Aftermarket components to tackle offroad tracks
The Enduro Champion revealed in a video on his YouTube channel giving a quick overview of his KTM 790 Adventure R Setup. He tells us the reasons behind the choices he made and a short insight of the suspension, tires, wheels and control options on his adventure motorcycle.
Suspension
The rider says that his damping adjustments are set on soft and that they’re quite similar to the comfort settings found in the KTM owner’s manual. This way, he can improve the motorcycle’s traction needed when tackling hard terrains. It’s a different feature than the upgraded WP XPLOR PRO suspension with cone-valve technology and an additional 1.2 inches of travel that he normally uses.
Wheels & Tires
As for the wheels, Chris Birch says that the front end is 1.85×21-inch while on the rear he fitted a 2.5×18-inch setup. Compared to the stock parts – 2.50×21-inch front and 4.50×18-inch, the rider fitted slimmer wheels.
Tire wise, the rims are fitted with Mitas E13/E12 with a pressure level between the low 20s to high 30s PSI depending on the terrain if it’s soft or rocky. To prevent any flats, the rider fitted heavy-duty tubes both front and rear. This solution helps the adventure bike have a better grip and increased dent protection. Moreover, it decreases the overall rotating mass and improves handling performances.
Controls & Steering
The stock rubber grip covers were replaced by custom components. Chris glued a set of Pro Grip 785 foam grip covers to improve his grip on the handlebars and reduce the jarring on impacts. Furthermore, he uses a custom made rear brake lever from Xtreme Racing Components (XRC) which is a small company in New Zeeland. With this setup, the pedal is fitted higher around the footpeg and help the rider have better control when controlling the bike from a standing up position.
The rider uses XRC Steering Damper to keep the steering light and helps him when the front end hits rocks or any other hard surfaces. The steering damper features anti-fatigue bar mounts which reduce the impact of bumps and come in handy during a long day of offroad riding.
Chris likes the fact that the XRC Steering Damper keeps the bars at the stock height to allow a good body position when riding on extreme terrain. Other features include KTM Folding Mirrors which offer a low vibration level.
Moreover, the clutch has heavier springs to provide better assistance when riding on a technical terrain or hill climb. The setup was needed to prevent the clutch from any damages while riding through hard trails.
Also, to keep the clutch lever pressure as close as possible to the stock setup, the rider fitter an aftermarket Camel ADV clutch actuator arm to have more leverage for a softer clutch pull.
Navigation System
Garmin Montana was the choice due to the touchscreen features which allow the rider to use the system with his gloves on. Other features include preloaded TOPO maps, Quad Lock Mount to fit the smartphone to the handlebars.
Lights and Seat
Cyclops Adventure Sports provided the Multi-Function Turn Signals to improve visibility on the road. Chris has replaced the stock seat on the 790 Adventure R with the KTM PowerParts Tall Ergo Seat. It’s 20mm higher than the stock one and gives a better riding position (from seated to standing) for Chris to tackle all sorts of terrains.
Luggage
The rider uses Kriega Overlander OS luggage and also a Kriega Kube bag mounted behind the windscreen.
Features:
Tires: Mitas E13/E12
Luggage: Kriega OS system
Damper: Xtreme Race Components
Graphics: Workshop Graphics
Seat, wheels, mirrors: KTM Stock Components
GPS: Garmin Montana
Turn signal lights: Cyclops Adventure Sports