Not content with what seems like an eternity of teasing, KTM has now come one step closer to revealing a price tag on its brand new 390 Adventure, which shares its underpinnings with the 390 Duke, while packing the gear for capable thrills both on and off tarmac. Bookings for the 390 Adventure are set to open in January 2020, with deliveries to follow soon after, or even within the month, as KTM claims.
At a casual glance, the 390 Adventure may look like a jacked-up 390 Duke with a windscreen. It even shares the 373.2cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine making 43.3bhp and 37nm. However, that’s where the similarities end. This is because of, first of all, the suspension. On the 390 Adventure, the suspension travel has been significantly increased, up from 142mm to 170mm at the front and 177mm from 150mm at the rear, bringing the saddle height up from 830mm (on the Duke) to 855mm. Complementing the raised stance is the inclusion of a 19-inch front and 17-inch wheel setup, shod with off-road biased Metzeler Tourance rubber. Additionally, adjustable suspension (rebound and preload for the front, and rebound and compression at the rear) will be available under the list of KTM Powerparts accessories, bringing the 390 Adventure that much closer to the ‘big boys’ out there.
However, there’s more to the 390 Adventure than just the trick suspension and off-road wheels and tyres. The 390 Adventure also gets not only traction control but also cornering ABS, the first single-cylinder motorcycle in India and the most affordable bike till date that can be bought new with these features on offer.
And that’s not all, as close on the heels of events such as Orange day, which give Duke and RC owners a chance to exploit the racing potential of their steed, KTM will now organise the Adventure Rally series of events (the brand has estimated five to six such events in the inaugural year) for KTM 390 Adventure owners to get a hang of riding off-road.
The 390 Adventure is perhaps exactly what Indian off-roading enthusiasts had been asking for, with the equipment and features on offer, especially at this price point. However, KTM has once again played hooky, shying away from revealing the price. The word on the street is that the 390 Adventure will retail for ‘under Rs 4 lakh’. However you look at it, the 390 Adventure packs quite a punch, and seems to stnd head and shoulders above the competition (like the Royal Enfield Himalayan and BMW G310 GS) with the specs and kit on offer meaning it could very well breathe down the necks of more ‘established’ ADV bikes like the Kawasaki Versys 650, BMW F750 GS, and even the Triumph Tiger 800!