Introduction
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| KTM 390 Adventure White |
KTM has launched the Adventure version of the 390 which was much awaited. It was the motorcycle most of us were waiting and KTM broke the ice in the December 2019. The hype was real as they have showcased the 790 ADV and 390 ADV in the India Bike Week held at Goa every year. It is the biggest biking festival in India and i would suggest going there. There were only Royal Enfield Himalyan and the overpriced BMW GS310R in the affordable adventure motorcycle category. We had many hopes with KTM and it checked out almost all the boxes.
Engine
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| 373.2 cc engine |
Like all the KTMs, the Adventure 390 is based on the Duke 390 and shares the same engine, transmission and even the chassis. I have reviewed Duke 390 earlier and you could click here for more detailed information. It uses the same BS-VI 373.2cc engine producing 42.3 bhp at 9000 rpm and peak torque of 37 Nm at 7000 rpm. The engine is in the same state of tune and uses the same 6-speed transmission with a slipper clutch. Now we, get a quick-shifter for quick up-shifting without clutch engagement. This motorcycle continues with ride by wire throttle. Additionally, for keeping the temps lower the radiator is now bigger with a curvy design and that had allowed to use two fans on the radiator. So now engine overheating is not a concern.
Chassis & Dimensions
This ADV is underpinned by the same Steel trellis frame but the dimensions and geometry has been altered to suit the character of the ADV. This now gets a wheelbase of 1430 mm, up by 73 mm. The length, width and height are 2154 mm, 900 mm, 1400 mm respectively. It gets a purposeful ground clearance of 200 mm with a seat height of 855 mm which means it isn't meant for shorter riders. The front wheel is a 19-inch alloy and rear is a 17-inch alloy. Spoke wheels would have been better.
Suspension & Brakes
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| 19-in wheel |
This motorcycle gets long travel suspensions for both rear and front. The front ones are upside down 43 mm WP telescopic shocks with 170 mm travel. For the rear it is again a WP mono-shock with 177 mm travel. These numbers signifies that we can off-road it and on Indian roads it is never be a problem.
The brakes have been carried over, we get 320 mm disc at the front and 230 mm disc at the rear. It gets off-road spec tires as well, front tire is a 100/90-19 and for the rear we have 130/80-17.
We now have three modes for ABS, the normal, cornering ABS and off-road ABS, this lets us slide the rear and enjoy the ride.
Electronics & Features
The motorcycle is loaded with electronics considering the price point. We get the same full LED headlamp unit as on the duke 390 but the headlamp is fixed here. The TFT colour instrument cluster has also been carried over. This motorcycle gets ride-by-wire technology which uses sensors on the accelerator and sends the signals to the ECU which then regulates the fuel and air supply to the fuel injector. We also gets Traction Control System at this price. This ensures that your motorcycle always have traction to its rear wheel, whenever it senses that the wheel is losing traction it cuts off the power and then again switch it on in millisecond that we cannot feel, and the wheel always has traction. It also gets three modes of ABS which has been discussed above. All the bulbs used are LEDs be it indicators, tail lamp or headlamp. It also gets the KTM My Ride system which allows to connect you phone to the motorcycle wirelessly and make calls, listen music and much more.
Ergonomics
Unlike other ADVs it get a straight upright position. The handlebar has been raised and thr seat is long, rider gets enough room to play around. The 14.5 L fuel tank is sculpted from metal and has cuts and creases to comfortably place our knees and grip it. The front windshield is clear and tall, helps in deflecting wind at triple digits. The length of the windshield is two-step adjustable, meaning it has two lengths one short and one a bit long. The metal foot-pegs and brake lever are also designed for off-roading, foot-pegs have rubber grip on them for daily use-ability.
Final Verdict
KTM 390 Adventure is one of the best adventure motorcycle you can buy in India at this price point, but it is not meant for hardcore off-roading for what most fans were waiting. It is a good ADV bike, far better than the premium GS310R. You can go touring on this motorcycle, yes people are doing that on duke as well but this motorcycle will not tire you and you can go comfortably, and it can do some off-roading as well. If you want to go some serious off-roading, Himalyan is the option. The only limit which stops off-roading are its alloy wheels, they feel like they will not withstand the torture but some mild off-roading will never hurt.
It is available for the 3,01,103 INR ex-showroom in white and orange colours.
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