There are not many things that are horribly wrong with the KTM 790 Adventure R, but some things do need to be taken care of… like for most bikes. Here’s what I ended up modding upfront. The order is just based on my personal preferences.
The clutch is bad. Not only harder since it’s not hydraulic, but for some unobvious reason, the lever is a street lever style, very long and bulky - why put that on an R model is beyond me. I generally ride offroad with a finger on the clutch and use it as part of the power delivery control (engine-clutch) so it is important for me to have the clutch in the right place and with enough range of motion and room for fingers, so that it allows me to keep some fingers on the grip and still operate properly. The original also has a very short useful range, more like an on/off switch, so anything that helps with controlling that will be an improvement.
Some cheap shorty levers from AliExpress fit the bill nicely, after modifying them also - I ended up grinding the ends to make them even shorter and less bulky. They’re still not a perfect match, but much better now!
The clutch is bad, did I mention that? It engages very high and the working travel is very short, almost like an on/off switch. It’s not even about the fact that it’s harder to pull, which it is - there is very little feel to it and you often end up jerking the bike at low speeds. The one-finger gizmos make it workable. It is indeed lighter, but also gets a practical range of engagement so that you can feather it and fly off ;)
Sometimes the KTM engineers need to be taken around the back and given a good correction. The one that ensured that this design of the oil cap ends up on this model sure does. It simply won’t work being too close to the tank - so you have to lift the tank to open the oil cap?? I am sure some likeminded folks don’t bother doing another 30 minutes of work as prescribed, just to take an oil cap off, and as a result you’ll get plastic shavings from it rubbing against the metal threads, falling into the engine, a possible cause for the engine or clutch issues many seem to have.
You need to grind the edges of the oil cap with a small dremel tool until it doesn’t touch the tank anymore. Or get a low profile metal bling.
The engine guard and rather tank guard that comes from factory doesn’t seem adequate, per KTM usual, so it should be replaced. Any time you drop it, it will rest on the sides of the tank…
My second hand 790 R came with an AXP heavy duty plastic guard, it seems to do the job.
I am in love with these - they can save a good few pounds of weight up top and also provide piece of mind. Also, some have reported all sorts of electrical issues that go away when using a lithium battery.
On any bike, I have strong preferences on how certain controls should be adjusted, beyond the usual sag and suspension settings.
I like these setup with minimal play and close to the bars, so I can ride with a finger on each most of the time.
I am fairly short, at 5’7” so I need the bars raised at least one inch - I find the RockShox dampening risers to be a good addition there. This engine doesn’t vibrate much at low speeds but on the highway, you know it’s there!
I like these setup for dirt boots and standing position - that means they usually they get adjusted higher than otherwise.
Well - that’s what I’ve done to it so far. It did come with boxes and the supports for boxes - what I like about those is the added safety when crashing or dumping it - so the muffler doesn’t get messed up!
If I missed something, add a note when you like this post!