Need some opinion on the two bike, im planning to get conti touring bike and middle weight < 200kg so the 2 fit the requirement. Current ride is MT07v1.

KTM
1) Test rode and it is very light. What i like the most is the weight distribution of fuel tank. Feels like riding kapcai, tested in KL peak hour, no problem mencilok. Almost flatfoot for low seat setting, no issue.
2) Throttle respond not as expected, i would say MT07 feel more lively. Maybe im not use to ride by wire.
3) Problem is with the brand and reliability. Before i purchased MT07 i've been in KTM FB group and mostly talk about cam and so on.
4) The suspension is good but the bike not feel solid going thru uneven pavement, sounds like old bike metal sound here and there.

Triumph
1) Test rode and it feels more like my current bike except the handling is much more solid than KTM. Can feel the heavy a bit and uturn also ackward.
2) Throttle respond better than KTM, identical to MT07.
3) Reliability not much information, but internationally all praise.
4) The best suspension and solid, maybe due to 17inch wheel front and rear

which one would you choose? tried cfmoto, not solid same like KTM and heavy. any other should i look at?

go with triumph if you dont plan on going offroad.
ktm might have fixed the cam issue on latest model but for peace of mind triumph might be better.

don't think you can go wrong going with either of them tbh. both solid bikes. maybe add voge ds900 in the list too since its using bmw 900 engine

It depends on if you do and plan for some off roading or light trails. Honestly most of us wont take a 200+ kg bike on serious offroad as some might lead you to believe. Also good 17" street tyres are more easily found compared to the 21/18 combo on the KTM.

In terms of price, you are looking at a not so insignificant difference between them, given that KTM has massively slashed the price of the 790/Adv. Also parts will be cheaper for the KTM as it is now made in china and there is an abundance of both aftermarket and factory parts from taobao for decent pricing. If you plan to run high mileages on the bike, this is something to take note of. Triumph will be the more expensive of the 2 to maintain.


As for handling, undoubtedly the Tiger sport will be the more responsive bike of the duo due to the 17/17 wheels, but the 790 adventure is one of the best/if not the best handling bike on the road for something with a 21" front. Had a few stints on the 790 adventure and cant say i'm not impressed by the road manners. In fact, back to back with a Tiger 900GT with 19" fronts, the KTM was more fun.

The tiger sport does have factory option luggage (a bit pricey, but at least its factory and colour matched to your bike)

For reliability, the Chinese produced LC8C seemed to have addressed the cheese cam issue. My 800NK which uses the same engine now has 41k on the clock and my last VC turned out perfect. But take that with a grain of salt. KTMs are built for a good time, not a long time.

I personally have not tried the Sport 800, but the Tiger series T plane crank 900 does have an annoying vibration during cruising from the uneven firing order. I believe the Sport 600/800/Trident/Daytona all still run the old Y plane engine. It is smooth and power is balanced, however, personally I prefer the mid range punchiness of the KTM mill. Ultimately the Triumph will be the more refined feeling of the 2.

Both good bikes. Just depends if you intend to dip into some light trails or not.

As for mileage, the KTM will be the more frugal of the both and has more range due to the bigger tank...it will do almost 500kms a tank cruising at slightly higher than highway speed limits.


As another viable option, perhaps you can also cross shop with the Suzuki Vstrom RE. The road biased version of the DE with 19" front instead of the 21" on the DE. With rebates, it comes in quite a bit less than both the KTM and Triumph. Good if you want a japanese bike but the 800 does come in short at high RPM power compared to the other pair.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: May 5 2025, 11:46 AM

KTM faces a very uncertain future, so if it goes tits up then you susah la.

The 790 is a damn nice bike, no doubt - the split fuel tank does wonders to make the bike feel light although I never liked 21" front wheels in general as I make no pretence of being able to ride a 200kg bike on anything beyond light gravel surfaces.


https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/...oid-bankruptcy/

i pull the trigger and get the Triumph TS800 to replace my MT07, still early to comment.. see how much better in long journey and daily usage..

my mt07 v1 2016 is up for sale if anyone keen ahaha

This post has been edited by mytaffeta: Jun 14 2025, 02:27 PM

congrats on your new bike.
what colour did you get?
I personally think the tiger is prettier than ktm adv

U Triumph fanboy.

