Happy New Year everyone~ This year is very likely to be the year of domestic ADVs. If I have the opportunity, I will talk about the top ADVs in the world. You can also compare and look at the differences, and know why others sell them so expensively, and you still have to buy them.
really has a reason, not just because the brand name sounds good. (Of course, there are also scams)
Let’s not talk nonsense today. You must be very excited by the title. Let’s talk about the legendary big wild donkey that everyone rode during this period: KTM 1290 Super Adventure S (hereinafter referred to as the 2022 big wild donkey).
Speaking of the Big Wild Donkey, most cyclists who have never ridden it, especially novice friends, have a preconceived impression of "wild" due to the influence of many so-called "veterans" and the brand's intention to raise the bar.
I have ridden a 1200 Country III Waterbird for a long time before, and I have been saying that this type of ADV is more paved road long-distance travel. The Waterbird has been the benchmark in my mind so far.
In fact, if you have to say that one of the flagship ADV models of such international brands is much worse than the other, then it is definitely not the case. How do you say
? Whether it is products such as Waterbird, Africa Shuang, 1290ADV, MTS, or Tiger1200, it is obvious that each brand interprets its own understanding of long-distance motorcycle travel through its products.
But I have to admit that at this level, whether in overseas or domestic markets, the benchmark so far is still Waterbird. At least it caters to the needs of most users of this level in the world for long-distance motorcycle travel.
What do you need for a motorcycle tour?
Comfortable, safe, powerful and reliable. Today we will talk about cars in a different way, not just in terms of static and dynamic aspects.
Comfort
A true motorcycle tour is not just about wind, snow, moon and cloudless skies, but also fatigue, wind and rain, insect corpses, scorching sun, fetuses, carts, animals... too many accidents and troubles will accompany you.
So wasn’t there a food blogger who smashed his own Long Jia in anger before? Although I don't really agree with such an extreme way to deal with the problem, I still understand that it is also a problem and it is difficult in an unfamiliar environment. Cars always jump out to cause trouble, which actually makes me angry.
It is really important in motorcycle travel that the car has as little presence as possible and shares as much burden as possible for the owner.
Please stop watching those videos of people taking photos and bending at certain internet celebrity check-in spots. It’s really boring. This type of car is meant to take you to distant places safely and securely, not just to show off corners in the spotlight.
The sound should not be too noisy, the wind resistance protection should be in place as much as possible, no part of the whole body should be uncomfortable with the wind, and should not be overheated on hot days. The vibration in the common speed and vehicle speed range should not be too large or vibrating randomly. The power output rises and falls with the speed as smoothly as possible. The power connection should not be too abrupt. Don't make too many intrusions. The brakes should be able to stop without giving people an excessive sense of fear. The driver's back should be kept upright and the knees should not be too bent.
The comfort of an ADV depends on these elements.
So obviously, in terms of comfort alone, the benchmark status of Waterbird is clear at a glance.
Wind resistance protection
Wind resistance protection is actually the most important thing in my opinion during long-distance motorcycle travel.
Regarding this point, the previous performance of Big Wild Ass actually had its own thinking.
First of all, let me briefly describe what I define as the best wind resistance protection, that is, on low-temperature days, the end of the driver's torso can be fully warmed. For models such as
, the wind resistance protection of large areas of the body such as the trunk is certainly not bad. The most critical parts are the backs of hands, fingertips, knees, and feet.
Friends who have experienced long-distance motorcycle travel know that if your palms and soles are cold or wet, no matter how warm you are, it will feel worse than death.
The hand problem of the Big Wild Donkey before 1 was not that big. The key is that the wind resistance protection at the instep is not as good as the natural boxer engine of Water Bird. The engine of Water Bird can really warm the feet.
In addition, the setting of the windshield was too simple before, and the wind resistance protection of the upper body, including the head, was relatively average.
This is of course no problem. After all, the image of KTM mudbump has been deeply ingrained among all car enthusiasts. The brand also deliberately sets the user portrait as a muddy man.
The windshield setting of the 2022 Big Wild Donkey can still allow the driver to properly receive the wind.
