KTM 1190 Adventure / R (2013-2016) Simplified Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule for the KTM 1190 Adventure and 1190 Adventure R, made between 2013 and 2016 (with some overlap with the 1290 in the succeeding years).
The KTM 1190 Adventure is (or was) the latest in a series of adventure sports motorcycles by KTM. It and its R stablemate are powered by an 1195 cc 75-degree liquid-cooled V-twin. The engine has a dual overhead cam / four valve per cylinder design. With a high compression ratio of 12.5:1, the 1190 Adventure makes 108 kW / 148 bhp at 9500 rpm, and peak torque of 125 Nm / 92 ft-lb at 7500 rpm.
The final drive of the 1190 Adventure is by six-speed transmission and chain.
The KTM 1190 Adventure also comes in higher-spec Adventure R format. The R format gets a 21-inch front wheel, longer-travel suspension, and more aggressive stock tires.
The KTM 1190 Adventure was eventually replaced by the KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
This post was originally published on August 22, 2022, but has since been considerably updated with more detail.
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KTM 1190 Adventure Service Intervals
Like many KTM liquid-cooled V-twins, the KTM 1190 Adventure and Adventure R have 9300 mile / 15000 km service intervals, at which point KTM wants you to change the oil and oil filter and do a host of checks. The intervals are quite wide and it makes for a great long-distance adventurer.
The major service interval is every 18600 miles or 30000 km, at which point you change the spark plugs and check the valve clearances.
There are other periodic changes to do too, like changing the brake fluid and coolant periodically (independent of mileage).
The only difficulty in long-distance travel with the 1190 Adventure is the fact that you have to keep the oil clean and lubed. A Scottoiler would go part of the way towards solving that problem by at least keeping it lubricated.
There’s more detail in the complete service schedule below.
What you need to service your KTM 1190 Adventure / R
KTM recommends the following parts and specs for parts for the 1190 Adventure.
| Part / component | Recommended spec (KTM 1190 Adventure / R) |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | SAE 10W-50 engine oil full synthetic engine oil that meets JASO T903 MA2. KTM recommends Motorex Power Synt 4T 10W-50. |
| Oil filter | The 1190 Adventure / R takes a HF650 oil filter. |
| Air filter | The 1190 Adventure / R takes a HFA6301 air filter. |
| Spark plug | Use the following spark plugs (2 of each): * Inside: LKAR9BI9 * Outside: LMAR7A-9 Both should be gapped to 0.9 mm (0.035 in) |
| Coolant | KTM recommends Motorex Coolant M3.0, an OAT coolant. |
| Brake fluid | KTM requires DOT 4 or 5.1. They recommend Castrol DOT 4 or Motorex DOT 5.1. |
| Chain maintenance | KTM recommends Motorex Chain Lubricant and Motorex Chain Clean. |
| General lubricant | KTM recommends Motorex Bike Grease 2000. But you can use any lithium soap-based grease. |
| Fork oil | Use SAE 4 fork oil. |
| Shock oil | KTM recommends SAE 2.5 shock oil. |
Maintenance schedule
Below is the maintenance schedule for the KTM 1190 Adventure. It’s re-arranged slightly (e.g. some parts that are very logically adjacent were separated), and re-structured into a way that I believe is simpler to parse.
KTM 1190 Adventure — Standard service checklist
Do this multi-point inspection according to the schedule below (every service).
Some of the items KTM marked as “required”, and some as “recommended” (e.g. checking the bearings for play, or changing the coolant).
These “recommended” items are required on most other motorcycles, so we’ve included them where relevant below.
| KTM 1190 Adventure / R — Standard service checklist |
|---|
| [Dealer] Read the trouble code memory using the KTM diagnostic tool |
| Fuel pressure – check |
| Electrical equipment – function check |
| Chain, rear sprocket, and engine sprocket – check condition |
| Brake discs – check |
| Front brake linings – check |
| Rear brake linings – check |
| Front brake fluid level – check |
| Rear brake fluid level – check |
| Brake lines — check for damage / leakage |
| Coolant level – check (in compensating tank) |
| Antifreeze effectiveness – check |
| Radiator fan – check function |
| Spoke tension – check / tighten |
| Wheel rim run-out – check |
| Tire condition and pressure – check |
| Cables / hoses – check for kinks, correct routing without bends |
| Shock absorber / fork – check for leaks |
| Steering bearing – check for play, smooth operation |
| Grease all moving parts (side stand, hand lever, chain) and check for smooth operation |
| Empty the drainage hoses |
KTM 1190 Adventure — Service Schedule
Below is the service schedule for the KTM 1190 Adventure and Adventure R.
