KTM 390 Adventure S

KTM is a brand that the purest in motorcycling take very seriously. And that's because KTM machines are built for performance and carry their legacy all the way from MotoGP to Dakar. And that's why when the first KTM 390 Adventure was launched in 2020, it garnered mixed reactions. It was an attempt to make the bike from what was available in the inventory, and did not fully justify its adventure lineage. That, however, has completely changed. Now the KTM 390 Adventure is completely new and, from what the spec sheet says, looks to be the motorcycle all KTM fans had been waiting for – myself included. Also do note that the 390 Adventure R variant has been launched in India. 

Having extensively ridden the older KTM 390 Adventure (standard variant) and was looking forward to testing the new 390 Adventure in the city, on the highways and on some fun trails to find out if it's really an enthusiast's KTM?

Design

The 390 Adventure is unmistakably a KTM. You could wrap the bike in camouflage, and people will still call it a KTM. The sharper lines, long seat and the beak all show an intent that is hard to miss. And the vertically stacked LED headlight setup combined with a tall windscreen and a raised beak-like fender makes its offroading intentions clear – just like a Dakar-style rally bike. Love it! One thing that the 390 Adventure does effortlessly is turn heads. No matter where you go – college, office, mall, or just standing at the traffic signal, the 390 Adventure acts like a show stopper and grabs a lot of attention. It's large, slim, aggressive and orange – of course it does. 

Another interesting fact is that the graphics that you see on the panels are not stickers. No, they are not painted either. These graphics are built into the PVC panels, which means that even if they get scratched, the layer under the top is also of the same colour, which will hide the scars much better, making the bike look cleaner and fresher for longer. Also, the underbelly exhaust system was a point of debate for a lot of people online, as it will reduce the bike’s water wading capacity. I am happy to report that after doing multiple water crossings, it is not an issue. The exhaust spits water out instantly and keeps the bike running. 

Colours

This is a bit weird. There are two colour options in the KTM Adventure 390 – Electronic Orange and White. However, they don't do much other than swap the orange and white panels of the motorcycle. Both colour options remain predominantly orange, black and white. I would have liked to see more difference in the colour options – like a full white with orange rims. And also an all-black with orange highlights paint option. Never mind, between the two, I prefer the white more.  

On the other hand, the KTM 390 Adventure R is available in a single paint scheme called the Ceramic White. This colour option gets a distinct looking ‘R’ graphics as well - a key distinguishing feature between the two models (standard and R).  

Wheels

The 390 Adventure uses tubeless spoke rims, which come with a lot of advantages. While they also look good on an off-road machine, the steel spoke rims offer higher flexibility and are not as brittle as alloy wheels. This means that impacts are absorbed better without damaging the rims. But these tubeless spokes are also very costly. If you do end up damaging them, be ready to make a large withdrawal. The front is a 21-inch rim, and the rear is a 17-inch one. This setup offers excellent stability on trials and is less affected by rocks and ruts. It uses 90/90 - 21 and 130/80 - 17 in the front and rear, respectively.

Unlike the standard variant, the KTM 390 Adventure R gets a 21-inch front, and a larger 18-inch rear wheel, with tubed tyres (Mitas knobby tyres).

Build Quality

Excellent. The 390 Adventure feels very well put together. There are a lot of interlocking panels, and all of them sit flush with each other. The overall feel is quite solid, and even the welds are much better than they were on the previous-gen model. Even the switchgear feels rich and premium, unlike the last generation.

Safety Features

The 390 adventure comes fully kitted out. In terms of safety and electronics, it gets off-road ABS mode, where the rear ABS can be disabled for better control on trails. You then have cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control. There are 3 rising modes too – Street, Rain, and Off-Road, where the last one is the most aggressive. 

Convenience Features

Once again, KTM has left nothing behind while kitting up the 390 Adventure. It gets a new 5-inch TFT display, which we have previously seen on the 2024 Duke and loved. It's bright, crisp, and gets customizable layouts with well-detailed graphics. It also gets Bluetooth connectivity with ‘KTM My Ride’ app for calls, music, and turn-by-turn navigation (optional on the Adventure R). And if you enjoy touring, the bike also gets cruise control as standard, however the 390 Adventure R misses out on it. All the console-related features can be accessed via the 4-way switchgear for easier menu navigation. And if you are a fan of quick shifts, do not forget the bi-directional quick shifter, which works like a charm.

