KTM 390 Adventure Review: 349cc Comparison Review by a 399cc Variant Owner

Is the 399cc KTM 390 Adventure dead? This was the first thing that came to mind when KTM India launched a new 350cc 390 Adventure. As a 390 Adventure X owner myself, I was curious to see how significant the compromise was, if at all. Or perhaps it had become a better motorcycle than before, and maybe I had made the mistake of jumping the gun and should have waited for the new motorcycle instead. To find the answer to these questions, there was only one way to go about it - ride the new 349cc Adventure back-to-back alongside the larger 399cc version. Here’s how it went.

If you are unfamiliar with the nomenclature being used for the adventure motorcycle series from the house of KTM in India, then you might find it difficult to wrap your head around what I am about to say. So it is important that you understand what the current lineup is like and if that is the case, give a minute to this section to understand it fully. If you are familiar with the nomenclature, then you can skip to the next segment.

The KTM Adventure series starts with the KTM 250 Adventure, which gets a 249cc engine and has a single variant on offer. Next, in terms of increasing price, is the new 349cc variant, which confusingly, is called the 390 Adventure - this is the motorcycle we are reviewing in this story. This also has one variant on offer.

Next are the larger engine-equipped variants that get a 399cc engine and are also - confusingly - called the KTM 390 Adventure. The easier way to identify the motorcycle names between the smaller 349cc variant and the larger 399cc variants (yes, there are multiple) is that if the KTM 390 Adventure name is followed by a suffix, then it is the bigger bike. If it is just called 390 Adventure, then it is the smaller unit.

Now, coming to the larger engine-equipped versions - there are three variants on offer. It starts with the KTM 390 Adventure X. The major upgrade from the X to the higher variant is the addition of adjustable front suspension, which is called the KTM 390 Adventure S. And finally, at the top of the lineup is the KTM 390 Adventure R, whose main differentiation is that it gets a larger 21-inch spoked wheel at the front.

In this story, we are comparing the KTM 390 Adventure with the 390 Adventure X - which is the motorcycle I own and am referring to in this story.

In direct comparison to my Adventure X, the smaller 349cc engine is bound to feel compromised, and I will come to that later. By itself, the new 349cc engine continues to feel eager from the get-go and starts making noticeably higher power beyond the 5,000 rpm mark. It revs happily to 7,000 rpm and hence, the bike feels powerful across different riding scenarios. Another plus from the downsizing is the low-speed behaviour of the motorcycle. KTM claims it now has better low-end torque delivery and I can confirm that performance at low speeds has improved considerably, especially compared to my 399cc model. Unlike my Adventure X, though, the new 390 Adventure does not judder horribly when picking up in second or third gear at low speeds. This gave me the confidence to stay in a higher gear, led to fewer gear changes in traffic and also made office-hour commutes less tiring.

As a habit, when it comes to a 390 KTM, the expectation is that these motorcycles will have a certain 'wildness' factor and snappy acceleration. These bikes are expected to nudge riders to go faster and push their limits. However, with the downsizing, that flavour has been replaced with a comparatively sedated yet friendly behaviour, thanks to a better low-end torque and more linear acceleration when compared to the 399cc engine.

In terms of numbers, the new 349cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine produces 41.5 PS and 33.5 Nm of torque. When compared on paper, this is 3.5 PS and 5.5 Nm less than the bigger engine. In real-life, however, this reduction in performance does not feel like a deal-breaker, considering the massive cost savings that you now get.

This is where I think that KTM India has made the smarter move in the larger scheme of things. Instead of leaning towards the 250 Adventure's basic kit for cost savings, the 349cc 390 Adventure is identical to the more premium 390 Adventure X. It gets the same 5-inch TFT colour display, three riding modes, switchable ABS, cornering ABS, switchable traction control, cruise control, a bi-directional quickshifter and a slipper clutch, making this new model a handsomely well-appointed option for the segment.

Based on the touring-biased 390 Adventure X, the 390 Adventure comes with the same 19-inch and 17-inch front and rear alloy wheel setup, with all-terrain tyres. These tyres perform well on the road and have a knobby pattern that gives confidence on off-road trails with loose sand or gravel. The WP Apex upside-down (USD) front suspension with 200 mm travel gives the front end a planted feel while keeping it agile. However, the motorcycle tends to nose-dive more than expected under hard braking. The 10-step preload-adjustable rear monoshock offers 205 mm of travel but tends to feel stiff over shallow potholes; however, it keeps the bike planted when you tackle rough patches at higher speeds. Combining the long suspension travel with the motorcycle's 228 mm of ground clearance, the 390 Adventure has next to zero chance of bottoming out in day-to-day living and occasional dirt road sprints.

Over time, I can confirm - as an existing owner of the 390 Adventure X - that the braking setup feels softer once you put around 1000km on the organic brake pads, which are made out of a softer compound. While many users report better performance by swapping the front brake pads for the sintered pads from the 390 Adventure S, I feel it is an improvement that should have been made across all KTM Adventure models by now. This new variant would have made for an excellent starting point.

This is where it gets interesting. KTM has priced the new 390 Adventure at Rs 2.80 lakh ex-showroom. For that price, it offers all the features from the more premium 390 Adventure X, which costs Rs 3.43 lakh ex-showroom.

On the other hand, the 349cc Adventure is Rs 35,000 more than the entry-level 250 Adventure, which is priced at Rs 2.45 lakh ex-showroom. This means that KTM has smartly plugged in the gap between the 250 Adventure and the 390 Adventure X - which was of almost Rs 1 lakh - and placed this new model bang in the middle. Hence, this could become the go-to choice for prospective buyers on both ends.

With marginal compromise in performance, improved usability in the city and a lot more bike for Rs 35,000 extra, I think that the downsized 390 Adventure has superb value-for-money when compared to the baby KTM 250 Adventure, as budget-conscious buyers get the chance to pay slightly more and upgrade to a higher segment. Meanwhile, the 399cc Adventure X buyers get the chance to opt in for something that will be more friendly for their daily commutes and as effective on the highways at a much lower price. Overall, the new 349cc KTM 390 Adventure is the closest to an all-rounder when it comes to the brand's adventure lineup in the country.

For the more serious touring and off-road enthusiasts, KTM India is offering the 390 Adventure X, S and R models that have every bit of the 'wildness' that an enthusiast would want from a KTM motorcycle.