Finally, we get off with what can be considered the most anticipated motorcycle of the decade gone! The buzz of a 390 Duke based adventure motorcycle has been doing rounds since 2014. We waited and waited and finally got to see it at EICMA in 2018 and then touched Indian shores in December at Indian Bike Week.
2020 KTM 390 Duke Adventure is a true off-roading machine that has the tried and tested heart of Duke 390. It is priced at Rs. 2.99 lakhs which is very tempting. You won’t get another motorcycle with such potency and performance at such a price point. It creates a critical situation for the likes of BMW G 310 GS and Royal Enfield Himalayan.
Insane list of assist features(many first in class)
Extensively nimble for an off-roader
Lightweight and powerful
It has cornering ABS!)(Yes, CORNERING ABS!)
Standard Alloy wheels are not off-road inspiring
Pillion seat is not so comfortable
Off-road offering based on KTM 390 Duke
Host of riding-assistance features
BS6 compliant
390 Duke Adventure shares its powerplant with the highly successful Duke 390 but has a slightly different tune to it. The engine is now BS6 compliant and so is shaved off by a marginal decrease in power figures.
It is now tuned to offer a punchy low-end torque and thus help you scale terrains easily. The character of this bombastic engine has not changed much and still gives you that wide grin on reaching its redline.
Mileage figures are expected to be similar to that of KTM 390 Duke. This one would have a bit less due to the low-end torque and added kerb weight. So, expect around 26-27 kmpl whereas the 390 Duke gets 28.5 kmpl(ARAI).
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Ex-Showroom Price (Delhi) | Rs. 2,99,000 | Rs. 1,86,951 | Rs. 3,49,000 |
Engine | 373cc Liquid-cooled single-cylinder | 411cc Air-cooled Single Cylinder SOHC Engine | 313cc Water-cooled Single cylinder SOHC Engine |
Power | 42.90 bhp @ 9000 RPM | 24.5 bhp @ 6500 RPM | 33.53 bhp @ 9500 RPM |
Torque | 37 Nm @ 7000 RPM | 32 Nm @ 4500 RPM | 28 Nm @ 7500 RPM |
Fueling | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected |
ARAI Mileage figure(kmpl) | 26.32(expected) | 29.48 | 35.0 |
Fuel tank capacity(Litres) | 14.5 | 15.0 | 11.0 |
Fuel tank capacity has been increased to 14.5 litres to give you that extra range to reach atop that peak. If we look at the bigger picture here, KTM has managed to pull the balance off very well as its competition is not far ahead in terms of mileage figures. Both the competitors are gravely underpowered and that gives this orange trail setter an edge.
Acceleration is going to be much more linear than its naked brother. This is due to the retuned ECU, to provide more low-end grunt. But don’t get too comfortable on the saddle as deep down, it is still an orange KTM and will surely surprise you.
The high compression engine will surely help it rev quicker and thus provide you with a seamless riding experience. Top speed will be less at 158 kmph due to added kerb weight and taller riding stance. The lower gears will be short for better urban mobility but the higher ones will be tall to facilitate smooth highway rideability.
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Transmission | 6-Speed | 5-Speed | 6-Speed |
0-60 kmph | N/A | 3.2 s | 3.12 s |
Top Speed(kmph) | 158(expected) | 120 | 143 |
The competition is nowhere close to this orange monster and that gives the 390 Adventure a character unique to itself. BMW G 310 GS is the only one that comes close to the new boy in town and this KTM is surely going to create a commotion like all other KTMs, duh!
It gets the same braking setup from 390 Duke but has a list of added tech features that makes it behave much differently from its naked brother. The brakes, for now, are slotted and provide exceptional levels of bite. It instils confidence and can help you get hold of this jumpy one in extreme situations.
A dual-channel ABS unit from Bosch makes sure of you not kissing the ground while going off the records. The braking might be a bit too harsh for newbies who are not accustomed to KTM’s hyperactive braking. That coupled with the long travel suspension will surely get you shaken, if not careful.
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Front / Rear | Disc/Disc | Disc/Disc | Disc/Disc |
Front Rotor Size(mm) | 320 | 300 | 300 |
Rear Rotor Size(mm) | 230 | 240 | 240 |
80-0 kmph(m) | N/A | 36.25 | 33.47 |
ABS (Single or Dual Channel) | Dual-Channel | Dual-Channel | Dual-Channel |
Royal Enfield, the cheapest off-roader in this lot also comes with a dual-channel ABS but that's about it in the Himalayan. The off-roading tech list for 390 Adventure starts from the dual-channel unit! BMW G 310 GS also has a list of features but not as much as the KTM.
390 Adventure is light and nimble and makes for a very fun riding experience. The nimble nature is due to the lightweight trellis frame along with quick-acting WP sourced suspension setup. The front setup is non-adjustable but the rear gets preload adjustment.