Rider Comfort

When it comes to rider comfort, the Adventure 390 makes no compromises. The bike puts you in a neutral and upright riding posture typical of ADVs, and this is quite comfortable. The handlebars are not too wide but give you great leverage, nevertheless, to muscle the bike. 

The rider’s section of the seat is quite long and spacious. And because it is narrow from the middle, it can accommodate riders of all sizes without any trouble. The ample amount of space present makes it easy to move forward and backwards to find the most comfortable sitting position. The seat is also well cushioned, and during my rides, I didn’t feel uncomfortable when sitting for longer durations.

While the seat height on the standard 390 Adventure is fairly manageable at 830mm (due to the slim profile), the taller 880mm seat height on the Adventure R could be a bit too tall, if you’re a short and unskilled rider. Experienced riders may not really find this to be a problem.

Even the standing ergonomics have been massively improved. The handlebar height and foot peg positioning feel more stable to tilt forward slightly while attacking trails. Even the footpeg rubbers come off – but it requires tools to do so, which are not a part of the 390’s onboard tool kit. Sad. 

Pillion Comfort

The pillion side of the seat is quite narrow compared to the rider’s side. The seat is not the most spacious and can be a bit uncomfortable when riding for longer durations. But for short trips, the seat is decent. The cushioning is also a bit firm, which might not be appreciated by some people. KTM has also added a chunky-looking split pillion grab rail setup, which makes it easy for the pillion to hold tight. So overall, pillion comfort is a mixed bag.

Engine

The KTM 390 Adventure is powered by a 398.63cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, which outputs 46PS at 8,500rpm and 39 Nm at 6,500rpm. This is a bump of 2.5PS and 2Nm when compared to the 373cc motor that the previous generation bike had. And this new engine makes this motorcycle so much more usable in every condition. 

City Performance

A KTM 390 Adventure is not a bike which many would think of as a city bike. Well, I certainly didn’t think so. But when I took it out into the city, I was surprised by how well the bike managed riding at slower speeds. The engine is able to handle stop-and-go traffic quite well. The bike has also undergone a few mechanical changes, such as the addition of a larger rear sprocket. This has increased the bottom-end torque. And while the bike does not feel out of the right peppy at lower speeds, which is a lot more important when using the bike on a daily basis. 

The engine is also quite tractable and can handle riding at slow speeds of 35-40kmph at 4th gear. So while riding in the city, I did not find myself constantly downshifting to avoid stalling the bike. The clutch action is light, too, and riding this motorcycle in traffic never feels tiresome or hard to manage. That said, there are certain issues which are characteristic of KTM bikes, such as engine heating. But even then, the new 390 Adventure is quite good in this regard. When compared to the previous generation model, the bike manages the heat quite well. It has a redesigned radiator and fan layout that pushes heat away from the legs, and this works.

Highway Performance

During my time riding on the highway, the 390 Adventure was easily able to hold highway speeds of 80 km/h. The engine cruises at 100kmph at around 4,500 to 5,000rpm at 6th gear, which is quite impressive. The bike is quite enthusiastic and really wants to be ridden at higher speeds, but at the same time, it can handle some laid-back cruising as well. If you decide to chase numbers on the speedometer, this KTM is more than happy to oblige, and the performance is exciting at the higher rev bands. Overtakes barely take time when you are next to cars on the highways, too. 

The engine has decent levels of refinement, but vibrations are present. When pushing the bike hard, you’ll feel a buzz at the footpegs and the handlebars on the tank. If you are someone like me who has been riding Japanese motorcycles, then you’ll take a while to get used to the vibrations.

Gearbox

The 390 Adventure comes with a 6-speed gearbox, which is quite slick to use. The shifts are precise and sure, which helps while going fast. It even comes with a slip and assist clutch, which takes away from the pulling effort and makes hard downshifts easier to deal with for the engine. Finally, the bi-directional quickshifter. It worked seamlessly on my test bike, but my friends who own the motorcycle have faced issues either with upshifts or downshifts, which the service centre has not been able to resolve.

Mileage

The KTM 390 Adventure returned a mileage of 23.1kmpl when riding at high speeds on the highway and the ghats. Under mixed riding conditions of city and highway, we expect the bike to return a greater mileage of around 25kmpl. Combined with a 14.5-litre fuel tank, you are looking at the full tank range of around 300–400 km.

Underpinnings

The new 390 Adventure comes with a brand new steel trellis frame with a bolt-on subframe, which is both stiffer and lighter than before. Even the steering geometry is slightly revised for sharper response without losing stability at higher speeds. 