As above, we’ve included “recommended” items as they’re part of most motorcycles’ maintenance checklists.
| mi x 1000 | 9.3 | 18.6 | 27.9 | 37.2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | Every |
| Perform full inspection checklist (see above) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Change engine oil | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Change oil filter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Change the air filter. Clean the air filter box. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Change the spark plugs | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Check the valve clearance | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Change the secondary air system membranes | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Change the front brake fluid | 2 years | ||||
| Change the rear brake fluid | 2 years | ||||
| Check / correct clutch fluid level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Change clutch fluid | 2 years | ||||
| Change the coolant | 4 years | ||||
| Check headlight function and correct aim | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Check / clean the oil nozzle for clutch lubrication | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Check the swingarm bearing for smooth operation, no play | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Check the wheel bearing for smooth operation, no play | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Record service in logbook | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| [Dealer] Check the CO adjustment with the KTM diagnostics tool | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
Maintaining the Chain of the KTM 1190 Adventure / R
You need to regularly maintain the chain of the KTM 1190 Adventure, especially if you ride it off-road and it gets dirty.
You should also regularly check the chain tension and adjust it as necessary.
The chain tension on the KTM 1190 Adventure / R is defined as free vertical movement of the chain in the area in front of the chain guide.
Target chain tension for the KTM 1190 Adventure / R: 40-45 mm (1.57 – 1.77 in)
To adjust the chain slack on the KTM 1190 Adventure, follow the procedure below. As with measuring chain slack, make sure that the motorcycle is on a level surface, on its kickstand, in neutral, with no weight on it (no saddlebags / luggage / errant pillions).
- Loosen the rear axle and the adjuster lock nuts on either side of the axle.
- Turn the adjuster nuts to tighten or loosen the chain. Keep checking the chain tension to see if it has come within spec. (Target chain slack for the 1190 Adventure: 40-45 mm)
- Keep an eye on the adjuster reference marks on either side, and make sure the adjuster markings keep lining up.
- When you’re done, tighten the axle nut to 90 Nm / 66 lb-ft. Hand tighten the lock nuts without overdoing it.
- Re-check the chain slack again to make sure it’s still within spec.
About the KTM 1190 Adventure / R
The KTM 1190 Adventure is a bike in the long list of relatively recent KTM adventure bikes. KTM used to be known largely for dirt bikes and some supermotos, but it really has built a solid name for itself as a maker of really exciting machines, including nakeds, superbikes, and of course adventurers.
KTM released the KTM 1190 Adventure in 2013 as a ground-up redesign. It replaced the 990 adventure, but the 1190 represents much more than just more cubic centimeters.
The 1190’s engine is based on the KTM RC8 R sportbike. It’s an 1195 cc 75-degree 8-valve V-twin engine with a 105 x 69 mm bore and stroke. That relatively short stroke should be a clue as to how the 1190’s engine responds… it’s quite lively.
The engine in the 1190 Adventure makes considerable torque from 2000 rpm with a big plateau right up to 6k. Above 6000 rpm, it does jump up a bit, in sportbike fashion, and finally settles back down over 10000 rpm. Ten thousand! It’s quite a sporty engine for what’s supposedly an upright adventurer.
And that’s the KTM 1190 Adventure in a nutshell — it’s a cracker of a bike. When KTM released it in 2019, it had the highest power-to-weight ratio of any bike in its class (like the Multistrada or BMW R 1200 GS for example).
The base model KTM 1190 Adventure has a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel, making it very suitable for road-based touring. But it still does have long-travel suspension with 190 mm / 7.9 inches up front, and 210 mm / 8.2 inches at the rear. It’s more than most adventure sport tourers, and more than enough to get you over a lot of rocky terrain, though maybe not boulders where you might scrape something.
For really adventurous work, you’d look towards the KTM 1190 Adventure R, which shares the same engine and chassis. But its suspension travel is even longer, with 220mm (8.6 inches) up front and at the rear. Not much more actually, but it’s a decent bump. Coupled with the 21/18 inch front/rear wheel combo, the Adventure R is more suited for low-speed rock crawling than its non-R stablemate.
Both models of the KTM 1190 Adventure come with a lot of the same gear, including cornering ABS / traction control (from 2014, a year after initial release) and a digital/analogue display.
The KTM 1190 Adventure already comes with high-end adjustable fully adjustable WP suspension and Brembo brakes (the classic Brembo M4.32 calipers on twin 320mm disc brakes, quite a sporting combo). For a little more, you can get electronic suspension (EDS) and even a TPMS.
In terms of long-term reliability, the KTM engine is quite reliable. You mostly need to keep to the 9000 mile / 15000 km oil change service intervals, with valve service intervals twice those.
Some KTM owners report that KTM motorcycles’ fuel pumps can fail, so it may benefit you to install an upgraded fuel filter kit to keep it free of debris.
The oil pressure sensor can also fail, which is common on many motorcycles, so keep one as a backup for long trips (they’re cheap and small).
Also, protect your radiator with a guard if you plan on doing any excursioning. In fact, you probably should install a tougher skid plate (than the standard plastic one), and crash bars.
Even fully loaded with protection and with a full 23 L tank of fuel, the KTM 1190 Adventure is still lighter than most adventure bikes — 230 kg fully fuelled. Not bad.
Reference — Manual for the KTM 1190 Adventure / R
The above came from the manual for the KTM 1190 Adventure as well as from online parts lists.
See screenshots below as a reference point.
You can download manuals for your KTM motorcycle directly from KTM.
