BEST ADVENTURE BIKE: KTM 1090 Adventure R

Leave it to KTM. As the company pushes ever farther with its adventure-bike lineup, it also knows when to dial it back. As much as we have loved (and lauded) bikes like the 1290 Super Adventure, this year it’s the lighter, friendlier 1090 Adventure R that takes the prize. Only KTM has succeeded in building an adventure bike that can burn up highway miles like a tourer yet in the dirt works exactly how you’d expect a liter-class enduro bike to perform. Great fuel range, excellent ergonomics, perfect power delivery, and excellent electronic rider aids work on a truly exceptional mechanical package. The 1090 Adventure R hits a sweet spot that somehow covers superslab and single-track trail.