The 2025 390 Adventure also gets the crawl function that ensures the bike will not stall if you let go of the accelerator; it’ll keep the bike running at specific speeds (~10 km/h in the first gear for instance) and manage the rpms to prevent killing the engine.
Riding the KTM 390 Adventure
The new 390 Adventure gets the same 399cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled four-valve DOHC engine that debuted on the 2024 Duke 390. This LC4c engine is capable of producing 45 BHP @ 8,500 rpm with a peak torque of 39 Nm @ 6,500 rpm. 80% of the torque is available right from 5,000 rpm. Purely for academic interest, with the new engine, the bike gets a bump of ~25cc, translating to about an additional 2.5 BHP and 2 Nm.
While the 2024 Duke 390 is an absolute maniac to ride, the 2025 390 Adventure has a much more sane power delivery. There’s ample power on tap and it makes its presence felt without an ounce of hesitation, but it is delivered gently. KTM has also worked on the torque delivery of this engine to ensure that it generates enough pull through the rpm range. The power and torque delivery chart provides ample evidence of just how humongous the mid-range is, supported strongly by the top-end that has more than enough juice to allow you to cruise at the upper end of the legal speed limit. The new engine gets a bump in torque at the low-end of almost 5 Nm.
The second and third gears are the most fun to be in given how tractable they are and the comprehensiveness of the power/rpm band.
Remember, the 2025 390 Adventure also gets the crawl function that ensures the bike will not stall if you let go of the accelerator; it’ll keep the bike running at specific speeds (~10 km/h in the first gear for instance) and manage the rpms to prevent killing the engine.
A redesigned sprocket, with three additional teeth, plays a part as well in the difference in the power and torque output.
The 390 Adventure gets a curved radiator with two cooling fans, allowing for more efficient cooling. There was hardly any heat felt on the legs/thighs even as the coolant temperature touched ~100 degrees C while riding on trails or when riding through dense city traffic. We put the bike through the off-road trail and even then, it chugged along effortlessly without a drastic rise in temperature. On some other bikes on similar trails, we have had instances where we’ve seen the high coolant temperature warning and even the check engine light, where the bike shut off proactively. The heat management seems to be better in the new 390 Adventure.
Rounding up the powertrain is the 6-speed manual gearbox that gets a slipper clutch and quickshifter as standard.
The quickshifter is pretty good – a definite improvement over the outgoing 390 Adventure. That had a noticeable tentativeness in executing the gearshifts. The downshifts are generally smooth, quick and effortless, and come with just a missable hint of a jerk. That said, the gear lever, during upshifts, tends to be hard and feels like it is resisting the gear change. Throughout our test ride, we found the quickshifter to be most comfortable with upshifts when the rpm is ~4,000 +/- 100. The gearshifts between 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 gears are slightly jerky, while those between 4 – 5 – 6 gears are significantly smoother.
For academic consideration, KTM claims that the new 390 Adventure does 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds (down 0.2 seconds compared to the outgoing version); and 0 to 100 in 6.2 seconds (down 0.5 seconds).
Riding Modes
The 390 Adventure comes with three riding modes – Street, Off-Road, and Rain. You can customise the ABS, traction control and quickshifter for each riding mode and for the Off-Road mode, you can even set the throttle response.
ABS: You can choose ABS to be in the Road or Off-Road setting. ABS is available on both wheels when in Road mode and is switched off on the rear wheel when you choose Off-Road mode.
Traction control, quickshifter: These come with simple On/Off options.
Throttle response: This new customisation is available in the Off-Road mode and determines the aggressiveness of power delivery on tusiting the throttle. This setting comes with three options: Rain, Street, Off-Road, in increasing order of urgency of output. The Rain mode provides a very measured throttle response, allowing for cautious riding, while the Off-Road mode lets loose the 46 horses from the engine. The Off-Road mode follows a linear, almost 45 degree, response for power vs. rpm, while Street has a moderate low-end, a lively mid, and an enthusiastic top-end. The power curve in the Road mode is very subdued in the low-end (compared to the outgoing 390 Adventure), with the pace picking up in the mid and top end.
A common first reaction to the 2025 KTM 390 Adventure, especially since most would start in the Street mode, is the relaxed throttle response and power on tap. It just feels so very un-KTM-like. But switch to the Off-Road mode and it just becomes an entirely different bike, with a very different character. Throttle input translates to power without hesitation, and the engine makes its entire faculties available for use. No holds barred, just ready to rock ‘n roll! Having the Off-Road mode to be the most aggressive mode seems to align with KTM’s vision for the 390 Adventure to go back to its roots as a hardcore off-roader.
There’s a very good chance riders may want to be in Off-Road mode for throttle response while turning on the electronic aids, even for everyday riding, just to enjoy the KTM’s capable 399cc LC4c engine.
