Rottweiler Performance Stage 4 Intake Kit Review: KTM 1190 Adventure R

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

When looking to upgrade the engine performance on my KTM 1190 Adventure R, like many Big Twin owners, my performance needs were two-fold. I wanted more power across the RPM range—especially the mid-range—without losing drivability.

I began my typical research process: online searches and reviews, along with triangulating with trusted riding friends who have similar bikes.  All three friends suggested upgrading my stock intake system to one from Rottweiler Performance, the SoCal business launched in 2011 by Chris Parker. And the online reviews supported their suggestions.

Rottweiler covers a tight niche—performance parts for KTM and Husqvarna machinery. Parker is not only the founder but also the product designer. His vision makes Rottweiler a true icon in KTM upgrades, especially for those in the ADV space like myself, along with professional riders like Chris Birch and Quinn Cody, who use the multiple Rottweiler upgrades. The quality is there, which is immediately noticed from the feel and ease of installation (no modifications needed).

Further research and some quick feedback after emailing Parker made the upgrade decision easy for my KTM’s 150-horsepower LC8. Like countless other 11190 owners (and 1050/1090/1290 owners), I chose the Rottweiler Stage 4 intake system, which arrives with:

• Full Stage 1 Intake Kit (Rottweiler Rally Series Filter Element, base plate adapter, 60-cell pre-filter, hardware. The double-filter design makes sure dust and dirt particles don’t get swallowed by the LC8, which can cause major issues.)

• Tuned Velocity Stack (shorter to clear room for the double filter setup).

• Rottweiler Fueling Dongles (to trick the computer into not displaying faulty codes when wires are unplugged).

• Power Commander V (Comes with Fueling Dongles).

Since I had the engine exposed, I also installed the SAS/Canister removal kit, a race-only modification that helps shed around 3.5 pounds and cleans up major clutter of hoses and plastic devices that take up space.

Overall weight loss when swapping to the Stage 4 kit and the SAS/Canister removal was nearly 10 pounds, a significant shed for a 518-pound bike fully fueled. The weight also was removed from the top of the engine, helping keep the center of gravity lower, which was immediately felt on my first tight technical single-track ride.

Rottweiler Stage 4 Intake Kit: KTM 1190 Adventure R Installation Notes

Because the bulk of the installation work involved removing the fairings and a 6.1-gallon fuel tank—a task many KTM 1190 Adventure owners typically come to despise—and another round of mud and dust cleaning, the process took me about four hours. But I retraced all wiring twice and was meticulous for cleaning (something I don’t do often on off-road machines!). For most, this should be a 2.5-hour process. 

This short period is thanks to the numerous installation videos provided by Parker himself. Take time before the work to familiarize yourself with these videos, and all work flows much simpler.

If you ride off-road often and have owned your KTM Adventure for more than six months, you’re likely already familiar with cleaning out the stock airbox and filter. The more you ride off-road, the more this process is needed because the stock intake system is flawed in my mind. My first year owning the 1190 required four tear-downs of fuel tank/front end to access and clean the airbox and filter. And although I love thick cabs and bike maintenance after a day of hauling off-road, the process became a major PITA.

The Rottweiler intake system changes this; due to its double-filter design, dirt is sealed out. Some riders I spoke with go 10,000 miles without cleaning the air filter. And these are riders like me that spend much time in dusty riding situations. Think about the hours you’ll get back due to not having to rip that Austrian steed down multiple times per year.

And I dread wiring, especially on high-end European machines. But the Rottweiler Stage 4 kit makes this process easy. Except for one splice into the main ECU’s wiring harness (remember, the orange and white wires on the 1190 Adventure R like KTM colors - not red and white!) with a splicing grommet, all else was simple unplugging and plugging into the stock wiring.

The kit also has dongles to trick the KTM’s brain into thinking the SAS, Canister, and O2 sensors are still there—the latter a simple fix that smooths throttle tremendously.