Brakes

The brakes on this bike are really good and have saved me from a few surprises on our roads. The front uses a 320mm disc with a radial calliper, and the rear has a 240mm disc. The front disc has a really good stopping power, but it doesn’t stop as quickly as the 390 Duke. Which, in my opinion, is a really good thing, as on an adventure bike, you want the brakes to be easier to control. This will prevent the front from locking up and the rider from losing control of the bike. That said, the brakes work exceptionally well in emergency braking situations. The ABS intervention in street mode is also very well tuned and doesn’t interfere too much. The rear disc also works quite well with the ABS turned off, making controlled slides quite easy.

City Handling

The 390 Adventure handles really well, and unlike most adventure bikes, I didn’t feel myself struggling to reach the ground. What really surprised me was how light the bike felt. The kerb weight of 182kg (wet) has been managed quite well, so moving the bike in the parking lot wasn’t an issue. The 390 Adventure R is 1kg heavier, weighing 183kg (kerb). During my time in the city, taking U-turns and just managing the bike through narrow roads was quite hassle-free. The long wheelbase and larger tyres weren’t a major hindrance. In traffic, the bike also came off as very agile and nimble relative to its size. I was easily able to cut through traffic without having to worry about the bike’s large size.

Highway Handling

On the highway, the 2025 390 Adventure felt really planted and stable. The stock suspension settings do a decent job of keeping the bike stable at higher speeds. It gives you immense confidence to carry triple-digit speeds, even white passing traffic, and making quick lane changes, and making your way through trucks and buses is as easy as making your way through rickshaws in the city. 

Cornering

The 390 Adventure is fun on a hill climb. Be it taking the shorter and dirtier way up or the tarmac, the bike inspires immense confidence. Even if you are riding with tarmac-biased motorcycles like the Duke, the 390 won't fall behind by a big margin. It leans in confidently and feels light to change direction.

Ride Quality 

The ride quality is quite good, and this comes down to the well-tuned suspension. The hardware is properly premium with a 43mm WP Apex inverted fork & monoshock, which is adjustable. During my time riding the bike in different conditions, be it city, highway, or off-road, the ride quality was quite consistent. When I was riding on the road, the bike didn’t have any trouble soaking up all of the bumps and potholes. While this setup is not as plush as the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, which soaks up the bumps better, the KTM also won't leave you complaining in most areas.  

Another thing I really liked about the suspension is how easy it is to adjust. It is as simple as turning two switches on the bike’s fork end for compression and rebound, whereas on the monoshock, you have to use a tool to adjust the rebound and preload. For me personally, I found the stock settings to be quite good and didn’t find the need to change them. But having the option to do so, and that too in such an easy way, was quite a welcome surprise.

The 2025 KTM 390 Adventure is definitely the motorcycle we've all been waiting for. Finally, it feels like a proper adventure tourer and not a hack job of converting a Duke to take touring. The new design, rider ergonomics, performance, features and suspension are all exactly like it is supposed to be — sharp and impressive. But then comes the handling, both on and off tarmac, which makes this bike an absolute all-rounder. For a one-bike garage, things do not get any better than this. Do note that while KTM initially absorbed the GST 2.0-related price hike, the brand then increased the price of the 390 Adventure and 390 Adventure X in mid-November . The 390 Adventure was one of the top 5 best adventure bikes launched in 2025 in India.

Variants

The bike is available in three variants – X, Standard and R. The X was recently updated and now gets cruise control, IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for cornering, ABS, switchable cornering traction control, and three ride modes: Street, Rain and Off-road. However, it misses out on the tubeless spoke wheels from the standard variant and gets alloy wheels. Also missing is the adjustable suspension package. The Adventure R is the most off-road centric variant, offering longer travel suspension (same as the international-spec KTM 390 Enduro R) with more wheel travel, a larger 18-inch rear wheel, taller seat height, and a massive 272mm ground clearance. This variant is also cheaper than the standard bike, as it misses out on tubeless spoke wheels.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

The Himalayan comes with one of the best suspension setups in the entire industry. Its comfort is still the best in the segment, and the low-end grunt feels like you are gliding rather than riding while touring. But the heavyweight, large size and the missing top-end performance make it not as good an allrounder as the 390 Adventure. 

Triumph Scrambler 400X

The Triumph offers good performance on and off-road, is easy to handle, and has excellent fit and finish. It does feel more premium than the 390 Adventure. However, it is not as capable off-road as the KTM 390 Adventure and misses out on cruise control and a quickshifter.