Gon’ Give it to Ya

Of the two new KTM 390 Adventures, the Adventure X is the road-biased one and relatively less equipped. Despite that, it has the potential to be all the bike most people will need

- Devashish Puranik

BOTH THE 2025 KTM 390 ADVENTURES represent a massive jump in ability over the previous generation bikes. Similar to the previous nomenclature, the 390 Adventure (also known as the S) is the better equipped of the two with more off-road ability, whereas the 390 Adventure X is the road-focused and more affordable bike with less equipment. The ex-showroom price difference between the two bikes is not insignificant; therefore, the question is whether the extra money is worth spending or if the Adventure X’s capabilities are substantial enough.

I approached this road test with a slightly different angle because I myself own a 2025 KTM 390 Adventure S (I'm going to call it the S in this article for convenience), on which I've clocked around 1,500 kilometres since its purchase two months ago. Looking at the 390 Adventure X standing next to my bike left me with mixed feelings. Although the S is the more expensive bike of the two, I genuinely think the X’s colour and graphic execution look noticeably better. We received a brand-new orange bike wherein the graphics were also shades of orange and were executed very tastefully, and the rear body-panels were black, which complemented the front design nicely. The other noticeable visual distinction between the two is the X’s 19-/17-inch alloy wheel set-up compared to the S’ 21-/17-inch spoke wheels. Tyres on both bikes are dual-purpose Apollo Tramplr XRs.

"This is a motorcycle that will be bought primarily for touring as well as city use, and it fulfils those requirements very well"