Off-roading with the 390 Adventure
During the time that we had the bike with us for review, we were able to take it for a ride over a variety of terrain – a typical hill laden with rocks of all sizes, a trail around a lake with hard soil, and a hardcore off-road trail on a hill that led to the backwaters of a dam.
With the bike in Off-Road mode, off we went. Remember that in this mode, rear ABS is turned off and throttle response is at the highest setting. The trail consisted of passing through hard mud, patches with lots of stones, thick foliage and lots of areas with steep gradients that had an inch or so of very loose soil. No complaints or a wish list, really, of what could be better in the bike. The crawl feature allows you to remain in gear without stalling. The throttle response is aggressive and that comes in handy in getting out of tricky spots quickly and correspondingly, engine braking is more aggressive (compared to the older 390 Adventure). This reduces the need for braking by allowing you to modulate your speed. The ergonomics are pretty sorted as well and you can sit or stand and ride with ease. The foot lever/pegs could be a tad more comfortable if you take the rubber bushing off.
Refinement & NVH
The new engine is very refined and you don’t feel any unusual vibrations, feedback or harshness on the physical touch-points with the bike in your typical riding conditions. The engine of the 390 Adventure is a single-cylinder unit, so it carries the typical vibrations one would expect in a single-cylinder. The tight fit of the instrument cluster and ORVMs ensure things don’t get blurry even if the view up front does.
Another aspect of the bike that is very un-KTM-like is the exhaust note. It isn’t the typical tune that we’re so accustomed to with KTMs. There’s only a handful of rpms where it bears the hint of a KTM, otherwise, it’s a very vanilla growl.
The tall windscreen that the 2025 390 Adventure gets as standard does a good job of deflecting the airflow from your chest/face and subjects your ears to much lesser wind noise.
Suspension and Handling
The 2025 390 Adventure carries forward the adjustable front suspension, introduced on the 2023 390 Adventure, along with the adjustable rear suspension.
At the front, you get a 43 mm WP APEX USD (Upside Down) open cartridge fork suspension with a 200 mm travel that can be adjusted for compression and rebound damping. The front suspension gets a 30-step adjustment. Adjustments for both compression and rebound, are easy with simple turn-switches on the top of the forks under the handlebar. You can make these adjustments without the need for any tool.
At the rear is the WP APEX monoshock suspension with 205 mm travel. It allows a 20-step rebound damping and is 10-step preload adjustment. To change the suspension setting here, you’ll need a C-spanner and a screwdriver.
The 390 Adventure continues to be effortless to handle and across a variety of terrain, the bike feels surprisingly nice to ride. The suspension is set up well, and a ride on bad roads isn’t backbreaking.
The ground clearance has gone up noticeably to 237 mm, from 200 mm of the outgoing model. The wheelbase is 1,470 mm, and although the 2025 iteration is a kg heavier than the old bike, it is as easy to very to flick around the trails, as it is to navigate through the city.
Braking
Braking duties are handled by disc brakes from Bybre, Brembo’s brand for small to medium-sized motorcycles, which has now become the norm for most bikes in the segment. At the front is the 320 mm disc with the new four-piston axially-mounted calliper, while the rear gets a 240 mm disc brake with the new twin-piston floating calliper. The 390 Adventure gets sintered brake pads and axial callipers.
The 2025 390 Adventure gets several electronic riding aids as standard such as cornering and off-road ABS and traction control. These are customisable through the MID and can be defined independently for each ride mode.
The brakes are competent, and using them in conjunction with engine braking by leveraging the quickshifter, makes braking a breeze in most situations.
However, as a slightly unusual experience, we found the ABS triggered far too often during hard or high-speed braking, even on surfaces that offered very good traction. It just felt unnecessary and a departure from the braking behaviour of other bikes. It gives you a momentary feeling of uncertainty about how effective the braking will be. The braking capability from the brake infrastructure doesn’t seem to be a problem. Perhaps it has to do with how the ABS is set up, or maybe even the tyres.
Closing Thoughts
The KTM 390 Adventure has made a name for itself over the years – a competent off-roader and a fairly comfortable tourer. There’s not really been a lot to find fault over in the bike – a capable engine, equipped with all the hardware and electronics that you’d want in the segment or even a segment above and reasonably comfortable for the purpose it has been built for.
The new generation has a tall legacy to live up to, and it does look like it will carry on with the good work of its predecessor. There are plenty of hits, some changes that you’d feel neutral about, and a few misses, but at the end of the day, when it comes to it, you’d want to carry your cheque book along and get yourself the 390 Adventure.
We mentioned in the KTM Duke 390 review that the bike is an absolute hooligan. The 2025 390 Adventure comes across as one that has seen things, has a few grey hairs, and is now, wiser.
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