Brutally honest KTM 390 Adventure Review 

I love this bike for exactly what it is not. Obviously a bike with a 19" front wheel and less than 7" suspension travel is not intended to be an "Off Road" bike. It is intended to be a back road, gravel/dirt road travel bike, and for that it works absolutely awesome, especially given the features and price point. As a senior (almost 62) and having ridden all my life, including competing in countless enduros, I speak from experience. I have hardly ridden my 1090R since getting the 390. Lot's of people like the DR650 as a light adventure bike. The only thing this bike gives up to that is suspension travel and ground clearance. The 390 is faster than a DR, has well over 200 mile range with stock tank, and unlike the DR the stock suspension is quite good. Oh, and it's fuel injected, has off road ABS, a power port, wind screen, and is comfortable and will cruise all day long at 70. My only significant complaint is that traction control cannot be defaulted to off. Other than that, I think the gearing might work better with one tooth less on the front since it's sometimes difficult to get the back to break loose and slide, so I intend to try that when the time comes. This bike is in a category of it's own, and I like that.

It is still probably the only adv bike that I can pick up from the ground while riding alone fully packed... And this is a big plus!

I have a 2022 KTM 390 Adventure and love it! It is everything I wanted in a small ADV. . With a few mods this little thing can and will surprise most the ADV riders out there. Its light nimble and so much fun on and off road. I am so impressed with this bike, cant wait to hit the trails again. Have fun and be safe.

Enjoyed the review, it’s nice to hear differing opinions. Knox Armour and ADV Matt have pretty great reviews for this bike and really put it through its paces. It’s well worth the money in my opinion with everything it comes with and the list is long. I have one in the US and use it to mostly ride OHV mountain trails in Colorado. It’s a fantastic bike that can comfortably get you to an off-road trail, ride the trail, and then get you home. I don’t think there’s another adventure bike that comes from the factory at this price point with this much capability and amount of features.

Excellent & honest review. I own a 2020 390 AdV, Tiger 800 & KTM 690 and the 390 is my bike of choice for Adv off-road biking. Firstly my 390 hardly resembles what I bought: added spoke wheels, hand guards, seat concept, wider straight foot pegs, akrapovic exhaust & Rekluse clutch. Bike has an incredible engine which comes alive with high revs. It has a very low Centre of gravity which makes it an absolute blast in off-road conditions. Just came back from an extreme off-road trail in Lesotho which is as a 500km trip.

Glad to see u back here. Cannot appreciate more a review when it is honest as it is the only review worth of its name. 👍🏻🙂

"It's as tall as my neeeples!" is my new catch-phrase.

I really appreciate these honest reviews, because it allows me to make a safe purchase on the bike I want. Thank you!

I put KAPPA710DTK windscreen on my 390 (I think it's a bit taller and wider then the one you tested), and for me it was enough to get decent wind protection. But I'm 176 cm tall, and for somebody taller when 180 it won't be enough. I also geared it up a bit, and it was enough to cut number of gear switches needed while city comuting in half. It also made long-range cruising a bit more fuel efficient. When I'm not trying to get somewhere fast and just cruising (85-90 km/h) I can get less when 3 litres per 100 km, which I think is impressive by itself, and provides 400+ km range. Unfortunately, when I start riding highway speeds (130+) - fuel consumption almost doubles : ( . For off-road part, I completely agree with you. In fact, my modifications made it even less off-roady, but for me - it's fine, I'm only using it for light off-roading anyway. Still, it would be nice to have a bit more ground clearance, for me the bike is quite high, but the only benefit I'm getting from this height is good situation awareness in traffic. Also, if you're going to ride with the passenger - passenger seat should be replaced, stock seat is just horrible. Comfort seat from KTM works fine, maybe where are other cheaper options in the aftermarket. That being said, rider seat is completely fine for me, I can easily spend several hours in the saddle without any significant discomfort.

