on the 9000 service.
Time means money of course !!! Small services around £200 - large services around £400.

What is good ............ power , sound, finish , road presence , comfort

What is not so good ...... fuel capacity, service costs.

I also like some of the "quirkyness" of the Austrian design , the angular look , and things like the twin saddle tanks with their twin filler caps always starts a converstion at filling stations.

The KTM 990 range has had a slight makeover for 2009 with some extra HP squeezed out the LC8 mill , fresh graphics and the "S" version ( higher suspension, no ABS, more offroad focused) now called the "R" version , but basically the same as the 2006 - 2008 models.

Would I have another ? Yes with no hesitation , but not yet , I love this one too much and have no reason to change not even for the few extra HP of the 2009 models.