Comfort is commendable and the ride gets a wider and comfortable seat that can sustain you for a longer travel time. You sit tall and upright on the 390 Adventure and will never feel the fatigue. Front windshield helps dissipate a lot of windblast as well. You can tweak the rear mono-shock and make it soft or hard.
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Chassis | Trellis frame | Half-duplex split Cradle | Tubular spaceframe |
Tyre-Wheel Size(Front) | 100/90-19 | 90/90-21 | 110/80-19 |
Tyre-Wheel Size(Rear) | 130/80-17 | 120/90-17 | 150/70-17 |
Front Suspension | WP Apex upside-down forks (170 mm travel) | Telescopic Forks (200 mm travel) | Upside down forks (180 mm travel) |
Rear Suspension | WP Apex mono-shock (177 mm travel) | Mono-Shock with linkage (180 mm travel) | Preload adjustable cast aluminium dual swing arm (180 mm travel) |
Seat height(mm) | 855 | 800 | 835 |
Ground Clearance (mm) | 200 | 220 | 220 |
Kerb Weight(kg) | 172 | 194 | 169.5 |
Starting System | Self | Self | Self |
Kerb weight and performance is in a ratio which is never before seen in an adventure motorcycle. This helps it perform like a street-bred machine and handle like a pure off-roading one. Seat height is on the higher side but it won’t be an issue for shorter riders due to lower ground clearance that compensates for it. But the 390 Adventure is a big machine for sure.
KTM 390 Adventure is minimal and flaunts its exposed components in orange. This is common in all naked KTMs and thus is followed up in the adventure offering as well. The trellis frame stands exposed and you see a very similar engine inside it.
The LED headlight setup is unique and has a vertical cowl splitting it into two. The windshield is a very useful addition and also helps you attach a smart device above the instrument cluster without getting disrupted.
Aesthetic Features
Split headlamp setup
Wind visor
Bash plate
Pannier holder
Alloy wheels
Standard tail tidy
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Length (mm) | 2154 | 2190 | 2075 |
Width (mm) | 900 | 840 | 880 |
Height(mm) | 1400 | 1360 | 1230 |
Wheelbase(mm) | 1430 | 1465 | 1420 |
KTM offers the 390 Adventure with alloy wheels and that might sprout a seed of doubt in your mind, but be rest assured that these alloys will support your off-roading expedition. KTM will be offering spoke wheels as a power part and so will cater to those doubtful ones as well.
This is where the orange entity outshines the rest. Safety features are loaded to the brim here with starting with the dual-channel ABS unit. Cornering ABS, something which is heard of only in middle-weight offerings and above is available in the 390 Adventure. Supermoto mode allows you to disengage the rear ABS unit so that you can have a fair share of fun off-roads. The traction control unit works in conjunction with the ABS unit and thus helps you stay stable on the messiest of roads.
There are heavy electronics that support this adventure tourer. The colour TFT display is the window and contact point of anything electronic. You can add a quick-shifter that works both ways in the 390 Adventure along with an array of ride-assist features. KTM’s strong point is a vast number of top-notch features that none of its competitors get.
Motorcycle | KTM 390 Adventure | Royal Enfield Himalayan | BMW G 310 GS |
Ex-Showroom Price (Delhi) | Rs. 2,99,000 | Rs. 1,86,951 | Rs. 3,49,000 |
Features | Slipper clutch | Luggage rack | Upside down forks |
Traction control | Split-seat | Windscreen | |
Cornering ABS | Overhead cams | Bash plate | |
Windshield | In-Built Compass | Loads of accessories available |
The list of features is enough to change your outlook towards the KTM 390 Adventure from “overpriced” to “extremely underrated”. The number of features on offer is no match for its competition but BMW manages to come in its radar!
Royal Enfield offers us a cheap alternative to satisfy our thirst for adventure. It was our only ray of hope when Hero ditched its Impulse. But now it's back, that's a different story altogether. But KTM is back at it again, surprising us again and again. KTM 390 Adventure is a very underrated offering and with an introductory price tag of Rs. 2.99 lakhs, it surely is going to blow the competition off.
BMW launched the 310 GS as an adventure tourer. But that didn’t fare out so well as the pricing was not so “entry-level” and the fact that TVS uses the same engine in its RR310 is also a bummer as it cost Rs.1 lakh more. Now KTM is making the situation even more stressful as it is offering much more power and tech features for Rs. 50,000 less. BMW has not even updated its offerings to BS6! Just saying.
KTM is planning for an all-out invasion with the new 390 Adventure and we are sure that it will be a big one. With the amount of features on offer for such an eye-popping price, KTM has got all the equations right for the Indian market. It is an all-out adventure tourer that doesn’t hesitate to get its shoes dirty. It will be a very good learner motorcycle and thus will help a lot of newbies get onto adventure riding with ease and flexibility.