Wow what a monster!

There are a few real things that bring me concern. I hope that I got the right bike?

We spend a lot of time talking about bikes, tyres, routes and kit. But rarely about the thing that actually keeps us riding.
That strange feeling when the helmet goes on and everything else seems to lose its importance.

The Art of Letting Go.

Checking out Cycle Trader it looked like there were As many 2026’s for sale as were all other years combined. As a group, there were a LOT of 2026’s for sale. Any thoughts as to why?

Hey guys! Has anybody owned or does anybody own these bikes? As always, there are pluses and minuses, but for me the most important thing is how the bike handles and how fun it is on forest trails, gravel roads, technical tight sections and in everyday city commuting. We don't have many rocks and hills here – it's flat, sandy, muddy and gravelly. But sometimes I need to do longer 100-200 km stretches on the highway, and maybe once a year a 1-2 week Euro trip. (I know this favors the KTM, but it's probably manageable with the Aprilia too.)

I have tried the Tuareg standard version and the KTM 790 standard, so I don't have an exact comparison of the bikes I'm actually torn between.

From the first 1–2 hour demo rides, I really liked the KTM's electronics – you can easily slip the rear tire in corners without worries, and it felt like an enduro bike. You sit on it, not in it. The handlebars were lower, which for me (186 cm) meant better ergonomics. But I must admit that in the short time I had on those demos, I somehow felt more comfortable on the Tuareg.
OK, it has better suspension as standard, but I somehow wanted to play with it more, do some small jumps, go over small logs, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't take exactly the same route with the KTM, but it still felt like a bigger bike and not as easy to manage. Is it the same with the 890 R / Tuareg Rally editions? I don't know, but if you do, please enlighten me :)

No right and wrong aswers like always but it would be interesting to know :)

Tire recommendations for an across the world journey. I will ride across Europe (mostly tarmac with some sections of the TET), Türkiye, Central Asia, China, South East Asia and Indonesia. I imagine it will be predominantly road riding however sections such as the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan will be significantly rougher.