2025 KTM 390 ADVENTURE: LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT

Let me start this one with a disclaimer- that's not me in the pictures. I didn't have the time to get myself clicked on the motorcycle because as usual I was focusing more on the primary task of testing the vehicle at hand, as that's really what my job entails.

- SYED SHIRAZ SHAH

The gentleman in the pictures is dear friend Ranjan Bhat from Bajaj Auto who doesn't miss an opportunity to leave his corporate chair for some quality saddle time on motorcycles made by his company, often showing us folks what they're truly capable of. Leading by example? You bet.

I shall also quickly take this opportunity to thank Bajaj/ KTM's R&D teams who are the real unsung heroes as they seldom get credit publicly. Forget credit, they are even incorrectly accused of being "just engineers, and not bikers" by a few who don't even know the basics of spring preload...

Gentlemen (the R&D personnel), if you're reading this, please note that I truly appreciate your expertise and also the fact that you listen to us auto journalists patiently. However, let me also suggest to you to not take each one of us seriously as even the best of us is a 4 on 10 technically whereas all of you are 11s; that's how YOU, and not us, ended up in R&D. That said, I will still reiterate the few shortcomings (which I had conveyed to you in person) of this motorcycle here as well because, like you, even I take my job seriously.

DESIGN & ERGONOMICS

The pun on the word "flight" in the heading starts here, and there are actually two that I have intended. The first could be obvious to motorcycle enthusiasts, but I shall still explain for the benefit of others. See, I thought I had fallen in love with this motorcycle for its ability to fly off the road, but I wasn't totally sure about my feelings until I took the flight back home and introspected really hard...