Excellent detailed review as usual. Your reviews are not a second boarding, they always contain a lot of fun while they are always keeping the serious track and provide a complete information about a bike. This time you came to a result that I got already as feedback from some people riding it and provide a honest statement, not a fanboy one. I also realized that your videos are the only ones (beside music or repair instruction) I watch two times or more. Keep up that great work!

hello 👋🏼, have you compared the bike with the Caballero Rally? Which one offers the better overall package?

Thanks for the honest review! And congrats on the 10k subs!!!

Great review! Luv to finally watch a review that has well-researched and factual opinion and is grounded in experience. Best line: ‘it’s a Duke that spent too much time with the guys in the marketing dept” lol!

Do you know the 2021 electrical power output in city driving vs. highway speeds with everything stock maxed out (e.g. high beams, display brightness etc)? It would be nice to know for planning to add heated and other power gear. How many watts to we have to work with after the bike draws power for stock systems?

Your complaint about the quick shifter doesn't make sense to me. The point of a quick shifter is to be able to shift while accelerating hard and not have to lift off the throttle to maximize acceleration. Not for putting around at slow speed in low revs. If you don't want to ever clutch, buy a scooter Edit: you should also be comparing this bike more to other smaller displacement adventure bikes like the Versys 300X, BMW 310 or the CBX500 rather than the smaller offroad focused dual sports when looking at the travel. Its an adv bike, not a dual sport. In this category, the travel it has makes more sense. If you were expecting this to be a dual sport then I understand your disappointment here, but it being an adventure bike should have been obvious

As a KTM 390 ADV owner, I completely agree with this review. I am from Kentucky originally and grew up riding 2 cycle dirt bikes, mopeds, scooters, etc. I'm 49 now and owning a road bike was on my bucket list. I am 6'5 and 240lb. I live about 10 miles from Cleveland, OH for the last 25 years. I consider myself a novice and got my temporary license in October 2022. It's at least 1-2 hours before I can reach a public unimproved/dirt road. I wish cruise was an option! As a tall rider, this bike fits me extremely well and only changed the seat, footpegs, windshield and mirrors to improve the ergonomics for my stature. I like the speed shift mostly for downshifting as it is rough 1st to 2nd gear unless you're into the throttle hard. I get 70 mpg average; I'm older now and not going as fast as I used to:) This bike also has a two year 18,000 mile warranty >I've not seen that mentioned around the interwebs. The buld quality/materials on this bike are of poor quality. Brake levers and mirror adjustment hardware are cheap metal that strip easily. Aftermarket parts are readily available both domestic and international. I have found the bike easy to work on/accessorize as the farings come off easily (added Oxford heated grips >$88 on Amazon). I bought a radiator and headlight protector on ebay for $65. Hepco and Becker Alumrack pannier and rear rack for $235 shipped. Hepco and becker refurbished 30L junior panniers for $235 shipped. For under $1000 I rigged the bike quite well and significantly improved the ergonomics. The KTM dealer network is robust in the area>break in service at 1000k/660 miles was $267! In all I do feel this is a good bike for a beginner. I can definitely see an experienced rider taking this bike off road and identifying many shortcomings, however, as a newer rider I felt this bike matched my situation well >80% road 20% off road>just like the Continental tires that come on the bike from the factory. I hope I can one day ride in Portugal!!!

Hi Diogo. Great review. I'd love to see a video detailing how you shoot your videos. Like how you attach the 360 to your back. You get great stable shots.

Very interesting review! I'm looking for a bike for everyday use (commuter), including city riding, that's light (maximum 180kg), with reasonable power (at least 40hp) and some light off-road capability. From my research, the KTM 390 Adventure and Triumph Scrambler 400 X stand out. Then there are others like the Honda CB/NX 500, the CD Moto MT 450 or the new RE Himalayan, which are heavier but fulfil the other requirements. What do you think would be the best option? Cheers

I've been looking at this as my first adventure bike. after seeing your review, I have to ask, is there any other bike in this class and purpose that does what this bike should do better?

Diogo, Where can I purchase one of your stickers?

I have the 890 S model and want a second bike that is more capable of highway miles to get to the trails, than my KLX300 dual sport. I think you've shown me that the DR 650 is probably the way to go as I've been thinking about the DR for quite some time now. Well done.