But I agree, the tiger 800sports looks more refined. KTM design language not everyone's cup of tea.

i got the cosmic yellow which i think the most boldest colour for ts800..

few months ago ktm did a prolonged test ride and manage to borrow this ktm 790 adventure for a few days to try.


the best cornering adventure bike i have ever ridden.
since the tank is way down low, i feel like the bike corners better with a full tank than with an empty tank.



handles better and lighter than my tiger 800 on gravel. can go faster.
better offroad mode and electronics aid.

but the weight is still 200kg+
will feel as heavy as any other 200kg bike when you push it around.

was given a day with the tiger 900gt pro 2024


the pesky vibration is still there in the newest 2024 version.
the handlebar vibration is now ok but the engine vibration right smack at 130 and above is still there.

imagine cruising at 130 down the highway and the seat vibrates till your balls ache.
haiya. the T plane is a huge turn off for me.

about the FC of the KTM 790 mill, after 3 days of test on my usual route, with my normal speed and riding style,
i can confidently say that the FC is more or less the same as my tiger 800 with it's 3 piston engine.
i could only get 300-350km from the tank before the warning light comes up. similar to my tiger 800.

Its a nice bike. That T plane engine does it no favours. The 900 is a bit top heavy fully fueled though, compared to the 790 adventure.

Thats pretty much the expected fuel range for the 790 for most riders. hahahaha. I know its temping. that midrange pull in nice. But the KTM fuel light does turn on quite early.

Ridden conservatively, you can get around 4.5L per 100km.

The 800MTX, a 790 adv clone, adds another 2L fuel capacity to the split fuel tanks.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Jul 7 2025, 10:19 AM

when i test drove the KTM it does impress me, but the button all looks and operate feels like cheap plastic.. triumph much better in this department..

yeah i did tried voge from imotorbike, it feels heavy and bulky for daily drive..

was looking forward to the 800mtx.
but seeing it up close after released it's kindda meh.


and it was available at rimba raid 2025 for test rides.
the front bike is 450mt and at the back is 800mtx.
but since kindda meh looking to me, i didn't go for a test ride.

ya fit and finish for a triumph is really good. better than japs.

imotorbike allow test rides ka?

I think Yamaha Tenere 700 is another good option for offroad.
UDT fork, spoke wheel (R18 & R21 wheel)
6500 torque, Wet weight 205kg (good if terrain is messy).
Seat height can lower down to 860mm (a bit difficult if you're 165cm and below)

nah they dont have test ride for voge, i just sat on the motor and push around..

Current 790 no issue with cam so far.

Both adv and duke of 790 engine fully build in CFMOTO factory.
Cam issue prob with Austria built.


Same goes to cfmoto 800mt

The vibes at the handlebars used to bother me a bit. My solution was Barkbusters, Grip Puppies & a 17T front sprocket. Somehow after my 2nd valve clearance service where 9 of the shims were changed, the vibes went away.

I think its a whole lot of different type of vibrations we are talking here. The vibrations on an even firing 4 pot is very very different from an uneven firing tripple.

an even firing 4 pot has good primary balance, but its just the secondary balance that can be easily taken care off with a single balancer shaft rotating at 2x speed.

Uneven tripple is a mess that even with 2 balancer shafts, may not able to smoothen out. So it's everywhere... bars, footpegs, seat.

But yes, putting stuff on the handlebar can minimize the vibration YOU FEEL. It does not really remove vibration. Same as putting in heavier bar ends, it moves the harmonics of the vibration further outwards towards the end of the handlebar.


Related to bikes of this type, I recently tested the F900XR. Slightly disappointed with it. Especially with the going price (even with the 10k discount currently on offer). Expected a bit more.