KTM 390 Adventure (2025) – Technical Review

2025 KTM 390 Adventure R (Spoked Wheels) and Adventure X (Alloy Wheels)

It’s not often that a new bike gets launched that’s both better and cheaper than the machine it replaces but KTM’s 2025 390 Adventure ticks those boxes – the road-biased ‘X’ undercuts the previous standard bike and the off-road-oriented ‘R’ is cheaper than the old 390 Adventure SW.

Whether that combination of improved kit levels and lower prices are down to KTM’s well-publicised financial problems or simply an improvement in production efficiencies, it’s good news for customers. Nearly as good as the introduction of new styling that finally ditches the gawky proportions of the old 390 Adventure in favour of some Dakar-inspired rally-rep looks.

Pros & Cons

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Price & PCP Deals

KTM has been busy launching a host of new models powered by its latest 399cc LC4c engine and using the latest-generation 390 Duke chassis in recent weeks – the 390 SM R and 390 Enduro R have both joined the range since the start of 2025 – but the 390 Adventure might just be the pick of the bunch.

The prices start at only £5399 for the base 390 Adventure X model, with non-adjustable suspension and cast alloy wheels, rising to £6699 for the 390 Adventure R with wire wheels, adjustable suspension and increased off-road ability.

That means the 390 Adventure X is cheaper than the 390 Duke, 390 Enduro R and 390 SM R,  which all share the same chassis and engine and start at £5699. It’s also a full £1200 cheaper than the bike it replaces, because the previous-generation 390 Adventure came in at £6599 with cast alloy wheels, or £6999 in ‘SW’ form with wires.

There’s one fly in the ointment, which is that the new 390 Adventure X isn’t expected in dealers until Autumn 2025, so you face a wait if you want one.

Due much sooner, in March, is the 390 Adventure R. It’s higher-spec and has more off-road ability than even the previous 390 Adventure SW, but it’s also cheaper than the SW with a list price of £6699.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Engine & Performance

Debuting in the current 390 Duke, KTM’s 399cc LC4c engine is a substantially different design to the 373cc LC4 used in the previous-generation ‘390’ models.

It’s still a single, of course, but with completely new castings, a more compact, lighter cylinder head with repositioned fuel injectors, and a belly-mounted exhaust system that lends itself to neater styling than the previous side-mounted design.

In terms of performance, it beats its predecessor despite having to meet tougher Euro5+ emissions rules, hitting a peak of 45hp at 8500rpm and 28.8 lb-ft of torque at 7000rpm.

The gearbox is similarly new, designed for easier shifts than the old model, with less lever travel and a slip/assist clutch as well as reduced flywheel weight.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

While KTM has previously offered two variants of the 390 Adventure – a base model with cast wheels and the ‘SW’ with wires – both shared the same wheel sizes of 19 inches at the front and 17 inches at the back. For 2025 the new model changes that, with a much bigger chasm between the street-biased 390 Adventure X and the off-road-oriented 390 Adventure R.

Both share the same frame, a tubular trellis design based on the latest 390 Duke’s but with 390 Adventure-specific geometry and rigidity. The X is closer to the old base bike, featuring cast alloy wheels, non-adjustable suspension with 43mm WP Apex USD forks, and a WP Apex Emulsion rear shock, giving 200mm of travel at each end.

The 390 Adventure R, meanwhile, takes a more serious approach to its off-road ability. Its wheels are wires, but unlike the old ‘SW’ model, they’re bigger than the base bike’s, measuring 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. The suspension is longer-travel, too, with 230mm of movement at each end, and the damping is adjustable with 30 clicks of rebound and compression damping at the front and 20 clicks of rebound at the rear.

As standard, the R comes with Mitas Enduro Trail E07+ tyres, while the X will be fitted with either Apollo Tramplr XR or MRF Meteor rubber on its smaller wheels, depending on availability, to give a more street-biased appeal.

The brakes differ between the two versions as well. Both use a 320mm front disc and ByBre two-piston caliper, but the R has a floating disc. At the back there’s a 240mm rotor on for each model, with a single-piston caliper. There’s ABS, of course, with a switchable offroad mode that lets the rear wheel lock.

Regardless which version you opt for the weight remains the same at 165kg wet.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Comfort & Economy

Unsurprisingly, the longer-travel suspension and bigger wheels of the ‘R’ model mean it’s got a loftier riding position than the X – coming in at 870mm where the street-biased version is 825mm.

That latter figure means that despite its ‘Adventure’ name and matching appearance, the X’s seat is a mere 5mm higher than the 390 Duke it shares so many components with, even though the Adventure has a full 50mm more suspension travel, and it’s 30mm lower than the previous-gen 390 Adventure. Paired with wide, high bars and a much more convincing-looking fairing and screen than the old 390 Adventure, which promises plenty of real-world usability.

The ‘R’ version is taller, but even with 230mm of suspension travel (30mm more than the base model or its predecessor) its seat is only 15mm higher than the old 390 Adventure, so it’s not at the crazy end of the tall, adventure bike spectrum. Another R-only feature is aluminium bars, the X uses steel ones.

Both versions promise the same fuel economy of 83mpg under standardised test conditions, and paired with the Adventure’s 14-litre tank that means a theoretical range of 255 miles between stops.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Equipment

Both variants of the 390 Adventure get a selection of riding modes as standard – Street, Rain and Offroad – as well as switchable traction control that can be turned off if you prefer to ride without it.

Like the rest of KTM’s new 2025 bikes, the 390 Adventure remembers the mode it was left in, including the ABS settings, even when it’s switched off, so there’s no need to change anything once you’ve found your preferred setup.

The R, however, gets a higher level of tech in the form of cornering traction control, while the X has a more basic version of the system.

There’s a difference in dashboard, too. The R gets a 5-inch colour TFT display, while the X makes do with a monochrome LCD of the same size. Both are polarized and feature bonded glass screens to reduce glare and improve viewing angles, though.

That difference in screen doesn’t impact the functionality, which includes Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones, allowing music, calls and turn-by-turn navigation on the dash, and both bikes have new, illuminated switchgear on the bars.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure- Rivals

With two distinct versions the 2025 390 Adventure covers a broader array of competitors than its predecessor. The X model will compete with the likes of BMW’s G 310 GS and even Triumph’s strong-selling Scrambler 400 X – albeit with a vastly different style. The R, meanwhile, could be seen as a rival to Honda’s CRF300 Rally and perhaps most importantly, Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450.

BMW G 310 GS | Price: £5890

Read more

Power/Torque

34bhp / 21lb-ft

Weight

175kg

Triumph Scrambler 400 X | Price: £5795

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft

Weight

179kg

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 | Price: £5750

Read more

Power/Torque

40bhp / 29.5lb-ft

Weight

196kg

2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Verdict

We’ll give a verdict after riding the bikes.

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2025 KTM 390 Adventure - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

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The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.