I was a bit frightened to read your review mainly because I bought a 390 Adv. and very much respect your opinion. I was relieved to see that you enjoyed it on open windy roads for touring! Fortunately this is the reason I bought the 390 Adv and not for off road or for much city commuting. So far, with only a few thousand km. on the bike, I find it fulfills all my expectations of reasonable power, easy handling, comfort and economy.. I have plans to visit Bulgaria this year with a friend from Germany, following that I should have a pretty good idea of whether it fits the bill or not. Keep up the brilliant reviews!!

Mais um excelente teste e melhor vídeo ainda!!! Parabéns. Tive oportunidade de testar a moto (de uma forma mais limitada, sem off-road) e coincido em tudo aquilo que disseste. Acrescento a desproporcionalidade do quadro para aquilo que é a moto e que lhe adiciona um peso precioso. Sobre o quick-shift, convém esclarecer que a base fundamental para que o mesmo funcione nos dois sentidos , é que as rodas dentadas das engrenagens da caixa de velocidades têm que ser helicoidais (até há bem poucos anos eram rectas e por isso os quick-shift só funcionavam para subir as velocidades). O quick-shift, a única coisa que faz é o corte de injeção. Outra condição fundamental é que o acelerador seja eletrónico. Por tudo o descrito, temos sempre a opção de o fazer manualmente, como o fizeste no vídeo.

I put 8000km on it, road, off road, commuting, i think the only real problem of this bike are the vibrations. I'm totally satisfied with the rest. I put spoke wheels, some mod to the suspension, protections and it's just fine. If you want more you have to spend a lot more for much heavier bikes ✌️

What is always interesting to me is that by comparison to the larger 890 and 1290 adv bikes, people much more often point out the cast rims on this bike as being an issue whereas the much larger and heavier bikes also come with the same rims.

Thank you for this review, it helped me decide and go for the CB500X. I'm a beginner rider semi retired looking tonride in Namibia next winter.

Absolutely love your review. Just discovered your channel & now I'm a new subscriber.... Well done 👊🏼

On an off road ride with a friend who had one of these, resetting traction control was a right pain for him every time we stopped. Fellow blogger Fortnine was also not impressed with the bike.

I like the review, as my first on road bike, I am awaiting delivery of my new 390 adventure. I was second guessing my choice. I was drawn to the 390 as my starter platform, I like the upright stance, the price was a definite factor. The easy modifications, and it's a KTM. I realistically know I won't be jumping any time soon, and by the time my skills are there I will know what direction to go for an upgrade. Thanks for the review, new subscriber.

This is so great, love the comic vibes as always. Could you do Honda cb 500x and/or macbor montana xr5, if you can. Would really apreciate your opinion on their offroad capabilities compared to this ktm

Great review! I would absolutely love to see a comparison review of the Honda CB500X - somewhat same category (certainly marketed the same) / same price / but much different design concept. Looking for a "mid-to-small adventure bike" these are the 2 that would top my list, for sure (am I wrong?)

Nice, Ive been waiting on you to finally get your hands on one of these.

Every once in a while RU-vid throws a real jem.. and this time it was you my dear off-road ofcourse.. liked the way you reviewed the bike and loved your sense of humour.. 👍🔔

Just bought a used CB500F, thank you for validating my purchase as I compared it heavily with the 390 Duke/Adventure lineup :)

Can you explain the need for steering dampers?

How old was the bike. My Duke 390 had very stiff suspension for a few thousand km and now it has losend up. Thanks for your honesty. I'll subscribe.

I love your honesty in this video, it’s very refreshing. So I’m thinking about buying a KTM 390, but with this video in mind, I am wondering what bike would you recommend that this one it trying to be in the same sort of size and price range. As tested, I want this for all, including commuting, city riding and of course off road/green laning.

