Crash bars are likely to be a bad investment on the 790 Adventure. Most (all?) of the crashbars mount to the fuel tank mount since it’s the only frame mount available on that part of the bike. This mount is not designed for any kind of force applied to it, it’s just here to hold the fuel tank in place. The couple of welds holding the captive nut are so light they are known to give in just by tightening the bolt by hand… There are multiple cases where the crash bars bent the mount, broke the part in two, and even cracked the tank at the mount.

In addition, due to the design of the bike there’s no frame at the bottom. Crash bars are being tied into the engine, skid plates, fuel tank, etc. They look the part, but in case of crash they will damage the parts they’re attached to.

All that to say that the consensus seems to be that crash bars are unnecessary on this bike. The fuel tank protection are all the protection you need, they are intended to be a fuse and replaced once dinged.

All those warnings will not stop third party to make crashbars, and people installing them. But do check where the crash bars are anchoring to.

SW-Motech have low bars available. See this review.

Outback Motortek are making crash bars, high and low, with optional bottom plate. See the video.

Touratech made a video with a lot of stuff visible on the bike (crashbars everywhere, luggage galore, headlight protection, hand guards). These are slowly starting to appear in their catalog (crash bars are €240 in your choice of color: metal/black/orange).

Hepto-Becker has crash bar in black, orange or metallic finish (Those have been reported to have to be removed for an oil change as they are in the way).

Metal mule released crash bars that protect the tank lobes. £140.

There are more, there will be more.

To protect the rear, the footpeg sliders from the 790 Duke fits just fine, and provide a sacrificial bit of nylon instead of the expensive aluminium piece. Get yourself some piece of mind for cheap (P/N 61303946044, $13). Thanks Orfeas for the find!

Alternatively, if you have access to a 3D printer, advrider inmate Marchyman made a model to do the same part.

To protect the TFT from scratches there are multiple options. Note that the TFT screen is common with the KTM duke (125, 390, 790).

Speedo-angels provide possible solutions. Also available on ebay. Had some reports that “the Speedo Angels Dashboard Screen Protector for 790 ADVENTURE (2019+) 2 x Anti Glare are so bad I had to stop and peel it off half way through a ride because I couldn’t read the MyRide instructions on the screen”.

R&G makes one as well, available at revzilla among others.

The rear ABS sensor, and more importantly its cable, are not well protected. A misplaced branch can snag on the cable.

Motominded makes a cover protecting the cable and the sensor. $20.

Another one from Spain, €27.

A less protective option, that protects the sensor but not snagging of the wire, is available from a fellow on the French KTMmania forums for 3D printing (registration required, French mandatory to understand anything). STL file is send on request…

Replacement radiator guards from RadGuard in Australia. As a metallic grill as opposed to the plastic fins of the original. AUD$159, no idea about shipping cost.

The standard handguard (black on the S, black and orange on the R) are good but are not perfect:

• They are all plastic and can deform on impact, not completely protecting the levers
• They prevent rotating the levers down as they don’t go far enough on the handlebar. If you spend your days standing up this count.
• Depending on their position the various cables are ragging against them.

Third party hand guards have better protection, and attachment points leaving more space to the various cables.

Warning: Space is limited if the handlebar is moved to its most forward attachment points, it may cause the hand guard to touch the TFT at full lock; Same punition if the handlebar are tilted forward while in the center position. See this extract from the fitting manual for the Barkbuster, but this applies to all models (especially the KTM metal one, which is a Barkbuster in disguise!):

Here is a non-exhaustive list of robust hand guards with a two point metallic wraparound. Of course there are other options, leave a comment if they are worth mentioning here. See also this thread on advrider for more options.

BarkBuster

You need to order three parts:

• First the Hardware Kit, get the tapered two point mount reference BHG-152. It’s a big aluminium bar solidly bolted.
• Then a plastic part to screw on it. Lots of choice there as most of the barkbuster hand guards mount on this. The VPS ones are a nice fit, in plenty of color choices, including orange (reference VPS-003-OR)
• A 10mm spacer and assorted bold B-078 for the right side otherwise it may interfere with the brake lever.

