KTM confirms the launch of Adventure 390 and Adventure 250 at IBW

It was no secret that the KTM 390 Adventure and the 250 Adventure were going to make their way to India. However, there was no official word from KTM, until now. The brand has finally revealed that the much-awaited adventure bikes are set to be launched in India on December 6 at the 2019 India Bike Week.

KTM 390 Adventure

For those who have been living under a rock, the 390 Adventure is KTM’s entry-level ADV that shares its underpinnings with the 390 Duke including the 373.2cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine producing 43.3bhp and 37nm with the naked sibling. However, the components are completely different from the 390 Duke. The KTM 390 Adventure is likely to get traction control and switchable ABS as well.

The 390 Adventure that was displayed at 2019 EICMA was equipped with 43mm WP Apex USD forks with rebound and compression adjustability. At the rear, the 390 Adventure also featured WP Apex monoshock with rebound and preload adjustability. The setup offers a 170mm travel at the front and 177mm travel at the rear while the 390 Duke gets only 142mm travel at the front and 150mm travel at the rear. We can assure you that Indian variant will come with a 19/17-inch wheel setup but whether it’d get Continental rubber is yet to be confirmed. Being a true-blue ADV, the bike at EICMA was also seen with a massive seat with 855mm height. We expect KTM to offer a lower seat via its Powerparts accessories.

Another variant of the 390 Adventure with spoked rims had been spotted testing abroad. However, that bike didn’t make it to EICMA, so we assume that this version is not likely to make its debut in Goa and would be reserved for launch later next year.

KTM 250 Adventure

Aesthetically, the KTM 250 Adventure is very close to the 390 Adventure. However, instead of the LED headlamp, the 250 Adventure gets a halogen unit just like on the 250 Duke. It is powered by a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 248cc engine producing 30bhp and 24Nm of peak twist which again is the same unit from the 250 Duke. We are not sure if KTM has played around with the final sprocketing as of yet.

The 250 Adventure is expected to get non-adjustable WP units offering 170mm travel at the front and 177mm travel at the rear, same as the 390 Adventure. Braking duties will be handled by a 320mm disc at the front and a 230mm disc at the rear.

As per the spec sheet, the seat height is exactly the same as the 390 Adventure and the bike tips the scales at 156kg (dry), just 6kg more than the 250 Duke and lighter than the 390 Adventure by 2kg. Though the 250 Duke shares the same 19/17-inch wheel setup from the 390 Adventure, the 250 will probably get affordable MRF Mogrip tyres instead of the Continental rubber seen on the 390 Adventure. The 250 Adventure will also get a TFT display, but no ride-by-wire and traction control. The ABS system will also get Off-Road ABS function, which disengages the ABS at rear wheel.

With all the premium hardware that the 390 Adventure packs, the bike is likely to be priced in the range of Rs 3-3.25 lakh while the 250 Adventure will be lighter on the pocket and is likely to be priced under Rs 2.5 lakh. With the correct pricing strategy, KTM could stir up the Indian market again, like it did with the launch of the 390 Duke a few years back. And that’d not only put the BMW G 310 GS and Royal Enfield Himalayan in trouble but even the likes of Triumph Tiger 800 and Suzuki V-Strom 650.