KTM 390 Adventure test

Menus

• Accessible adventure
• Single cylinder, 373.2 cm3, 44 hp and 37 Nm, 172 kg full made, WP suspensions, ByBre brakes, ABS in curves and Offroad…
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Test
• Part-cycle
• Braking
• Conclusion

Accessible adventure

Single cylinder, 373.2 cm3, 44 hp and 37 Nm, 172 kg full made, WP suspensions, ByBre brakes, ABS in curves and Offroad…

Since production of the KTM 125 Duke started in 2011, followed shortly after by the 390 Duke and then their RC sports binoculars, no less than 515,000 KTMs have been built by its partner Bajaj in India.. According to boss Stefan Pierer, production volumes gradually increased throughout the decade until in 2018 alone more than 100,000 motorcycles rolled off Pune production lines, two-thirds of which were at their destination. India and Indonesia, two of the world’s three largest markets. The rest were distributed across the globe, from Austria to Australia and Ukraine to the United States, where more than 20% of the total production of 261,454 motorcycles in 2018 was shipped..

KTM 390 Adventure review

However, none of these Indian-built machines came directly from the line of versatile machines that have made the Austrian manufacturer successful since the introduction of the first 620 Adventure in 1996. An absence which is largely explained by the lack of confidence. the boss of Bajaj, Rajiv Bajaj, in the fact that a real demand exists for this type of machine in the Indian market. And this despite the state of Indian roads on which the long-travel suspensions of a road trail would be perfectly suited and congested cities in which a higher saddle is always an advantage to ride, not to mention the possibilities of getaways. off road. One could only assume that the advent of the Royal Enfield Himalayan, BMW G310 GS and other Kawasaki Versys-X 300s over the past two years might change his mind….

The KTM 390 Adventure

This absence is now filled since KTM has just presented at the EICMA in Milan its first small capacity trail with the 390 Adventure which should arrive in dealerships in March 2020. Initially developed at the Mattighofen headquarters, this model is produced entirely in the Indian factory. We were lucky enough to be able to try out the 390 Adventure in its preproduction version a few weeks away from EICMA. Does the last born of the small KTM manage to present itself as a true all-rounder or is it satisfied with the simple exercise of style? This is what we went to check.

Discovery

To create this 390 Adventure, KTM mainly used the same platform as for the 390 Duke, especially with regard to the mechanical part which remains generally the same while the chassis has been modified to better suit the off-road inclinations of the bike..

KTM 390 Adventure

The 373 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-valve engine therefore remains very similar with its 12.6: 1 compression, 89 x 60 mm dimensions and even its dual overhead camshaft distribution. As with the Duke, it delivers a maximum of 44 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, which leaves it compatible with the A2 license. The maximum torque of 37 Nm is delivered at 7,000 revolutions on this bike which weighs only 158 kg dry, or 172 kg once the 14.5-liter tank is full, promising in the process 400 km of autonomy. All this applies despite the addition of a double catalyst to the exhaust line which allows the engine to meet the new Euro5 standard. The whole cooling system has been modified with a curved radiator and two fans. We also find the same six-speed gearbox and its clutch in oil bath with cable control. Our test model also benefited from an up / down Quickshifter, normally offered as an option.

Engine of the KTM 390 Adventure

The Bosch ECU of the 390 Adventure offers a mechanical throttle control which controls the opening of the Dell’Orto 38mm throttle whose airbox is mounted under the saddle to aid in the compactness of the machine. The ride-by-wire has also been revised to correspond to on / offroad use with a single driving mode. The traction control on the deactivatable angle is installed as standard with the Bosch 9.1MP curved ABS which can also be switched to Offroad mode if necessary, then cutting the intervention of the ABS on the rear, reducing its intensity at the front and no longer taking into account the inclination data. This allows you to block the back to afford some glides.

Muffler of the KTM 390 Adventure

The motor is installed in the tubular steel trellis as a supporting element. The rear frame buckle is bolted on and derived from the 450 Dakar Rally, although the wet-sump format makes it more imposing and requires placing it higher in the center of that 1,430mm wheelbase. The frame design is therefore closer to that of the 2017 Duke r, but with a longer 15mm aluminum alloy swingarm to provide more travel in off-road sections. The Adventure is fitted with Continental TKC70 tires mounted on 19 "front and 17" rear aluminum rims. The large 320mm front brake disc and 4-piston radial caliper also show off the bike’s claims of versatility and are paired with a 230mm rear disc with dual-piston floating caliper. These brakes are produced by Brembo under the ByBre subsidiary.

KTM 390 Adventure rear tire

Despite everything, for a trail that claims to be access, the WP Xplor fork of this 390 Adventure is quite high-end, with the rear cantilever adjustable in preload and rebound and offering 177 mm of travel. Up front, the 43mm inverted fork opens to 26.5 ° with 98mm trail and offers 170mm of travel with compression adjustment on the left tube and rebound on the right.

KTM 390 Adventure WP shock absorber

This package thus displays a high saddle of 855 mm, although a suspension lowering kit allows it to be reduced by 25 mm and two types of optional saddles leave the choice of lowering the seat by an additional 10 mm or raise it by 20 mm. The standard seat is made up of two parts and leaves room for the passenger with even a small storage space under the rear section. There are also a myriad of luggage options for the city or the road, while the protection bars of my test bike are optional, unlike the hand guards..

KTM 390 Adventure seat

This high level of equipment for this entry-level model also includes LED lights at the front, rear and for the turn signals, with an integrated headlight in this very distinctive KTM style. The fork crown also incorporates a screen adjustable in two positions, but which requires a screwdriver to move it 40 mm in one direction or the other..