Thanks for the video! :D

hi what did you think about the honda 500x 2022 please

“But as we say in Portugal, ‘It’s enough of hitting the little blind man.’” LOL! Great review and truly Brutally honest. You earned a sub…partially because I’m loving the virtual tour I get of your beautiful country with your reviews…and mostly because of really Good production. 👍👍

I own the husqvarna 401 (same engn¡ine and suspension) and yeah, the bike is crazy stiff, only with low tire pressures and a passenger does it feel kinda nice, it´s too good for its own sake. I would preffer worse suspension like 41mm forks, however, I have bent the spoked tires many times so the cast wheels actually make sense

I think that the cast aluminum wheels, the tires (19-17), and obviously the suspension travel (17-17.7) don't help at all and it's difficult to understand why KTM took this decision. My ideal ADV bike should be around 500cc, weight around 150kg, suspension travel front/rear around 25cm, tires front/rear 21/18, spoked wheels. Then I don't know whether or not it exists. I struggled with a BMW 1150 GS ADV that weighed 270kg! With my offroad skill (none), I found myself almost always in trouble. Anyway I saw someone using that bike like a normal light dirt bike... OK, he is Superman and I am Goofy, so no chance. Thank you Diogo for your nice and funny videos!

do you have a review on the honda cb500x?

Quite the opposite of my crf250l. Yesterday I was riding dirt roads on farm land its squishy suspension was just swallowing every bump at 70km/h.

Well the question is, if you want to do mixed riding involving alot of road, what is your option? I ride my 390 on difficult terrain with guys on T7s and the big difference is when we get in trouble the 390 is alot easier to manhandle. The other difference is £4.5k! The CRF is a dog on road. The himalayan is a tractor, the CBX is even more road oriented than the ktm... and er, that's about all your options unless you spend £9.5k. What do you suggest as an affordable option that has some capability across the field?

I was really hoping to like this bike. Too bad, but thankfully we have your great reviews to steer us clear of the bad eggs! Thanks!

I think this might be the best review so far. Glad to see your review very balanced from fellow dual sport soul. I just compared the 390ADV to the Freewind 650. We know which is better ;)

Thank you for this review. It was well done and saved me from making a big mistake. I've had a 650 Vstrom since 2018 and the lure of off-roading adventures never came to fruition. It's been a super reliable commuter and a great all-day fun-run bike. The Vstrom would make a good long-distance ADV, but I'm getting older and reality is saying...maybe not. It's also nice in traffic too because it's nimble. Lately I've been riding more dirt and the Vstrom suspension has been found wanting. I was considering adding a KLX 300, but I saw this KTM 390 at the same dealer...for less. I've been pouring into RU-vid searching for comparisons of the KTM 390 vs the KLX 300. Not much out there, but alot of glowing videos about the KTM. The seems to have the same issues as the Vstrom off-road (19" front tire & low ground clearance), but it's lighter. I thought the KTM could replace the Vstrom without adding the KLX 300. I think now I'll just add the KLX.

Very thorough review. I agree about shifting and clutch. I've never ridden a motorcycle that you have to use the clutch to shift all the time. Would like to see a review of the Kawasaki Versys x300

Nice review. I agree with you on that quick shifter. By the way, did you experience any engine stalling at low revs? That seems to be a common complaint with the 390 ADV riders here in India.

'does it do off road?' 10mph on a wide open path- 'sure, look at me i'm doing off road!' 😂

I have one. It’s pretty good for what it is and if you ride it within its capabilities. I commute with mine and do gravel/dirt roads. It does great for that kind of riding. The traction control is stupid, there’s no reason to have it, if you pull out of a driveway or whatever quickly the traction control with kick in and tell you no because it’s lean angle sensitive. That’s really my only complaint. Just don’t think it’s a dirtbike and it’ll do well I think

It's such a shame, but I suspect the engineers knew exactly what they were doing... Avoiding canabilising the sales of the 890 ADV with a lighter bike that has similar capabilities. Any idea if the Colove 450 Rally is coming your direction? I'd love to see your thoughts on it! I know it's being released in the US and UK under the GPX marquee, not sure which other countries it's headed.

