Ive got 2 weeks on my new to me 09 990 adventure 12k miles. Its pretty much stock except for HDB guards. I still haven't been in dirt yet, waiting on a skid plate and crash bars first. I noticed the first bit of throttle turn is very twitchy, Not smooth. I assume this can be helped by the 400 throttle cam ive read about? Or is there something else i should be thinking about? it really makes low speed maneuvering a bit cumbersome. I also was wondering how to turn off ABS, and if there is a bad gas mode on this bike? Are there dongles for that and maybe a mild, wild and beast mode like the 690's have? Buffeting is pretty intolerable so im thinking about either a moose or pull the trigger on a Rade RR screen. Other than that the bike is great and im really enjoying it. Thanks for all the info and im very glad to join your club!
I am looking at buying a used 990 Adv also. What did you pay for yours? Looks to be in very nice condition.
Get a side stand relocation bracket before you hit the dirt. It's an absolute must have item. ABS should be an easy switch off. Read the manual on that one. There is a wire that is located by the abs box that you disconnect for low octane. I'm wiring a switch into mine. And getting the mirror relocation bracket helps buffeting a bunch.
GO here http://www.ktm950.info/ read everything Nice bike by the way, engine guasrds Meh! some debate as whether do more harm than good
Throttle helps, yes. So does valve adjustment (takes hours and hours your first time) but is a lot easier without the %&#+ crash bars on. 15 minute idle helps some also. ABS: start bike and hold ABS button down until it starts flashing.
The twitchy throttle can be eased by switching to a bigger rear sprocket. I think the stock is 42 tooth and a nice upgrade is 45 tooth. It will drop your top speed a little, but who needs to do 125+mph anyway? Its better for the dirt that way because you can go slower without using the clutch. You also get the added benefit of harder acceleration and easier wheelies, which is nice. As for the buffeting, you can go with a bigger windscreen, or a smaller one. If you don't mind the wind, smaller is nice. You get more wind on you, but it's steadier.
Try taking off the mirrors and going for a ride before you head down the "Windscreen Rabbithole". Also, different helmets if you can. There's no such critter as "perfect airflow, all the time with these bikes", but you can move it enough to live with. Sometimes the problem is you.
:eek1Thanks everyone! The bike has HDB mirrors which are pretty nice and shouldn't add to any buffeting. I know the bike has been re-geared. Ill look for the stamp to confirm gearing. The PO said full service and valve adjustment happened at 10k so im hoping valves havent moved since then. its the perfect companion for my 15' 350 exc-f. The 990 feels much diffent to wheelie than the 350 does
whoa, thank you devildogg. I havent seen this before great info I have a friend who went down in some rocks without the guards and it was pretty expensive to replace the tank i figured the guards would be good insurance. Are there many problems with them doing damage rather than protection?
I use them but my bike has had a problem losing all it's potential energy at times here are some more opinions http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=420374&page=3 THE HOW has saved me a lot of money after owning a 990 and a 950 great source of information and probably kept my bike running a lot better than it would have been with out it.
I did the crash bar mod, which will save you grief when removing them... Here's the link! Also, +1 on the side stand relocator... Better spend money now, then replace a crack case! I modified an OEM windscreen to better suit my needs. I cut it down about 1.5" and it's been total bliss so far! I ride with a Shoei Hornet DS for reference. Very similar to Yellow Pig's mod on the following thread... Link for windscreen! Here's what mine looks like...
Balance the throttle bodies. The throttle cam can tame it a bit. This tool makes the work quick, http://www.cbperformance.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=6537 Get a Cable and the Tune ECU stuff. More good tools.
I've had my crashbars on, off, on and now off again. Last weekend I'm on a trail and hit a tree stump I didn't spot due to some high grass right next to the trail. I was coming to a stop and was't goin more than 5 mph yet the lower bar was bent and it nearly ripped the bolt out of the lower mounting. I have now come to the conclusion that on road they will prolly protect the bike in a low side but off road the do more harm than good. I doubt mine will go on again unless I go for an extended trip that includes mostly pavement with some high speed gravel. In the sand and forest they will stay in the garage.
I had my 2011 990R dyno'd by Nels here in WA. He smoothed out the twitch throttle response and I also did the Rottweiller Intake at the same time. Really helped overall. My friend did the cam mod to help his twitchy throttle but I think the dyno work was amazing. Good luck and enjoy it. I got mine last year and LOVE IT!!
Check the howto and put a switch on the dash to turn off the ABS. On the highway just pull in the clutch and tap the starter button with the switch turned on and you have ABS again with out stopping. I like the ABS on the street but never remember to turn it off in the dirt untill I'm hauling ass and then don't want to stop to do it.