This point is actually a bit contradictory. Waterfowl can achieve the ultimate in wind resistance protection, but a big problem is that it is really uncomfortable on hot days. So if you see Waterfowl owners standing up to ride in the summer, it is not necessarily because they want to pretend to be X. There is also a big possibility that it is too hot.
The height of the windshield is manually adjustable, and the adjustment method is also very easy. The height difference between the highest and lowest positions is 55mm, as shown in the figure below:
There is a detail here. The waterfowl's windshield is also height-adjustable, but when the height of the waterfowl's windshield is adjusted, the front and rear inclinations also change simultaneously. The big wild donkey is straight up and down.
I mentioned this problem before when I reviewed Fosha. For many models with adjustable windshields, the windshield can only be adjusted up and down. In my impression, only Waterbird can change the angle at the same time.
Details, details.
As for the headlights, I have also ridden them at night. With the IMU, the 2022 Big Wild Donkey has a cornering auxiliary lighting function. The fill light will turn on immediately when the car body tips over when cornering. This function is not uncommon on these flagship models.
However, it is obvious from the 2022 Big Wild Donkey that KTM is also compromising with the market.
The success of Water Bird is that it can fully cater to the vast majority of consumers who are not very skilled in driving and just want to follow the rules from point A to point B safely and do not want to take shortcuts.
After all, most car enthusiasts who can get this price with are looking for cleanliness, tranquility, safety and unpretentiousness.
KTM No matter how much you think, it will only cater to that small group of people. Many cyclists who have never ridden the big wild donkey before may be afraid to ride it when the car is in front of them.
I don’t know if the brand thinks this is a good thing or a bad thing. If you have to stick to the spirit of a small Italian workshop and refuse to compromise until death, your reputation may become more and more famous and your faith may become stronger, but your survival problems will inevitably become more and more serious.
Therefore, subdividing products may be a good way out.
Here I will talk to you about the positioning differences between 1290GT, S version and R version.
Even if you are a newbie and don’t buy one, you can still take a look at how these top brands define a car, and why I always say that these configurations and adjustments do not match the model positioning when I evaluate domestic cars.
290GT I have never ridden either the new model or the old model. Strictly speaking, it is a pure road-type sports SUV and a crossover version of SDR.
A high EQ means that it can go on the track, walk on the street, run in the mountains, and can handle motorcycle tours on short and medium-distance paved roads; a low EQ means that it knows everything.
This type of car is the same no matter where it is and in any brand. It is definitely a niche within a niche.
Compared with long-distance motorcycle tours on paved roads, the R version is more biased toward non-paved roads. The best spokesperson for "I know a shortcut" is the R version. It has stronger off-road performance, the strongest and longest travel suspension configuration, long-distance comfort, and high seat and user-friendliness will definitely not be prioritized.Although
sounds the most popular, and everyone will wow when they hear this name, the R version is also a niche version of the entire model, but it is better than GT, because it does raise the threshold for drivers.
The easiest thing to distinguish it from the S in terms of appearance is that it does not have an ACC module on the front.
How many people in China can control it well, and can fully gain heartfelt happiness through controlling it? Since it cannot reach its limit, will the 790ADV R be a product more suitable for most target groups? Although I don’t think there are many people who can drive the 790ADV R well, but there are definitely more people than those who can drive the 1290SADV R well.
The S version is more inclined to drive on paved roads, and can cope with the passing needs of some bad roads.
Please note that the original intention of these requirements for passing on bad roads is not to ask you to go flying over hills and jumps with off-road vehicles . To be honest, if you really want to fly over hills, I personally prefer to use a lighter car. The manufacturer of the Daye Donkey S knows that when encountering bad roads or accidents during motorcycle travel, it will still take some bad roads as a last resort. These bad roads are not subjective and cannot be circumvented. Just imagine if you ride a GT version at this time, it’s just that kind of road tire. Wouldn’t it kill people?
From this point of view, it is natural that the 2022 Big Wild Ass will be directly compared with the Water Bird.
Whether you admit it or not, waterfowl cannot compete in the short term. In order to narrow the gap, waterfowlization is imperative.
Big Wild Ass does just that.