Great reviews! I have gone through your reviews for both the Himalayan and the Adv 390, between the two, if my purpose would be fore adventure offroading, which among the two would you recommend more? I am 5'9 and without any real need for speed since I've got other naked bikes as well but would want a good overall offroader between the two (not much technical trails)

Hey Diogo, I thought we were going to have to send the search party out to come and look for you, but I'm please to see you're OK. Great review, very honest. I like the 390 Adventure, A. Because its a KTM and I bleed orange blood. B. Because the 390 Adventure makes sense on paper. But you're review highlights all its failings which you wouldn't know about until you'd bought one. I think my modified XT660R is safe for quite some time yet 👍

I completely agree also ryan F9 made a similar review. I wanted so much to like this bike because I love the big 790R and 890R but it’s not a smaller version of that. It’s actually the bigger version of a duke and that just doesn’t do it for me. For this bike to be really off-roadble you have to add bar raisers, spoke wheels, new pegs and a little bit shorter gearing by the time you are done upgrading you realize you could buy a used T7 for that price and that’s what I did. Do I miss the 30kg difference? Not really I already dropped the T7 a couple times and was relatively easy to pick up.

I cannot really refute anything you said, especially the wind protection, but you can have a ton of fun with this bike off-road. I do and my legs are too short to paddle walk it so that's not the reason 🤣 - Frank

I would love to see your review of the 2023 KTM 390 Adventure. Improved?

Wow, an honest review! This is super rare, most reviews seem to be bought or something like that

I like it and I bought it! Im a happy owner! For me, its a value for money all around bike! Nice video! Another subscriber here!

10.000 subscribers. Congratulations

Well said. Enjoyed the review. Cheers!

Definitely an entry level little adventure for someone that feeds itself more from the love to it's bike than it's capabilities, like most of us Jaja.., it still a good bike for it's intended purpose, Thanks for the good review Cheers

Some of this review makes no sense. I can respect your views on the ride quality and wind deflection but It's a small/entry adventure bike and you didn't compare the suspension travel (or really anything) to its competition: 310 GS, Versys 300, CB500x, KLR650 (You did mention the Himalayan at least) but you compared it to some serious dual sports the T7, really? the most capable off road bike in the class is the KLR650 which only has 0.5"(13mm) more ground clearance/ 1"(25mm) more front wheel travel/ 0.3"(8mm) more rear wheel travel, but is also a dinosaur as far as tech. I think you made the 390ADV look like the worst option in a different class instead probably the best overall option in its intended class.

Sem tangas nem rodeios! Muitos Parabéns Diogo, que continues assim isento na tua opinião sem teres de agradar a patrocinadores.💪

Okay, you made me laugh and got my thumbs up. "Coming from a huge bike this one feels nimble maybe" part. :) Also great suspension comparison. I am thinking about the DRS400SM (put some dirt tires on it as is, or swap rims with dirt tires if wanted) and you see the DRZ400 is at the top of your chart. Telling!

At least the Hima has the "Indiana Jones"-factor while the 390 seem to lack any sort of charisma. Here in the deserts and mountains of the Southern Andes we need capable and light dual sport bikes to make an adventure. Great and honest review like always.

Great and hilarious reviews.

All the aids like quickshifter works well on the bigger stuff, like 790/890 is brilliant!

i learned in another video that quick shifting truly helps when standing up off road so u dont need to clutch, it might not be comfortable in standing position

I am so glad I watched your review…. 2 years after I got the my 390 Adventure, that is, maybe is not the bike, it is your size, I replaced the stock windshield with the 790 one, and I am happy with the wind protection on the Highway at 140 mph. I do live at the end of a 1 mile narrow and bad maintained dirt road where I used my previous 390 Duke, no comparison on suspension and grind clearance, of course I am not competing on the way to my home,and not young also. so it is a much better bike for me.

