From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

  • Published October 11, 2026
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From Prologue glory to navigation chaos

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

Rallying is one of those things that gives me a different kind of thrill. It is not just about riding fast; it is about navigating, making quick decisions, dealing with whatever the stage throws at you and, most importantly, making it to the finish.

So when I got an opportunity to participate in the KTM Adventure Rally Extreme in Pune, I wasn't going to say no.

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

And this wasn't just any KTM event. The star of the show was none other than 2018 Dakar Champion Matthias Walkner, who was there to guide the riders, share his experience and answer our never-ending questions about rallying.

The event was split into four stages: Prologue, Navigation, Handicap and Nurse your bike, with each one testing a completely different aspect of rallying.

And I had one more challenge to deal with: I was riding a KTM 390 Adventure with a road-biased setup. In slushy terrain. With road-biased dual-purpose tyres. And with the heavens ready to shower their blessings at any given moment. 

Stage 1: The Prologue

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

The prologue is where the rally begins. Riders are sent out one at a time to set a time, which then determines the starting order for the next stage.

Our Prologue took place on a motocross track, complete with jumps, loose dirt and a few sections that made me question whether the 390 Adventure and its road-biased setup really belonged there.

I was also at a disadvantage compared to some of the other riders. The 390 Adventure uses a 19/17-inch wheel setup, while some competitors were riding the KTM 390 Enduro with much chunkier tyres that were far better suited to the dirt.

But the Adventure surprised me.

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

Despite the tyres and the wheel setup, I managed to put together a strong run and finished the Prologue in first place, with a time of 1 minute and 15 seconds, 8 seconds quicker than the field.

That meant I would be the first rider into the Navigation stage.

Which sounded great.

Until I realised what that actually meant.

Stage 2: Navigation

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

You heard that right. KTM had prepared a digital navigation roadbook for the event. The idea was simple on paper: follow the roadbook, find the checkpoints and complete the stage as quickly as possible. In reality, it was anything but simple.

Because I had won the Prologue, I was the first rider to enter the trails. There were no riders ahead of me to follow and no obvious tracks to simply copy. I had to rely entirely on the roadbook and my navigation skills.

And then my phone decided to make things even more interesting.

I had a GPS positioning issue, which meant I couldn't properly see how much distance I had covered between the navigation points. In a stage where knowing exactly where you are is critical, that wasn't ideal.

After Checkpoint 1, I made a wrong turn.

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

And instead of immediately realising my mistake, I did what any over-enthusiastic rider would do: I kept going. Soon, I found myself riding through an unmarked trail, completely alone and wondering whether I had somehow invented a new route for the event. What was supposed to be a quick navigation section turned into a roughly 3 km detour. At one point, I genuinely thought about giving up. Then I spotted some caution tape. I can't explain how relieved I was to see that tape. I followed it, eventually found my way back onto the correct route, validated the second checkpoint and carried on.

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

By the time I finished the stage, I had dropped down to P7. But considering I had taken a 3km detour, I wasn't too disappointed. I was only 4 minutes behind the stage leader. More importantly, I had learnt one of the most important lessons of rallying: don't get overconfident with navigation. Hare and turtle suddenly both rushed through my brain. 

Stage 3: The Handicap

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

The third stage was designed to simulate what happens when things go wrong during a rally.

Because in rallying, something can fail any time. You could damage the bike or be forced to continue with a mechanical issue.

For this challenge, KTM removed the gear lever and put the bikes in second gear.

There was another catch. The stage took place on a flat surface, and we had to keep our right hand behind our back, meaning the bike had to be controlled almost entirely through clutch control. It sounds easy until you're actually doing it.

The exercise made us understand just how much control you can have through the clutch and how important smooth inputs are when you don't have access to all the controls you're normally used to.

It was less about speed and more about understanding the motorcycle.

Stage 4: The Nurse Your Bike 

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

The final stage took us away from riding and straight into the workshop. We had to refit the gear shifter and also had to remove the air filter and show it to the marshal. This was probably the most hands-on part of the event.

It gave us an idea of what goes into keeping a rally bike running and why basic mechanical knowledge can be just as important as riding ability when you're miles away from civilisation or help.  And that, in many ways, is what made the KTM Adventure Rally Extreme different from a normal riding event. It wasn't just about going fast. It was about going fast and yet keeping your wits about while taking care of your machine. 

More Than Just A Race

From Prologue To Finish: KTM Adventure Rally Extreme

Having Matthias Walkner at the event made the experience even more special. A Dakar Champion walking around, guiding riders, answering questions and sharing his experiences is something you don't get to experience every day. For anyone who follows Rally Raid, having someone like Walkner there added another layer to the event.

By the end of it, I had finished seventh overall and secured a place in the top 10. I was around five minutes behind the leader, with the navigation mistakes in Stage 2 accounting for a large chunk of that time.

Could I have finished higher? Probably. But that's rallying. You make mistakes, you learn from them and you come back for the next stage.

For me, the KTM Adventure Rally Extreme wasn't just about where I finished on the leaderboard. It was about learning how to read a roadbook, trusting my instincts, understanding the motorcycle better and, most importantly, learning to stay calm when things don't go according to plan.

Because there is an old saying in rallying that sums it up perfectly: It's not about coming first. It's about finishing. And I'm happy to say that I did exactly that.

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