KTM 390 Adventure LED headlight

In the saddle

The 390 Adventure is also equipped with an easily readable five-inch color TFT meter which automatically adapts its lighting to the ambient light. The menu is adjusted from the stalk on the left of the tapered aluminum handlebar and allows you to manage the ABS or traction control settings and scroll through the information on the screen. It is also possible to connect your smartphone to the motorcycle via the optional My Ride app which also allows you to display turn-by-turn navigation.

KTM 390 Adventure TFT speedometer

Measuring 1m80, I immediately felt at ease once on board, the handlebars being perfectly pulled back to ensure a position full of control. The saddle tapers well at the base of the tank to allow you to put your feet on the ground. And although its padding is quite firm, I did not feel any discomfort throughout my test..

Ergonomics of the KTM 390 Adventure

Of course, everything is changing, but right now the 390 Adventure is presented as the best equipped beginner trail on the market. I was lucky enough to be able to verify this during a 120 km jaunt on the small Austrian country roads, with a lot of paths and a bit of real off-road on the program..

Test

But the thing that you immediately perceive is that the 390 Adventure is a "normal" size motorcycle, maybe even bigger than its sister Duke. It gives a real presence and offers space thanks to the low footrests, but not too much to cause ground clearance problems. Paradoxically, it also seems light and easy off-road, especially at high speed on gravel tracks where switching from ABS to Offroad mode gives a real feeling of control. More than safe for the less experienced, this bike is also fun to ride.

The KTM 390 Adventure in offroad

A passage on the asphalt is enough to prove that it is a true dual-use model, both stable and fast in tight turns despite the thinness of its front tire of 100 / 90-19, while agile and comfortable on changes of direction, diving side to side in series of turns.

KTM 390 Adventure road test

I had never tested Continental tires before, but they provide a lot of confidence due to the predictability of their graduated profiles, even on angle changes at any speed, while they impress with their grip. in tight turns. So I could brake to the chord point in hairpin turns without the ABS obviously intervening, then re-accelerate quite unexpectedly for a 44 horsepower motorcycle. This is because the chosen level of Traction Control in curves and the surprising level of grip of the rear tire allowed me to accelerate strongly, always on the angle. Improbable? The more I accelerated to follow the opener, the more the tire stuck to the road, without any side reaction. Even more surprisingly, the tire does not make much noise in a straight line, unlike many rims of this type..

The KTM 390 Adventure on a curve

This great engine, which I already know from its use on the Duke and RC variants, is a key part of the quality of this bike. Anyone who rides the 390 Duke knows how good it is. It instantly comes to life as soon as the start button is pressed before delivering a hard-hitting acceleration, but it must be kept above 4,000 rpm for full throttle pick-ups without jerking the transmission. With a torque already reaching 30 Nm at 6,000 rpm, there is no need to insist on the 6-speed gearbox. The latter is also very flexible and the lever responds without too much effort. Moreover, the clutch and brake levers are both adjustable, another point not very common on small displacement.

The KTM 390 Adventure at acceleration

In addition, the optional up / down shifter is perfectly calibrated, simply requiring sufficient pressure to be actuated in one direction or the other, which is also advantageous in Offroad where one thus retains more control while the you don’t have to grip the clutch on a slippery surface.

The KTM 390 Adventure on the roads

The arrival of the power is done more gradually than suddenly, even if the acceleration is more pleasant above 6,000 rpm, with an extension that one does not suspect on an engine of barely 375 cm3. The response is also quite good and immediate at higher revs, but you don’t have to push in the towers to get a good feeling..

Corner entry with the KTM 390 Adventure

The performance of this very smooth engine makes the 390 invigorating as it escapes from its idle of 1,300 rpm without too much effort at the lever. It’s a great motorcycle for the city. The engine is smooth and fairly torquey, with very linear acceleration throughout the rev range and a little extra kick above 6,000 rpm. Thanks to the balance shaft that does its job, no vibration disturbs driving, not when you flirt with the breaker at 10,200 rpm. It’s also a surprisingly fast 373cc motorcycle, posting 150 km / h on the digital counter at 8,200 rpm on the last gear. At this speed, it remains straight and stable, without excessive vibration and with good protection of the windshield set in the high position..

The KTM 390 Adventure in a straight line

Part-cycle

I was impressed with the Adventure’s WP suspension package which, with ample wheel travel at each end, provides a welcome degree of smoothness on those bumpy, bumpy and frost-ravaged mountain roads..

Adjusting the WP fork of the KTM 390 Adventure

Braking

The big front brake never stuck, even when I used it less and less carefully on the track before realizing how well the Offroad ABS is set up. On asphalt, it offers benchmark braking compared to models of equivalent ranges, even if it will not frighten beginners and the rear brake ensures a lot of sensations also in TT.

Front brake of the KTM 390 Adventure

Conclusion

With this very accessible, 390 Adventure, KTM and its partner Bajaj produced what should be a very striking motorcycle on the international market. It is a big (smaller) capacity motorcycle that fights in the upper category and which should thus open the doors of adventure tourism to a wider audience, in terms of age, budget and nationality. It can be seen as the modern version of the first Yamaha XT600Z which more or less initiated the genre in 1983. It is an important model and at least wait until you have tried it before you tell me I’m wrong…

KTM 390 Adventure 2020

Strong points

• Smooth and lively motor
• Stability and agility
• Suspensions
• ABS and TC Offroad

Weak points

• Saddle a little firm

The technical sheet of the KTM 390 Adventure

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