Greetings from India, Very nice and honest review which I have came across on RU-vid on KTM 390 ADV

this is an excellent 390 SMT, but unfortunately the trend now is to call bikes "adventure" and give them an offroad look. You did right to evaluate a bike based on how ktm named and advertise it. The issue here is that KTM is making it confusing. Your review is very helpful to understand what type of bike it really is so everyone can decide if that's what they are looking for. thanks for your honesty

Thank you for a very honest appraisal of this motorcycle. I'm more street oriented. I'm looking for a good commuter. I ride a 2020 Ninja 650 KRT currently. Yes, it's a good commuter. But at 60 years old I find that I would prefer a more upright sitting position for longer time in the saddle. That's why I'm considering a dual sport. I've owned a 650 V-Strom. Not impressed with the engine or the weight of the bike. From your review I'd rather buy the Duke. Cleaner air hitting the rider is less fatiguing. My real choice at this point is the Honda CB500x. I'm going to test ride one in two days. You can't beat the mileage. It's SUPPOSED to be comfortable. I like tubeless tires. But then again I might choose the F model instead. Same great bike. But better tire selection with both wheels being 17". It's hard to choose, but once I do I should be happy. Fairings are a bit tiresome to clean and always remove when withing on a bike too. The F model had tons of aftermarket so a decent windscreen is ready to find. Again, thank you for talking me out of the 390! And oil changes on that bike are a bitch!

Tried the bike some time ago and felt quite the same, especially regarding the stiffness. So my overall impression wasn't that positive, but as always, it depends on taste. Great review!

Lots of gadgets for a small bike. All those riding aids are highly annoying and by law they have to reset when the ignition comes on. How did you get it running with the headlight off? Or maybe it just looked off in the video… I’ll stick to my XTZ for now. 65k kms and runs like new.

It is what it is, 80%on 20%off, I enjoy riding it up twisty roads and taking some gravel roads to the top of the mountain. You won’t judge a R1 by its off road capabilities or a EXC by its on track capabilities… It’s all a trade, you put on longer and softer suspensions you won’t enjoy as much the road. And cmon man… no bike besides a gold wing has a shield higher than your head… I thing you’re judging it as a “bad” bike based on things that are built just the way ktm wanted it to be, you not liking them doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

This is the first review iˋve seen that calls itˋs offroad capabilites crap.. hehe.. You got a new subscriber :-)

It’s a comfortable Duke that you can take on forest service roads. When I get tired of that, I’ll buy a Duke.

Well.. i think you nailed it all about this bike.. you can love it or you can hate it .. or you can simply ride it .. but all your consideration are right about this bike .. i was watching to buy one of this Ktm 390 Adv tbut maybe it is a too pricey bike for the stuff they sell to you ..

The new 2024 390 duke is a big improvement and so will the corresponding 390 adventure be, but we have to wait until 2025 for it 😢

I agree with you 100%. My main complaint is actually clearance. As for the rest of its flaws, they are all due to the fact that this is a road bike modified for some off-road. This is the problem of the 390. It does drive nice though winding pavement road, mainly because it is a road bike.

well i own a 390 , and no its not really a good off road bike , but i think it does it and makes through , what i bought mine for is working for me as i come from full off road back ground ,its not the bike i would pick to do any major single track stuff , that why i ride my ktm250 exc 2 banger , it fits well in the market for its price , and for a good starter bike or like me a older guy . good video , cheers steve/Australia

Saying that the best of a 7000€ KTM made in India is the engine is already saying enough Nice and honest review. Some people just like to go really easy on this "low budget" bikes, but they are not cheap if you don't get what you buy.

Gr8 Video man! So funny to see the Hayabusa doing it's off road trek day! :) This has inspired me to think about getting a wee Honda cb300r and taking it across the Scottish Highlands, and perhaps even the Himalayas

I payed the full price of this bike today and waiting for shipment, 2022 version. I’ve been using honda forza 250 for 3 years and thinking this will be proper step up and introduction to off road. I’m bummed that you didn’t liked it

this review is so funny, man, well done :)

in us i put 12k miles in 2 years I knew it was a duke with some mods for dirt It rocks on tight twisty roads The best bike on that type of roads that i have ridden in to date Dirt roads it solid but not the best like to have 21 front but good On easy single track okay I feel it is a great little cheap bike with great mpg and solid on back road bike I raced KTM 300EX No comparison But for me i like it much better than my KLR 650 ALL bikes have pros and con For the type of roads and trails i feel its good at Im very happy and recommend

