KTM’s New 2025 390 Adventure R

[Seymour Asscrack]

Published in: News

What does it mean for the 400-450cc segment?

It is no secret that KTM has been working on the all-new 390 Adventure for a while now. It has been spied on a consistent basis during the many phases of testing, generating a lot of buzz about what KTM is bringing to its entry-level adventure bike offering.

But there isn’t quite anything like the brand itself teasing a production-ready version of the bike. That’s exactly what the Austrian bikemaker did when it revealed a camouflaged version of the upcoming 390 Adventure R at the 2024 KTM Adventure Rally in South Dakota. KTM then released three versions of the 390 in November 2024 – the 390 Adventure R, SMC R and Enduro R.

• ENGINE - Upgraded 399cc LC4c Motor

Starting with the most important bit, the bike will come with the latest LC4c motor - the same unit that comes on the new 390 Duke. In case you didn’t know, "LC" in its name stands for liquid-cooled - same as earlier KTM engines, while the "4" indicates the number of valves. The extra lowercase "c," signifies "compact."

The new motor will get more displacement of 399cc, up from 373cc. This is thanks to an expanded stroke from 60 to 64 mm, but the bore remains at 89 mm. In addition to the increased displacement, the performance figures get an upgrade as well. This new LC4c mill produces 44 horsepower instead of 43, and its torque increases from 26 to 29 lb-ft on the latest 2024 390 Duke. You should expect the same numbers on the Adventure R, although the gear ratios will likely be tinkered with to suit the Adventure R's off-road character.

• HARDWARE - Off-Road Ready

Even though the 390 Adventure R was disguised head to toe, there are plenty of details that are clearly visible on the camouflaged version, and compared to the existing 390 ADV, it is clearly far more functional and off-road ready.

If these leaked images are to be believed, the 2025 KTM 390 Adventure will come in two versions, the off-road-biased R and the road-biased X. The 390 Adventure R is set to feature knobby tires on both the front and rear spoke wheels, measuring 21/18 inches, which will assist with off-roading. This same setup was seen on the camouflaged bike that was teased in South Dakota where the bike appeared to have Mitas E07 50/50 tires on.

In addition to bigger wheels and off-road tires, the suspension also seems to be updated. The suspension system apparently has 9 inches (230 mm) of wheel travel and will have the ability to be adjusted for compression and rebound at both ends. The seat height is listed at a rather tall 34.8 inches (885 mm). This is likely die to a number of factors - large wheels, long travel suspension, and (what looks to be) plenty of ground clearance.

The less expensive 390 Adventure X ought to be identical to the R in terms of chassis and bodywork, but it will feature alloy wheels will be sized at 19/17 inches in front and back. The X's suspension will have 7.9 inches (200 mm) of wheel travel and be non-adjustable. At 32.4 inches (825 mm), its seat height will be considerably more accessible for shorter riders.

• FEATURES - Not Shy of Tech

With all that we know about the KTM 390 Adventure R so far, it will be equipped with sophisticated instruments and tech, as well as a 5-inch TFT screen and a suite of smartphone networking features. As we had seen in some earlier leaks, the instrument panel is oriented horizontally rather than vertically.

It also looks like it will get the much-coveted cruise control. In doing so, the entry-level KTM ADV will become the first motorcycle in its class to have the feature. To accomplish this, KTM has included a special set of switches with plus and minus buttons on the left-hand cube, most likely allowing for acceleration and deceleration when the cruise control is turned on.

• DESIGN - ‘R’ For Rally

The style of the 390 Adventure R has been revised throughout, with stacked headlights that feature KTM's new family face encircled by a distinct, coffin-shaped arrangement of LED running lights. This design can already be seen in the new 1390 Super Duke R Evo and the 2024 990 Duke.

With a tall, upright windshield that resembles the Dakar rally-raid style that is becoming more and more popular in the class, the lights are mounted into a more traditional front fairing than the 390 Duke’s. There’s also an aluminum crankcase protector, handguards, adjustable handlebars, and a Dakarian-style front beak.

• COMPETITION – Himalayan, Ibex and Kove 450s

The KTM 390 Adventure has coexisted in a crowded segment that has several capable offerings from vastly different manufacturers. It’s interesting to note that the most capable bikes in the sub-450cc ADV class all come from Asian manufacturers. That fact becomes even more interesting when you realize that all iterations of the KTM 390 Adventure will be produced by an Indian bikemaker Bajaj.

