KTM 390 ADVENTURE DIRT ON ORANGE ORANGE ON DIRT!

We review the latest entrant in the Austrian 390 family, the KTM 390 Adventure, in Pune to see if it lives up to the hype!

- KARAN SINGH BANSATTA

KTM has always been known for its off-road motorcycles. Numerous wins and championships in the world’s toughest rally events speak volumes about KTM’s prowess at making motorcycles that can kick up a storm (heard of Toby Price and the Dakar?) while other motorcycles kick up some dirt. So when they entered the Indian market with the Duke, a street motorcycle, and then the RC, a full-fledged track beast, something was amiss… the sense of ‘Adventure’ inherent to KTM.

Years later, the void is set to be filled as KTM has launched the 390 Adventure in India. But does it live up to the hype? Is it everything that we hoped and waited for? We flew to Pune to find out.

The KTM Adventure 390 was unveiled at EICMA 2019 and it caught the fancy of the enthusiasts the world over. And we see no reason why it shouldn’t have. The 390 range has been immensely popular all over the world and the ‘Adventure’ dimension was the last piece of the puzzle.

It was armed to the teeth with tech and the venerable 373.2 cc single-cylinder engine from KTM and was thus bound to be a screamer. But usually motorcycles, on their way to India, tend to shed some of the ‘goodies’. But then, it makes sense too since ours is a rather price-sensitive market. And so, the KTM Adventure 390 has lost something(s) too. Adjustable suspension is one of them. But anyway, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, pun intended.

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