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KTM 390 Adventure in the driving postponement

Adventure for everyone

With the 390 Adventure, KTM has added a well-equipped “travel” enduro for owners of the A2 driving license to its model range. How does the little adventure fare on the first trip to Tenerife?

E.ndless, furrowed slopes in breathtaking scenery. Demanding land. The next gas station means a day’s journey, the next hospital two. Heavy luggage, payload limit, a household travels with you. You have to rely on your motorcycle, otherwise you are left, because anything could happen behind the next hilltop. adventure.

Fine irony, isn’t it? What is an extremely tempting adventure in our "office from nine to five" latitudes is everyday reality for one, perhaps two billion people in the world. Which brings us to KTM’s newest addition to the adventure family. Because the 390 Adventure, with its 44 hp, represents the “small”, affordable, A2-compatible entry into the travel enduro category, perhaps the ultimate “less is more” motorcycle. Globally, however, on the large world market, which thinks in terms of completely different quantities, the 390 Adventure is likely to be of far greater importance. In South America, for example, or India – where it rolls off the assembly line at Bajaj like all 125 and 390 KTMs – many need a motorcycle as the sole means of transport that can do everything and works on any surface. And with 373 cubic feet of Mattighofen pedigree, you’re at the top of the two-wheeled food chain.

Equipment can be seen

In view of this exciting balancing act, the equipment list of the 390 Adventure appears as rich as the lunch buffet with the all-inclusive, even for affluent Westerners: adjustable WP chassis, cornering ABS with off-road mode and lean angle-dependent traction control (Bosch), TFT display Bluetooth, slipper clutch, adjustable levers, six-speed gearbox, 14.5 liter tank and LED light all around . If you add power parts like quickshifter or a clever luggage system, nobody should miss anything in this regard.

KTM

When fully fueled, the Adventure weighs 172 kilograms.

Something similar in terms of space, because the ergonomics are surprisingly close to that of the 790 Adventure in the non-R variant. Combines a nice wide, not excessively high handlebar with deep notches and a very comfortable bench at a height of 855 millimeters. For us, especially in the “travel enduro ”segment, which until recently tended to be occupied by giants, this seems pretty moderate. However, it does not appear delicate at all, but so full that the available lowering should make sense for some.

390 Adventure or unapologetic 400 supermoto?

Big or small, light or heavy – always a question of perspective. On the one hand, the 172 kilograms that KTM reports with a full tank are, of course, a touch compared to 700, 1100 and 1300 touring enduros. On the other hand, it is also quite stable for the A2 single cylinder from a designated sports equipment manufacturer with a well-known company credo. Who still remembers the times when singles who were halfway StVZO-compliant could weigh 140 kilos?

KTM

The 390 Adventure turned out to be a real fun grenade on the winding streets of Tenerife.

Even in the first bend on the motorbike paradise island Tenerife, nothing remains of this consideration except pure driving pleasure. Roll on, bend appears, gaze finds line, 390 Adventure follows gaze, zack boom – bend rocked. For analysis, the slow motion: The operating forces on the wide handlebars are extremely low, the steering is nimble in the entire lean angle range, the 19-inch front panel provides stability, a lean feel and guidance without ever appearing bulky. The freedom from lean angles is fully adequate, and the Conti’s TKC 70 delivers a performance that we did not expect with such confidence. Admittedly, the top-level asphalt of the Canaries, which could also pass as 40 grade sandpaper, and a dry 22 degrees – these are optimal conditions. All in all, driving the 390 Adventure on the road has something of a non-capricious 400 supermoto. In the really narrow – the emphasis is on really – Winkelwerk a force, here you wouldn’t want anything else. While the traction control cannot be tested under these conditions even with rough handling of the throttle grip, the knowledge of cornering ABS is reassuringly a double floor. Brake? Bybres 320 single disc and four-piston fixed caliper harmonize.

Larger front wheel does not fit into the chassis

It continues in an extremely edifying way, because on the volcanic island there is a wonderful gravel stitch that scrambles up the south side of the famous Teide to Zwei-Zwei from almost the very bottom. A sea-to-sky for the little man on easy to moderately rough track, which provides us with adventurous insights: The 390 Adventure is not an old-school dual sport enduro, as some might have expected or hoped for. It is more of a relatively light street motorcycle plus that it can also handle non-safe roads. One after the other we find grippy, wide footrests under the rubbers, and a WP chassis made in India with 170 millimeters of spring travel on the fork (compression and rebound stage adjustable without tools) and 177 millimeters on the directly hinged strut (preload and rebound stage adjustable). Well sized, but not enduro-like. The responsiveness doesn’t seem to be the finest, but considering the price it is perfectly okay. Only loaded with the said little man, the spring rate works on the uncomfortable side, and there are definitely significant reserves.

KTM

The 390 Adventure was also able to convince off-road.

With more payload, things should shift to a more comfortable position, with a (over) motivated pace, which is at risk of breakdown. So that there is no wrong impression: walking pace, even brisk, everything you ride while sitting – which is also better suited to ergonomics, while standing the handlebars are a little low without elevation – is no problem at all. The swing, the smooth clutch and a really good off-road ABS underline the claim. If things get rough and the speed is more urgent, the 390 Adventure sends signals. Anyone who ignores them and misuses them will then gain the following insights: A TKC 70 is not a Stolle, a 19-inch device folds in faster than a 21-inch device; At some point 170mm suspension travel is as clear as 200mm ground clearance; the plastic engine protection plate is extremely robust, but aluminum would be more robust. Ultimately, such a wire-spoke wheel can withstand more than the cast rim, although neither we nor anyone else had to make this knowledge during the wrinkled presentation and KTM offers wire-spoke wheels. By the way, if you are thinking of converting to 21/18 inch: Upon request, we learn that the large front wheel unfortunately does not fit into the chassis.

You have to like single-cylinder

The return journey provides more relevant information on the intended use of the 390 Adventure. KTM’s well-known 373 cubic stew – a drag engine by the way – was and remains a single culprit of real shot and even more real grain, even in the Euro 5-ready configuration. Despite the balancer shaft, it masters vibrations in various ways, smooth running in a narrow, often adjacent window somewhere in the middle. You should like single-cylinder, but then you can love it. How this engine works through the lower middle to grab hand-tight in the upper middle and rush out to the top with great ease of revving that has fundamentally honest entertainment value.

KTM

KTM has given the Adventure 390 a comparatively lavish equipment.

We can’t think of a livelier single cylinder up to 48 hp. Can you start the long journey with it – which would be a good idea given the large tank, extremely low consumption and the corresponding range? Yes, but only if “Mimimi” is a foreign word. Keyword single-cylinder stroke: The optionally available Quickshifter can be felt by the long interruptions in ignition of the Single, it turns clutch-free up and down shifts into a 50/50 equation. Sometimes it slips, sometimes it rakes. Honest opinion: invest money in fuel instead of gearshifts.

Conclusion

KTM wanted to build “a motorcycle that can do everything”. With the exception of the “do not vibrate” item, this also succeeded. Measured against the price, the equipment is superior, the simple but functional chassis covers a pretty broad spectrum, the engine rocks more than flattering. Above all, the concept seems well-balanced and coherent: the fact that the 390 Adventure does not want to be an enduro makes it a better motorcycle in 95 percent of all driving situations. A fun grenade on really curvy asphalt, more than capable in light gravel, certainly not a bad everyday motorcycle – it is always extremely easy to drive. Exciting: If someone outside of the A2 class is willing to take the path of less is more so consistently?

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