Acerbis

The X-Factory is cheaper than the Barkbuster for a similar protection. This is also available in plenty of orange versions (black/orange, orange/black, white/orange and orange/white). The metallic bar is steel, very very robust. The Acerbis also require an additional 10mm spacer between the handlebar mount and the bar on the right side for a perfect fit (10mm might be too long, there is a report that filling it down a bit prevents it from hitting the TFT display at full lock, see the warning at the beginning of this article). Example of install.

HighwayDirtBikes

HDB makes an interesting model that uses the bar clamp as support location instead of the handlebar. Some pics in this article. Another install reports that those ultimate handguard bolt nicely in place but do hit the TFT. There is a detailed install report on this advrider post.

KTM

KTM also offers a handguard with a aluminium insert, that mounts on the 790, p/n 63502979000EB. Turns out this is an OEM Barkbuster frame with different plastic on it. See those two install report.

63514999033 about £65

Touratech released an aluminium guard. See this video for detail of the install.

Hepco-Becker released another metallic guard.

The standard plastic covers are quite cheap to repair if scratched (about £35 each?). They seem to sustain impact abuse pretty well, but in case of slide on tarmac probably offers very little in term of abrasion resistance.

It’s also a good idea to inspect those protections from time to time for trapped gravel, as those may scratch the tank on a fall.

KTM offers a carbon fiber replacement in the catalog (p/n 63503990044, about £306) which is default equipment in the R Rally.

In the UK Kodama composite is offering a carbon/kevlar cover to put on top of the existing plastic protection, adding the abrasion resistance (Kevlar is very resistant to abrasion, carbon by itself is not). £110. (source)

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Rade/Garage makes swanky replacements for the tank protectors in carbon/kevlar. €279.

Fuel tank spigot protection

Even with the side protections, the spigot output of the fuel tank on the left side is a bit exposed, and it’s a plastic knuckle that can break.

KTM Fixed this on the 890 Adventure with a fuel pump cover, P/N 63507087010, €15, which seems to fit the 790.

Also available is a simple plastic guard available to screw on top (€75) to protect it. on impact that part will take the brunt of the impact, protecting the spigot.

Another guard, this one billet aluminium, is available from rottweiler performance ($70) with the option to replace the spigot with a billet aluminium one, more robust ($40).

Forks crash bung (p/n 69109945000) swinging arm crash bung (p/n 61310945000), both about £34.

There is a big hole right behind the front wheel where mud and stone love to collect. There are report of riders in dry places having grass accumulating there and catching fire against the headers.

The prototype bikes and demo bikes in Morrocco were all equipped with a piece of metal to cover it.

Note that some replacement skid plates are going to cover this space, if you plan to add crash bars or third party skid plate check that you can still install those covers.

There is one on listed on the powerparts catalog (p/n 63503991044, €70, and note that the picture in the catalog is not exactly like the real thing) and third party jumped in to fill the gap.

One can make their own filler with a piece of mesh from any source, as this example.

Sweetlamb KTM Adventure Bike Experience <sweetlambnavigation@gmail.com> developed a model for their bike in 3mm black HDPE, and are selling the result on ebay for £35, plus £2 shipping.

There is another model, aluminium, branded by the company terratech, also available on ebay for $56 + $10 shipping for US/EU. Includes pop rivets as mounting kit.

An outfit call vit garage published a KTM branded one on Facebook. Contact vitgarage.shop@gmail.com to order. €60 + shipping from Portugal, includes mounting kit.

And another one from coober, €59. Includes pop rivet as mounting kit.

And Bumot too, from Bulgaria (no price yet)

Another one from Braaap! on adv rider. Lasercut 2mm aluminium. Including mount hardware and postage, $50 for the mill finish, $65 for a satin black finish. Contact via DM on advrider for more details or ordering.

The most recent entry, if you like the Venetian blind look is this thing from twalcom, available in various colors including “racing orange” (note also the black bash plate of unknown origin).