RUST Magazine: RUST #50

2021 KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R
machine. Screen up or down on the
manual adjuster didn’t seem to make a
difference, but then again it worked. Oh,
and I noticed, almost subconsciously,
that I no longer got roasted nuts on
the 1290 – that new ducting to remove
engine heat, it seems to work.
The saddle is lofty, especially since
I’d added a hunk of preload to allow for
my 100-kilo weight (in full riding gear)
and fair quota of luggage. The footrests
are high, too – much higher than
you’d expect and higher than you’d
want for long distance work. It takes
conditioning to last long durations
in the 1290’s saddle. By the end of the
week I could just about last a tankful
(170 miles, two and a half hours), but my
butt and thighs complained at the stops.
I activated the cruise control, which
does indeed relieve tension in the right
forearm but on the R it’s not the next
gen’ adaptive type (like on the S) and so
I nearly rear-ended a car in the fast lane
before my slow-wit caught up. I missed
the adaptive cruise control. I was
running on Bridgestone AX-41s (a 50:50
type) and they’re good on the road,
they grip, they don’t make an excessive
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