Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands

KTM 390 Adventure First Ride Review: The Austrian for India

January 29, 2020 by Anosh Khumbatta Leave a Comment

Good roads, bad roads or no roads, the KTM 390 Adventure is up to the task.

Story: Anosh Khumbatta
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

It’s about time. With over two years of spy shots and teasers behind us, it’s safe to say that this long-legged KTM has been a long time coming. But is it enough to satiate your thirst for adventure? With 200 mm of ground clearance, 170 mm of suspension travel up front and 177 mm at the rear, the 390 Adventure slid, bounced and flew over gravel trails, large boulders, rocky paths and deep ruts as I attempted to answer this pertinent question. The WP units are firmly-sprung to absorb sudden hits and hard landings without bottoming out and transferring impacts through to the rider, while the alloy wheels, a cause for some concern amongst aspiring off-roaders, proved that they are rugged enough to take a beating without losing their integrity.

The ergonomics are perfectly suited to standing up and riding ADV-style, while the bike’s manageable 162-kg (dry) weight means that it is easy to keep upright as you scramble over everything in your path. The 855-mm seat height will take some getting used to for shorter riders, but this obstacle this can be overcome with a bit of planning and foresight over the rough stuff. And when you do suffer a tip over down the trail, the sturdy crash bars ensure that the orange bodywork stays blemish-free.

The KTM 390 Adventure is powered by the familiar 373-cc liquid-cooled single from its road-going cousin the Duke. However, it is now suspended from an all-new steel trellis frame that had been designed with off-road duty in mind. The 43.5 hp and 37 Nm of torque on tap are more than enough to send the rear tyre sideways or launch spectacularly off a crest, while the lean-sensitive traction control system regulates power if you get too greedy with the throttle. The inclusion of cornering ABS with an optional Supermoto mode rounds off the electronics package, which is far ahead of anything else in this price range. The rider interface is a colour TFT quite similar to the one on the 390 Duke, and below it is a handy 12V socket to power your phone or GPS device, while the switchgear too seems to be shared with the Duke. Unfortunately I wasn’t too impressed with the fuelling at low revs, and minor adjustments to the ride-by-wire throttle at crawling speeds bore inconsistent results, leading to unexpected stalls on occasion. I hope KTM can smooth on-off transitions with a software update.

The fuelling issues disappeared as pace increased once we hit the tarmac, and the KTM 390 Adventure proved to be a comfortable and practical road bike, capable of munching miles at speed with ease. The relaxed riding position combined with the spacious seat translate to all-day comfort, and I would much rather tour on this bike than on its sportier cousin. The bike dispatched a set of twisty roads with ease, its handling seemingly unhampered by the tall suspension and large front tyre, and this versatile nature makes it the most practical KTM around in my book.

The KTM 390 Adventure packs enough of a punch to wheelie and slide on command, cruise at triple-digit speeds for extended periods of time and glide over the worst roads in our country. It seems like the ideal bike to master our varying conditions and can take you far off the tarmac any time you feel the need to get away from civilisation.

Priced at Rs 2.99 lakh (ex-showroom), and with enough performance on tap to keep most riders entertained, the KTM 390 Adventure can take on many roles. Daily commuter, highway star, and trail rocket — this motorcycle does it all, and seems like the perfect tool for an off-road enthusiast to learn the ropes before moving on to something bigger, while still serving as a daily ride through the week. Ready for an adventure? We think so!

a.khumbatta@nextgenpublishing.net'

Believes that happiness can be found mid-corner.

Anosh Khumbatta – who has written 298 posts on Bike India.


Email

Related posts:

Bike India Awards 2023
Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 and NS 200 Update Review — Enhanced Agility
California Superbike School - Taming the Track

Filed Under: First Ride, KTM, News, Review Tagged With: 390, adventure, austria, bike, duke, India, KTM, latest, launched, new, Orange, review

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


APRIL 2023

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

17TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Anniversary Ride to the Isle of Man with Freddie Spencer and Sid Lal

TVS Ntorq Ncounters I – Navigating the Night

BMW G 310 GS Explores Nagaland

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

Yamaha MT-10 SP – Ready for Road, Track, and Touring

In recent years, however, the MT-10 has begun to show its age, especially in terms of technology and rider aids. It was always on the thirsty side, too, and, by modern standards, the brakes were lacking. It was time for an update, which is why for 2022 Yamaha introduced a new MT-10 earlier this year.

More about this.

Car India and Bike India Awards 2019

Recent Posts

  • APRIL 2023
  • Clan FRML 1.0 Riding Shoes Product Review
  • BMW R 18 Transcontinental Launched
  • Bike India Awards 2023

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Latest News

BMW R 18 Transcontinental Launched

Bike India Awards 2023

Royal Enfield 650 Twins Get Cast Alloy Wheels and Other Updates

Bajaj Pulsar NS200 And NS160 Gets USD Forks

Subscribe to Car India

Subscribe to our Car India Magazine

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2023 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·