Nevertheless, when you look at these motorcycles in their own right, you do see plenty of differences. Starting with the motors, all three competitors - the Himmy, Ibex, and Kove Rally are 450cc offerings, with the KTM the only one that will most likely be a 399cc model. But displacement only means so much in the world of adventure bikes. The power figures produced by all the ADVs differ by the following numbers:

• Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: 40 hp; 30 lb-ft
• CFMoto Ibex 450: 44 hp; 32.5 lb-ft
• Kove 450 Rally: 50 hp; 40 lb-ft
• KTM 390 Adventure R: 44 hp; ~28 lb-ft

The 390 Adventure R seems to produce enough power, but its torque figures are the lowest in the class. However, considering how weight-conscious KTM has been for the 390 series, we believe the spec will be no different - meaning it will hugely benefit from its light weight to make up for the lack in its torque figures.

Moving to the hardware and features, all bikes in this class come with comparable specs - adjustable suspension, adjustable seat height, switchable ABS, premium brakes, and the works. KTM will match, if not surpass its competitors with the 390 Adventure R. Expect components from the likes of Ohlins and Brembo to be on offer too, as has been the case for past 390 models.

Of all the bikes, the Kove 450 Rally was so far the outright pick for an off-road biased ownership. It is built on solid Dakar learnings and comes with the highest ground clearance, not to forget, it appears to be the most off-road capable in stock form. The KTM 390 Adventure R might just change that. It may make good on both these factors as well as being lighter and far more affordable than the $9,499 Kove.

That brings us to the most important point - pricing. Starting with the Himalayan, it is the most affordable of the lot, coming in at $5,799. The Ibex is next, starting at $6,499 while the Kove is the most expensive, retailing at $9,499. We expect KTM to price the standard 390 Adventure somewhere between the Himmy and the Ibex - around the $ 6,000 mark. The ‘R’ spec ought to be priced higher though, around the $7,000 mark. But that would still make it way for affordable than the Kove.

• Impact on the Emerging 400-450cc Segment

KTM 390 Adventure R’s impact on the sub-450cc segment isn’t just down to its price - it has to do more with KTM’s approach for its entry-level ADV. For a mainstream manufacturer to go the extra mile and offer different variants of a model in this class is admirable.

There are likely to be as many as 4 different 390 trims on the way. This includes the aforementioned 390 Adventure R and 390 Adventure X in addition to an even more off-road-focused 390 Enduro R and 390 SMC.

Generally speaking, an enduro bike is a stripped-down ADV. It does away with all the bodywork in order to reduce weight and improve off-road performance. It will likely come with a modified sub-frame, and have a flat motocross seat, extended travel suspension, larger 21/18-inch front and rear spoke wheels, and a new bodywork.

As for the SMC, It will be a supermoto - with a motocross-style body featuring 17-inch wheels with road-biased tires, a long travel suspension, and a tall seat height. We can infer from the leaked images that the 390 SMC will have a bench-type flat seat, shorter suspension travel, and the same bodywork as the 390 Enduro R.

Coming to the bike in focus, the 390 Adventure R is a speced-out, out-and-out off-roader that doesn't shy away from being what it really is - an adventure bike. It looks rugged, gets all essential bits, doesn’t look like it weighs a ton, and most importantly, gets able hardware. What does that mean for others? Will other manufacturers follow suit? Perhaps a KLX450 Rally, or XT 450, or maybe even a DRZ450 Rally? Also, Kawasaki teased a new KLE (possibly 500cc) at EICMA which we hope to see Stateside in 2025.

It's about time major manufacturers wake up and take notice of this segment that is growing in size and demand each year. It’s not new either. People have been asking for more mid-sized rally-styled consumer level adventure bikes for almost a decade. The likes of Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, all have incredible offerings when it comes to bigger ADVs, but their absence in the 400-450cc segment is damning. Currently, only Honda has a comparable offering in this class in the form of the CRF450RL dual-sport. Suzuki has also just announced a long overdue new DR-Z 4S.

So, while the KTM 390 Adventure R might be a hot upcoming release in the motorcycle world right now, it is more than that in essence. It is a ray of hope that the 400-450cc adventure segment finally explodes with more capable and affordable options from European brands. If not, the likes of Asian manufacturers will have plenty of pie to share among themselves.

Then the question is if KTM’s recent restructuring to avoid bankruptcy will impact delivery and support of new models. One thing is for sure, it’s an exciting time in the global motorcycle industry for adventure dual-sport riders. Let’s keep it coming!

For more info on these capable ADVs, visit the Royal Enfield site, CFMoto site, Kove site, and KTM’s site.

Source

[YamaHead]

Interesting-- knowing KTM's financial situation.... Kinda like the looks of the SMC version though....

[Buckster]

Chinese shite.

[boboneleg]

15 hours ago, Buckster said:

Chinese shite.

It'll be a fight between the Chinese and the Indian's soon .........