We finally got our hands on the long-awaited KTM 390 Adventure and we’ve come back with a review which attempts to answer all your questions about this new Orange machine. Is the Dakar-inspired machine great off the road? Is it perfect? Can it tour? How’s the comfort? Below is a video review which addresses all those concerns. For our Hindi viewers, scroll down and you will find one in that language too:
Launched in India at an ex-showroom price of INR 2.99 lakh, the KTM 390 Adventure is up against the BMW G 310 GS, and in some ways, the Royal Enfield Himalayan, although the RE is considerably cheaper in terms of money. Powering this new Austrian is a KTM 390 Duke Engine which is BS6-compliant and features electronics such as EFI and ride-by-wire resulting in 43 Hp of Power and 37 Nm of Torque. Although the motor is identical to the street bike, it has been tuned to deliver more twist low down and feels well-mannered to the right wrist.
Also Read: KTM Adventure 390 Launched At INR 2.99 Lakh; Images And Spec Sheet Inside
The 390 Adventure is purpose-built for adventure travel and features a lightweight Trellis frame chassis, a long-travel suspension by WP with 170mm of wheel travel in the front and 177mm of wheel travel in the rear, tyres by Metzeler (dual-purpose), ground clearance of 200mm, long wheelbase, extendable windshield and a protective bash plate for the engine. When the bike was first revealed, the international-spec version was equipped with adjustable front forks, which for reasons related to cost, could not make it to the India-spec bike. Spoke-type wheels aren’t offered as an option either and while many would feel that the bike should’ve been equipped with a 21″ front, the 19-inch front unit is a good middle ground which makes the bike handle as it does on the road.
The KTM 390 Adventure is packed with a set of first-in-class electronics like an ECU which controls a host of electronic aids like the lean-angle sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), cornering ABS, offroad ABS for better steering on low traction surfaces, and a quickshifter+ for smooth clutchless up and downshifting. The bike also gets KTM My Ride smartphone connectivity for calls, music and optional turn-by-turn navigation, all nicely displayed and relayed by the full-colour TFT display.
Overall, according to us, the KTM is a lot of motorcycle for the money it asks and like most other orange machines out there, is fantastic value for money. It also is a capable, comfortable and a fast touring machine which will be by your side when the black stuff vanishes for some reason.