KTM 390 Adventure

The KTM 390 Adventure is one of the most popular ADVs in the sub-400cc segment. And it is available in three different variants to cater to different needs of customers. But how is it like to go touring with and how does it perform off-road? Let’s take a look: 

The KTM 390 Adventure’s design has remained unchanged since its launch a few years ago. But that’s okay because the striking design language with the sharp lines still demands attention on the road. The Electric Orange in the Adventure X variant adds a bit of freshness with the blue paint job on the tank. 

The KTM 390 Adventure is powered by the same 373cc single-cylinder engine producing 43.5PS and 37Nm found in the previous-gen KTM 390 Duke. While the engine is quite powerful, its lack of low-end torque means you’ll constantly have to shift through the gears and keep the revs in the higher end of the curve to have an enjoyable off-road experience. Having said that, as it retains the 390 Duke’s on-road performance, the ADV is great for touring.

The ergonomics of the KTM 390 Adventure with the slightly rear-set footpegs and a somewhat upright riding posture lets you feel in command of the bike while touring. It gives you confidence to tackle a 390cc ADV (if you haven’t ridden a sub-400cc bike before) in any situation. 

If you like to hit the off-road trails or go off-road riding in general, then the 390 Adventure Spoke Wheels variant will be perfect for you because first, it gets spoke wheels and second, it comes with front and rear fully adjustable suspension. The ADV does maintain its composure when you are sliding around on a dirt surface but you do need to be a bit experienced to make the most out of the bike. The 200mm ground clearance, though, can be a problem when you are hitting those dirt trails. And the tall 355mm seat height might not suit shorter riders quite well.

The overall suspension setup on the KTM 390 Adventure is on the firmer side. So, it won’t generally offer a very comfortable riding experience while touring. But with the fully adjustable suspension in the spoke wheel variant, you can adjust the front and rear suspension according to your height and weight to find the sweet spot that works for you. But an important thing to remember with the spoked wheels is that if one of the tyres gets punctured and you are in the middle of nowhere at that moment, then you’ll end up in a very sticky situation, as it gets tubed tyres. 

The KTM 390 Adventure’s X variant comes with an LCD instrument console and other features like offroad ABS, slipper clutch and a USB charging port. The standard and the spoked wheel variant comes with a colour TFT instrument console along with additional features like riding modes, cornering ABS, off road ABS, quickshifter and traction control with two modes: Road and Off Road. You can also completely shut off the traction control and slide around on dirt surfaces without any intervention. 

One thing to note is that the quickshifter does not really work well most of the time, especially at higher revs.

The KTM 390 Adventure has gotten most of the things right as an ADV with the powerful motor, comfortable ergonomics for touring and  good off-road capabilities. Yes, it does have some shortcomings but with the three variants, KTM seems to have taken care of everyone’s needs. If you want a basic 390 Adventure without the fancy electronics, adjustable suspension and spoked wheels and are confident of handling a 390 ADV in an off-road environment without any rider aids, then the entry-level X variant is the one for you. If you want all of the electronics and rider aids with the TFT console, then the standard variant will suit you better. But, if you are looking for all the features the X and the standard variants come with along with fully adjustable suspension and spoked wheels, then you should consider the spoked wheel variant (officially called the 2023 KTM 390 Adventure).