KTM 390 Adventure X

What to know about the 390 Adventure X

The 390 Adventure X is KTM’s answer to the question the big adventure bikes forgot to ask: what if the equipment were for riding rather than for photos? 43 mm of upside-down WP travel, 180 mm of movement front and rear, a 21-inch front wheel and 171 kg of kerb weight produce a machine whose off-road competence is not a marketing adjective but a structural fact. The X trim removes the screen-and-bags theatre and keeps the chassis.

On road, the 399cc single is the same willing unit as the Duke 390’s — 45 bhp up top, 39 Nm in the midrange, and a six-speed box that wants using. The upright bar and tall 850 mm saddle give a commanding view and enough legroom for a rider’s real size; highway-legal progress at 130 km/h is easy, and the claimed 160 km/h is reachable and stable enough to enjoy briefly.

The honesty tax comes in three lines. The 850 mm saddle makes it a stretch below average height even on tiptoe; the suspension is firm for a pillion on tarmac unless the preload is wound down; and the X’s minimal equipment means the windshield buffeting that the dearer trims solve with accessory plastic. Buyers who actually ride off-road will never notice; buyers shopping the adventure look will.