KTM changed India’s motorcycling landscape forever with the Duke, and that is a motorcycle that enjoys a cult following today. So expectations were high when the first generation 390 Adventure came out, but instead of an off-road machine, we ended up with a 390 Duke on stilts. Don’t get me wrong, it is a capable machine off-road, but it just wasn’t what was expected from the Austrian manufacturer. It loved being revved, rode well on highways, but lacked low-end torque and one had to keep shifting down on off-road trails. It left adventure motorcyclists yearning for more. But with the new 390 Adventure, KTM aims to change it all, a machine that we were told addresses all the gremlins of the previous one. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating, no?
So bags packed, I took a flight to Goa where we were to ride the new generation 390 Adventure. Interestingly for me, I was to also ride the bike back from Goa to Pune, thus ensuring that not only would I get to give the new 390 Adventure the stick on the trails set up for us in Goa, I would also get to test the bike on open highways, for over 500km! And as I glanced upon the bike at our hotel, I couldn’t help but spend a few minutes soaking in its details. The new 390 Adventure is taller, slimmer and has more of a rally bike stance. It also has a resemblance to its elder sibling, the big daddy of the ADV world, 1390 Adventure, especially with its vertically stacked headlamp that uses a bi-LED projector and also the design of the DRLs. The quality of body panels has improved too — the panels are now made of pigmented polypropylene, which means colour and graphics are infused into the panel itself. This results in significantly improved durability, because the paint and graphic won’t peel off, even if the panels get scratched or scuffed.
A big change is the revised positioning of the tank, which has been moved closer to the handlebar, making it easier to stand on the footpegs for off-road sojourns. Swing a leg over and you are greeted with an upright riding position. The wide handlebar, knee recesses on the tank and footpegs all contribute to a riding posture that’s designed keeping in mind that riders will not just sit on this bike but also stand up while riding. The seat is narrower than the previous 390 Adventure but despite the seat height of 830mm, putting both feet down was easy, even with my 178cm frame. The new seat also lets you move around easily when riding offroad. However, some may find the seat too firm for long rides. For me, the pièce de résistance was the tall display in a tower-like setting, inspired by Dakar machines. This makes it easier for the rider to glance at the display even when standing up.
KTM ensures all its motorcycles, irrespective of the displacement or positioning, are equipped with the latest technology and this holds true for the new 390 Adventure too. The biggest addition is the inclusion of cruise control which can be activated via a button on the left switch cube while speed control can be accessed through the plus and minus buttons just below the grip. The new 390 Adventure is equipped with three riding modes – Rain, Street and Off-Road, all of which can be customised — in each of these modes, traction control and ABS intervention can be adjusted to suit your liking. Off-road mode also gets an additional setting where you can tweak throttle response. KTM also addressed customer complaints by allowing the bike to remember the last ride mode setting, even when you turn the ignition off. The bike also gets cornering ABS, traction control, a 3-axis IMU and a bi-directional quickshifter. All of this can be accessed via a larger, 5-inch TFT display which now comes with a more durable bonded glass. And this means the display offers better contrast, better viewing angles now and even boasts anti-fogging properties. Bluetooth connectivity, call and music control and turn-by-turn navigation have been carried over from the previous generation motorcycle. However, for navigation, you have to depend on the KTM connect app and download maps separately, after taking a subscription. In today’s day and age, when one can simply mirror a device and run online maps, a subscription-based turn-by-turn navigation system feels a redundant though, and perhaps, it would be easier if there is a way to sync your phone’s navigation.
The LC4c engine powering the 390 Adventure is straight off the 390 Duke, which is a larger 399cc unit as compared to the older 373cc unit and is more potent. It puts out 46PS at 8,500rpm and 39Nm at 6,500rpm, and boasts good tractability throughout its rev range. It runs effortlessly, you don’t have to push it in order to tap into the performance on offer. The motorcycle pulls strongly in any gear, even at lower revs, partly due to the new engine and partly due to the revised sprockets with 14 teeth on the front one and 46 on the rear one. Gear shifts are smooth and when paired with the bi-directional quickshifter, swapping cogs feels effortless and helps.
However, vibration from the engine does creep in via the footpegs and handlebar between 4,000rpm and 5,000rpm. KTM claims a claimed top speed of 151kmph, which, as I realised while riding back to Pune, results in easier cruising at highway speeds. In fact, the new 390 Adventure feels surprisingly easy to ride — it feels light and nimble, masking its 182kg kerb weight easily.
The new 390 Adventure, despite its larger 21- inch front wheel, is quick to change direction and of course, stay composed at triple digit speeds too. The bike also feels planted around corners and feedback from the front end is almost comparable to streetbikes running a 17-inch front wheel. There’s a huge change in the way the new bike handles off-road too — it feels light and nimble as if it is an enduro motorcycle (can’t imagine just how good the 390 Enduro will be thus!). The new WP Apex forks do a brilliant job of absorbing bumps and keeping the front end planted even on gnarly trails. The front forks come with 30-step adjustability for compression and rebound, while the rear monoshock offers 20-step rebound and 10- step preload adjustability.
This results in immense ability to fine-tune the suspension setup, so there should be a setup for everyone. Another big change on the new 390 Adventure are the new, patented, tubeless wirespoke wheels. Literally the best of both worlds, these wheels combine the off-road ability of wirespoke rims with the ability to mount tubeless tyres for touring. A minor irritant did rear its ugly head though in the form of the rally-style windscreen that aimed air directly onto my forehead and that made for a lot of wind noise at highway speeds. The headlamps received a much-needed revision too, and the new projector unit offers a good spread with excellent illumination.
The KTM 390 Adventure is priced at ₹ 3.70 lakh ex-showroom, and considering the level of upgrades on offer, this doesn’t seem like a very big ask. Also because the new Adventure 390 feels significantly better than the motorcycle it replaces, in every way. It has a lot more technology than the older bike, gets equipment that has been engineered thoughtfully, a much better engine and quality of life improvements throughout. Clearly, KTM has listened to customers and delivered a motorcycle that become the new benchmark in its segment, and set cash registers ringing too!
