KTM 390 Adventure Spied; Looks Almost Production-ready

The adventure tourer was spotted testing in Europe just a week after KTM India confirmed its launch

KTM’s much-awaited adventure tourer, the 390 Adventure, has been spotted testing yet again in Europe and, as expected, it looks almost production-ready. When the first spy shots emerged in 2016, the adventure tourer had a crude styling, indicating the need for further development. Then it was spotted again in October 2017, where its design seemed to be more in line with the KTM 790 Adventure.

The latest spy images show that the motorcycle borrows design cues from from the 790 Adventure as well as the popular 390 Duke. As expected, the lighting system is all-LED. The headlamp is flanked by handguards mounted on what look like street handlebars. The instrumentation appears to be the same TFT colour unit that the 390 Duke uses. The Austrian bike manufacturer has opted for a more practical, conventional and mellow-looking mudguard at the front instead of the beak-like designs seen on a majority of adventure tourers. It also covers the fork seals to prevent dust and grime from damaging the seal.

Look closely, and you’ll notice that the wheel-mounting points of the WP inverted forks have been slightly moved forward in comparison to the wheel’s axis. This increases the wheelbase and trail marginally, and should help make the motorcycle feel more stable while cornering off-road. The panels below the headlamp seem to be aerodynamically designed to deflect the wind around the rider, while the top windscreen mitigates wind blast towards the rider. The riding position looks relatively more upright, with the footpeg moved slightly forward to facilitate better off-road ergonomics. Looking at the fuel tank shrouds, the design feels like a derivative of the 790 Adventure’s (pictured below).

Coming to the powerplant, there’s nothing to suggest it is different from the 390 Duke. Even the frame looks identical, but the rear sub-frame is expected to carry modifications to mount touring accessories like panniers, etc. Two grooves are visible on each side where we suppose the panniers can be mounted. However, the radiator shrouds are beefier, and the exhaust ends with a rather chunky-looking end can. The exhaust design hints at the fact that the motorcycle could be EuroVI/BSVI compliant. The coolant reservoir tank appears to have been moved behind the engine, where the catalytic converter used to sit in the 2017 KTM 390 Duke. The space vacated by the new arrangement of the coolant system should allow KTM to equip the motorcycle with a larger fuel tank, and will explain the reason why they have decided to re-route the exhaust. The 390 Duke makes 43.5PS at 9000rpm and 37Nm at 7000rpm from its 373.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC engine.

The test mule rides on spoke wheels with Excel aluminium alloy rims, wrapped with dual-purpose tires. While the front wheel looks like a 19-inch unit, the rear is smaller, possibly a 17-incher. Braking responsibilities are handled by discs on both ends, with the front end featuring a radial caliper and braided line. The brakes come with dual-channel ABS.

We can expect KTM to unveil the concept version of the 390 Adventure at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, this November. It would then be followed by its launch, which is most likely to happen in the first quarter of 2019. When launched, the motorcycle will lock horns with the BMW G 310 GS, Royal Enfield Himalayan and the Kawasaki Versys-X 300. We expect the motorcycle to command a premium of Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 over the 390 Duke, which is priced at Rs 2.4 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). To find out what accessories the KTM 390 Adventure is expected to pack, click here.

[Image Source: www.bennetts.co.uk, www.motorradonline.de]