I know I’m fickle but this is ridiculous. I already have two bikes and can make a case for keeping them both as they are so very different. But – there I was thinking I was safe in a big Honda dealership. Couldn’t possibly be anything in their model range that would interest me since they discontinued the Africa Twin. I even thought it safe to take a stroll round the Used Bikes department.

That’s when I saw her! A hawk amongst pigeons! A stunning blue low mileage 2011 KTM Adventure 990 30th Edition Dakar! Must be the longest name in biking and my tongue was hanging out to match when I set eyes on her —

I must have ridden over a hundred bikes in my life but never a KTM apart from couple of their big singles on test rides. I did once put a deposit down on a blue Paris Dakar Replica Limited Edition to be built by the late John Deacon of Paris-Dakar fame. A last minute change to spec I didn’t agree with meant I pulled out and lost my deposit. Doh!

The Deacon bike would have been something like this —

In more recent years I have lusted after the 990 Adventure too. They are a class act with top of the range suspension – the correct wheels and everything else to match. But they usually come in KTM Orange and that is enough to put off even a colour-blind ijit like me.

But not this baby —

Scots Blue with twin long range fuel tanks – heated grips and the wired up mount for a Garmin Sat-Nav – which being a dedicated ‘mapman’ I haven’t got. But I learned to ride a computer – sort of – so a sat-nav shouldn’t be beyond me. There’s beefy fatbars as standard plus top spec suspension – suede covered seat – engine protection and a centre stand.

Probably much more too but I’ve run out of superlatives —

Yes I know the base model has been around a long time. This one to commemorate the 30th running of the Dakar is a tarted up version to help sell the end of the KTM production run for the original Adventure. The company recently replaced it with a more powerful model fitted with all the bells and whistles and a big 1190 motor that I don’t need. What this babe has is the stonking 115bhp power-plant from the ‘R’ model in place of the cookin 100 brake horse jobbie. Most new bikes of that ilk from the various manufacturers let electronics run the show in their latest guise but I still have faith in my right hand – just like the 990 Adventure I guess I’m ‘old school’

But – can I bring myself to part with the Tenere —

and the 600 gixxer —

I doubt it – but a guy can dream can’t he 🙂

!

KTM 990 Adventure 30th Edition Dakar 🙂