I nearly purchased one of these motorcycles but I felt that I was always looking down at the display it felt like the whole front of the motorcycle needed to be up at least 5 or 6 inches

Great review. All is written in the description. It's an impostor trail bike (I'm old so I use obsolete words). I love the sport and roadsters off road illustration... That's the drama with off-road so called adventurers bikes designed by the marketing division and the accountants for maximization of profit (I hate the fact thet KTM sells it at European prices but makes it in a third world country). First on a true adventure bike you need at least 250 mm suspensions with air or gas assistance and maybe a system like the Honda's prolink. 250 mm because to keep a comfortable ride on dirt roads with potholes and other bumps and stones the suspensions must be pretty soft at the beginning, becoming progressively stiffer as the suspension compress.There are several ways to get a very progressive suspension on bikes but the minimal requirement is 250 mm of travel as the 50 to 70 first mm will be only for comfort, the remaining 170 mm will be for the serious stuff. That was the way (I'm going to talk about weird and old bikes, that shows my antediluvian age) the ISDT Six Days 1987 (and before) MZ bikes were tuned. The pilot would make the Six Days sitting on the thick saddle getting up just a few times. MZ worked on a shoestring budget, so the bikes were simple, nothing exotic, not very powerful, no so light because of the lack of money but as they had brains they got all the gold medals they wanted by efficiency. As witness, I can say that the pilots were astoundingly fresh at the end while most others looked like crap. By a strike of luck I found a good video, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BaUPhw2Y5tM.html, look at 11m20s in the rocks and 13m26 crossing the stream you'll understand what I mean. At 14m48s you see the softness of the suspension. At 15m20 admire the suspensions work. Put a 400-450 cc 4S 35-40 Hp on that bike and you can go everywhere. Imagine this bike on a bumpy dirt road...a Pullman. Second all that electronic gadgets (control traction etc...) are useless on a off road bike. Worst it's a nuisance; it adds weight and complexity so the reliability is lesser. Third result of all that marketing and accounting work, the bike is indecently heavy. In fact it's heavier than a Honda 600 XRR 1991 which is around 125 kg dry (yes !!!) with 46 well mannered ponies which was a fabulous trail bike (I had one...). But the XR 400 was more suitable for me, less bulky. I'll pass on the cast alloy wheels that won't last off road and other cheapos details like a low priced Chinese. I'll forgive the Chinese bad taste but not the Austrian stinginess. That's curious this regression in 30 years for trail bikes pompously called now adventure.

Maybe one day some manufacturer will make a bike to replace my DR 650 but I doubt it, not in the days of emission control and hi tech. A simple easy bike to work on, lightish weight, practical and reliable, and most importantly, cheap. I thought my T7 would be the answer but it is heavy and a simple thing like changing spark plugs is a time consuming nightmare.

There was too much hype anticipating the 390... KTM could build a dual sport around that engine but they won't, cause it would cannibalize sales of more expensive bikes.

Nice nice and nice!! Great video, as always!! 👌🤙

I think your interpretation of Adventure is skewed. Adventure could mean a lot of different things to different people, and it doesn't mean enduro type riding. For it's price it's very good, but never meant to compete with full enduro type machines. Adventure also doesn't have to be the really rough stuff, and for your information, my wife spend 10,000 ks riding most of the terrain I did on my KTM 790 Adventure R, this with no issues. This included rocky mountain passes, long dirt roads, and some sand. Hope your readers take whatever you said with a pinch of salt🤔

The first honest journo. All others whenever they review a bike it's all good all the time. This is the first meh journo. Good job

3.6 roentgen not great not terrible... Excelente conteúdo. Gosto desse tipo de review mais técnico.

Excelente

i once saw a couple of videos from two dudes first ripping across a motocross track and then hillclimbing in the rocky mountains of colorado on a couple of old honda goldwings with a great degree of success but they probably have been riding since before suspension was even invented, for a bike tailored towards beginners the 390 should be something that makes your life easier when you need it most, not the other way around.

Awesome review. Had me laughing hard

I will say I agree with you on a lot of what you touched on. I feel like they could have done better. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it but even for this being my first bike I'm already interested in finding something better.