Hardcore KTM 390 Adventure R Spotted Testing, To Rival Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

The spied ADV comes with several off-road-friendly bits to make it a lot more wholesome than before

• The 2024 KTM 390 Adventure gets a redesigned frame, and better underpinnings in the form of spoke wheels.
• Dakar-inspired lean bodywork looks similar to the KTM 450 Rally Replica.
• Production version launch likely in early 2024.

The KTM 390 Adventure has been a capable motorcycle on highways, but not so much when it comes to getting down and dirty. In a bid to make it a more wholesome ADV, the boys in Austria have been working on a next-generation iteration, and the 2024 KTM 390 Adventure R has been spotted testing in Europe.

The next-gen 390 Adventure looks a lot leaner and meaner, with design inspired by the KTM 450 Rally Replica. The bike comes with a redesigned trellis frame with a new, sleek-looking sub-frame. It is linked to a long-travel WP inverted front fork, and the off-set rear monoshock looks similar to the one on its naked sibling, the 2023 KTM 390 Duke. The swingarm is also different, and the curved design should ensure a better ground clearance to offset the new exhaust routing. 

The positioning of the engine has been tweaked and the casing also looks similar to the one on the 2023 390 Duke. The 373cc single already makes ample power and torque (43.5PS and 37Nm) and complies with the output limits under the A2 licensing category in Europe. So, expect the updated iteration to have improvements in other aspects, possibly refinement, and if we’re lucky, the bikemaker could also add new riding modes to make it a bit more versatile. 

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The motorcycle also comes with what appears to be a 21-inch front and a smaller 18-inch rear spoke wheels with block-pattern tyres. These wheels, coupled with the off-road friendly tyres, should be able to ensure much better offroad dynamics than the alloy ones. The front and rear disc rotors also appear to be different, and the test mule seems to be using an axial caliper up front. KTM is likely experimenting with different braking systems. 

The motorcycle features a vertically stacked frame-mounted headlight and the instrument cluster has been repositioned too. That said, the console looks similar to the one on the current-gen model. Expect it to have smartphone connectivity and navigation as well. 

Going by the test mule’s looks, the production version is still some time away. KTM could unveil the ADV at the 2023 EICMA, and the production-spec ADV could be launched in early 2024. Taking into account aspects like inflation, expect the 2024 KTM 390 Adventure to cost around Rs 3.9 lakh (ex-showroom). In comparison, the current-gen 390 ADV costs Rs 3,34,895 (ex-showroom Delhi) at the moment. The Austrian adventure bike will compete with the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, which is set to come with several crucial updates. It will also go up against the upcoming Hero 450 Adventure.

Image Credit: Bernhard M. Höhne/BMH-Images