Best Dual Sport: KTM 990 Adventure R

Something is going on here. For the third year in a row, our choice for Best Dual-Sport offers greater displacement than the bike that preceded it. In 2007, it was KTM’s 525 EXC, then the 690 Enduro in 2008. In 2009, it was BMW’s F800GS, and now we have KTM’s 990 Adventure R taking the prize. What makes the R such a worthy recipient is how much it feels like a “real” enduro, despite its 490-pound dry weight. Key is the suspension—which offers 10.5 inches of travel at both ends—and a chassis that somehow allows this machine to turn and handle like a real dirtbike should. But it’s equally adept on the road, with its controllable 96.2-hp V-Twin ripping up the asphalt as well as it does a rocky trail.