M y adventure riding history started many years ago when I purchased a KTM 990 Adventure . The 950 / 990s were the start of change in the adventure segment . Instead of the typical big and heavy bikes that were typical of the breed , the 950 and 990 took KTM ’ s Dakar Rally race knowledge and put a cat amongst the pigeons . Tall and relatively lightweight , sporting a 21-inch front wheel , the KTMs were game-changers - and made the adventure segment somewhere for us dirt racers to feel at home . In fact , they ’ re still a fantastic bike to this day with excellent all-around capabilities . A few years later I swapped to KTM 1190R , which was faster on the road , but probably a step backwards on gravel . This was because of a power delivery that spun up the back wheel , just eating rear tyres , rather than going forwards . In that regard , the 1290R was better , even though it was more powerful again .