KTM 390 Adventure R specifications, dimensions and price

KTM 390 Adventure R

Motorcycle News says the 390 Adventure R is easy to ride and good fun and does not feel outgunned on A-roads or at motorway speeds, that it is now a fully fledged adventure machine punching above its 176 kg kerb weight, and that the long-travel WP Apex suspension is not too soft to have fun with on the road.

The write-up adds that the bike is great on the road but really excels on the dirtier stuff.

RevZilla explains that the new chassis carries essentially the whole powertrain of the 390 Duke, which was updated with more stroke to take the 373 cc engine to 399 cc, and describes a narrow, tall saddle with long suspension, knobby-ish tires and a sub-400-pound wet weight. It lists a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear, nine inches of suspension travel, 10.7 inches of ground clearance and a 34.2-inch seat.

Adventure R or Adventure X

The Adventure X costs $6,499, $1,200 less. It has a 825 mm seat instead of 870 mm, 19-inch and 17-inch street-oriented wheels, 200 mm of non-adjustable suspension travel and a lower ground clearance. So it is the road bike.

The R is the one for gravel and trails, with a 21-inch front wheel and 9 in of travel. A rider under about 5 ft 9 in should sit on the R before buying, because the seat is tall.

R against the small adventure field

At $7,699 it costs $800 more than Honda's NX500 at $6,899 and $1,100 more than Kawasaki's KLE500 at $6,599, and $1,804 more than BMW's G 310 GS at $5,895. The KTM's engine is 399cc against 471cc for the Honda and 451cc for the Kawasaki, so the premium buys the off-road hardware. BMW's F 450 GS is the newer rival.

What the hardware list says

KTM's specification lists a steel trellis frame with a 62.9 degree steering head angle, a 1,481 mm (58.3 in) wheelbase and 110 mm of trail. The WP Apex open-cartridge 43 mm fork and split-piston rear shock each give 230 mm (9.06 in) of travel, and ground clearance is 272 mm (10.7 in).

The wheels are 21-inch front and 18-inch rear, the brakes are ByBre axial two-piston calipers on a 320 mm front disc with a single-piston caliper on a 240 mm rear disc.

The throttle is Bosch ride-by-wire. Final drive is a 520 X-ring chain. The liquid-cooled single makes 45 PS and 39 Nm.

The 3.7 gal tank is the same as on the X.

Numbers set against the Adventure X

Side by side the R has 30 mm more suspension travel (230 mm against 200 mm), 40 mm more ground clearance (272 mm against 232 mm), a seat that is 45 mm higher (870 mm against 825 mm), a wheelbase 17 mm longer and 11 mm more trail. It costs $1,200 more. The R has the full-fat off-road hardware, and its adjustable suspension matters on rough tracks.

For a rider who will do serious gravel, those numbers are the reason to pay the difference. For one who mostly rides pavement, they are extra seat height and no more comfort.

Seat height and who it fits

An 870 mm (34.3 in) seat puts the Adventure R out of reach of many riders. Taller machines feel heavier at a stop, particularly with a full 3.7 gal tank. RevZilla notes the narrow, tall saddle, which helps you stand and grip on the dirt but makes the reach to the ground longer.

The dry weight of 165 kg (364 lb) is modest for an adventure bike. So once it is moving it is easy to handle. If you are short, test the X's 825 mm seat as well, since 45 mm is a big change at a standstill.

Against the 390 Adventure X

The 390 Adventure R costs $7,699, $1,200 more than the Adventure X at $6,499. Its 870 mm seat is 45 mm taller than the X's 825 mm. It has 272 mm of ground clearance against 232 mm, 40 mm more, and both carry a 3.7 gal tank and the same 398.7cc engine.

The extra money buys the taller, more off-road-capable suspension, so a shorter rider should sit on both. Honda's NX500 and BMW's F 450 GS are the other small adventure bikes to compare.

390 Adventure R against the NX500 and KLE500

Honda's NX500 and Kawasaki's KLE500 are the twin-cylinder rivals at lower prices.