Word of advice: make sure your fuel line’s quick-connect between the fuel tank and the throttle bodies is square and secured. My bike ran excellent for about 40 miles until I jumped some railroad tracks, and the bike stalled. I pulled the clutch in quickly and rolled to a safe spot off the main road. Being April in Northeast Pennsylvania, sleet, of course, began once I broke down. I was baffled and cold and used my AMA membership to get a tow home.

I emailed Parker, and his first suggestion was to check the quick connect…he was correct. That tow was a great lesson into the quirks of this Austrian beast that’s now even more of a beast with the Stage 4 upgrade.

Rottweiler Stage 4 Intake Kit: How the KTM 1190 Adventure R Changes

From the first clutch out leaving the garage, the outcome was immediately felt. Power built stronger and evenly across the RPM range, whether lightly modulating the throttle for slow-speed maneuvers or quickly cranking WOT.

I never had an issue with KTM’s fueling, but after a few miles with the Rottweiler Stage 4 kit—especially on some fast-flowing to tighter single-track off-road settings—I realized it needed help.

Smoothness and increased-midrange power are the highlights of the upgrade. I had slight complaints about the mid-range feel on the KTM, especially mid-corner under maintenance throttle or faster off-road sections. The Rottweiler addressed these—and then some. No, I don’t experience any hesitation for slight throttle inputs, which always had me either short-shifting on a single track or on top of the RPM range during fast sweepers, the latter allowing me to get the most drive out of corners for added smiles while riding.

And because some of the single track I ride is, um, forbidden, I continue to use a stock exhaust due to the silence. The Power Commander V was tuned for this, but if I ever upgrade it’ll be some simple tweaks to the PCV from a laptop.

I don’t see an exhaust upgrade anytime soon. I continually wanted more noise from the exhaust, but the added intake growl from the Rottweiler intake makes up for that. The sound is intoxicating, making me feel like a backcountry Dakar racer chasing Matthias Walkner or Toby Price.

Besides the not-secured quick connect for the fuel tank, I didn’t have any issues with the bike in the 3,000+ miles I put on since installing the Stage 4 kit. This includes an extended five-day, 1800-mile trip from Northeast Pennsylvania to Greer, South Carolina, to complete a two-day BMW Rider Academy at the BMW Performance Center (yeah - rode a KTM to a BMW school, and the 1190 stuck out amid the German machinery!).

The ride included some highly spirited riding on Blue Ridge Parkway and roads around it throughout Virginia and North Carolina and much single track that violently bounced the machine. Nothing came loose, nothing malfunctioned, and no error codes were thrown. And though temps hovered around 90 degrees during most of my trek down south—sans Blue Ridge—the bike threw off less heat, something that maybe came from my mindset while just enjoying the bike. As for gas mileage, nothing seemed to change (except for the increased pricing in fuel, of course!). I don’t check often, but my typical MPG is around 35-42.

After installing the Rottweiler Stage 4 intake kit on my KTM 1190 Adventure R, my biggest complaint was a simple one: why didn’t I do this the first week I brought my 1190 home? The bike performs all around much better across the RPM range, from highway miles to carving canyons to first-gear technical single track. And not only that, but I don’t have to rip my gas tank off multiple times a year now to clean a quarter pound of dirt from my inbox.

The intake design with its double filter is genius, and now the only time I’ll check it is during normal routine winter maintenance when the Northeast is covered in snow and the wine is flowing.

Rottweiler also has further upgrades that include an AT-300 Dual Channel Auto Tune and the Dyonjet Ignition Module. So far I don’t see the need, but that will likely change soon. Until then, the Rottweiler Stage 4 Kit does everything I expected, and more. Onwards to more performance that I never knew I needed in the first place.

For more, check out the Rottweiler Intake System page for KTM 1050, 1190, and 1290 Big Twins.

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Ron Lieback is an East Coast motorcycle enthusiast and moto journalist with an addiction to piloting larger ADV bikes through tight and technical off-road terrain. When not riding, he’s growing his SEO-driven content marketing agency, ContentMender (ContentMender.com). He’s also the author of 365 to Vision: Modern Writer’s Guide (How to Create More Quality Writing in Less Time).

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