KTM 1290 Super Adventure R 2021-2025 Service Manual

ADV Pulse's own confirmed long-term review captures the genuine off-road credibility this bike carries into every test: "buried deep within this spaceship of a motorcycle are elements derived from both a Dakar- and Pike's Peak-winning heritage, surrounded by the most current creature comforts... the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R is both a massive, and massively capable machine." Ultimate Motorcycling's own confirmed account details exactly where KTM borrowed the genuine handling improvement for this 2021/2022 redesign: "inspired by the KTM 890 Adventure line, the 1290 Super Adventure R gets a fuel compartment down by the front cylinder head to centralize mass. It makes a big difference in the 890's handling."

Power comes from the LC8, a 1,301cc liquid-cooled 75-degree V-twin, delivering a claimed 160 hp and roughly 101-102 lb-ft (138 Nm) of torque through a 6-speed gearbox with chain final drive and a power-assisted slipper clutch. Rider Magazine's own confirmed technical account details the genuine engine refinement accompanying this redesign: "the 1,301cc V-Twin benefits from the new cooling system but also features an advanced oil circuit and thinner cases for a 3.5-pound weight savings," fed through a new two-radiator cooling system and a vertically-ribbed airbox filter designed to direct sand and dust away from the intake — genuine off-road-specific engineering rather than a generic touring update.

Ultimate Motorcycling's own confirmed account details the real chassis changes: "there's a new frame on the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. It's still a chromoly trellis design, but now the steering head is pulled back 0.6 inches, and the motor mounts are relocated... there's also a new, longer swingarm to enhance stability during straight-line acceleration." That same source confirms the new three-piece 6.1-gallon fuel tank and a fully adjustable WP XPLOR upside-down fork with a new separate-function compression and rebound system developed through extensive off-road testing, riding on an off-road-focused 21-inch front/18-inch rear wire-spoke wheel combination wrapped in Bridgestone Adventurecross AX41 tires.

ADV Pulse's own confirmed account flags a genuine, real electronics update arriving mid-range: "for 2023... the new scratch-resistant and more user-friendly 7-inch TFT gives access to updated navigation features. Specifically, an enhanced Turn-by-Turn+ guidance and the ability to set waypoints and diversions are now all possible through the handlebar switch dial and through the TFT," backed by a Bosch 6-axis IMU managing Motorcycle Traction Control and Motorcycle Stability Control across Street, Sport, and Offroad ride modes. Motorcycle News' own confirmed account notes this R-specific trim genuinely lacks the pricier S model's radar-guided adaptive cruise control. WebBikeWorld's own confirmed 2023 account notes the powerplant stayed genuinely unchanged from the 2021/2022 redesign that year, with the frame, tank, and suspension architecture carrying forward consistently through the remainder of this exact range.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a 2021-2025 1290 Super Adventure R running the way it was built to.