Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 vs 2025 KTM 390 Adventure: Buy Or Hold?

The 390 Adventure has a lot to offer, but is it worth waiting for?

The 2025 KTM 390 Adventure, the new and updated ADV offering from the Austrian-manufacturer is about to be launched in a few months time. This upcoming KTM bike will feature a brand new design and styling, along with a more powerful engine. In India it will go up against the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. In this article, we will be trying to answer the question, should you wait for the KTM 390 Adventure or just get the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 instead.

2025 KTM 390 Adventure

The upcoming 2025 KTM 390 Adventure features a unique rally-style design which makes it stand out from the other ADVs. It doesn’t look anything like the current 390 Adventure. 

It features a vertically-stacked LED headlight along with a Dakar-inspired fairing and a slim profile which gives it an aggressive look and feel. What we really like about this design is the rally tower style console mount, which really makes the bike feel like a proper Dakar-style enduro.

The upcoming 390 Adventure will likely feature the same engine as the 2024 KTM 390 Duke, which is a 399cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor that outputs 46PS and 39Nm. But to suit the ADV character of the bike, KTM is likely to make some changes to the sprocket sizes, to give the bike more low-end torque. Something that is quite important when it comes to riding off-road.

The KTM 390 Adventure is expected to feature a fully-adjustable WP Apex fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock, similar to what we have seen on the 390 Duke. On the older 390 Adventure, KTM had not tuned the suspension well enough to handle off-road challenges. 

But on the new 390 Adventure, we believe they will have made the necessary changes to make it more off-road friendly. It’s also expected to get a new chassis and subframe, which could be lighter than the current bike. This should also aid with its handling. 

Judging by the spy shots we have seen so far, the bike gets the same 5-inch TFT console as seen on the KTM 390 Duke. It could also offer features such as cruise control along with things like switchable ABS at the rear. 

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is the flagship ADV offering from the Chennai-based manufacturer and the first bike in their lineup to feature a liquid-cooled engine. It has the aggressive ADV looks which we all love, but compared to the KTM 390 Adventure, it comes off as a bit too plain and subtle. 

In terms of performance, the Himalayan 450 is powered by a 452cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which outputs 40PS and 40Nm. This makes it less powerful than the KTM 390 Adventure by 6PS, but offers 1Nm more torque. 

The bike’s suspension setup comprises a non-adjustable inverted fork and monoshock. It rolls on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheel setup, now Royal Enfield has also started to offer tubeless spoke wheels as well for a small premium. The braking setup consists of a 320mm front and 270mm rear disc. The Himalayan 450 has been around for almost a year now, and we had a chance to review the bike as well.

In our opinion, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a potent ADV and can handle most challenges thrown at it. It is a bit rough around the edges, but overall it is a decent package. 

Buy The Himalayan Or Wait For The 390 Adventure?

When comparing the prices of both ADVs, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 comes at a starting price of Rs 2,85,000 (ex-showroom). Whereas the 2025 KTM 390 Adventure is expected to be launched by the end of 2024 or early 2025, at a price around the Rs 3.8 lakh mark. So the Himalayan 450 could be around Rs 1 lakh more affordable than the upcoming 390 Adventure.

That said, When comparing the two and what they have to offer, it is clear the KTM 390 Adventure will have a lot to offer. Be it good looks, adjustable suspension, more features or performance. But what the bike has to offer is only a slight upgrade over what the Himalayan has, and won’t make a massive difference unless you’re an experienced rider who really needs them. The higher price point at which the bike will be offered is also something that may not sit well with many.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a good bike, which offers decent performance and has the ability to handle most off road challenges without much trouble. The lower price point also makes the bike a more attractive offering when compared to the KTM 390 Adventure.

In conclusion, if you are someone who is looking to buy their first ADV and would like something which is an all-rounder that can offer good power, performance and features all at an affordable price tag then the Himalayan 450 will be a choice you won’t regret. Now, if you want something more and don’t have any issue paying the higher price then waiting a few months for the upcoming KTM 390 Adventure makes sense.