So, I own this bike, and I love it! I had Liter bikes and a Super Duke and I did ride this one a lot more. While I had my R1, I took this bike on a 9 hour highway trip from Salt lake to southern Colorado, and while on the cabin in the mountains did a lot of off road with it, and some stuff fairly hard core (even with the cast wheels); I did eventually changed the wheels for the spoke-type, but I did jump the hell out of the bike, and no damage on the wheels on or off-road. If you are goign to ride it in city, the bike needs no mods. I did change some things on mine,and many of these mods are available from KTM's catalog. I got the 890 ADV rally style footpegs (larger, better angle), the handlebar rise is a MUST, replace the plastic engine guard with an aluminum one and added hand guards, along with KTM's confort seat & Pillion. Added some saddlebags, a pillion bag, and went on a few trips with it. With the Pillion bag, it was great for in town errands, and I even drove this bike on winter/icy conditions. Did fine. I did a lot of off road stuff with it (some pretty rough fire lanes) and plenty off the road stuff, but I wouldn't take it where I take my Enduro KTM (that's a 450 cc, but even lighter). This did fine in every occasion with cast or spoke wheels. Also, the controls are illuminated,and you can pay to unlock the Quick shifter (or you could on the 2020 model year). Headlight is bright as my car's light (Love that about the KTMs), so ifyou odn't mind the bug look, (I love it) its a good looking bike, and KTM does great jobs with the paint schemes. OC Again, YOu can take this off road fine. I saw people take the pipe to get a few extra HP when off roading this bike. so, if you're are going to seriously off road this bike, the biggest change you'd need is the better engine guard (the plastic one mine had was not good enough, and I'm not sure if the newer ones updated that to metal). Get bar risers, b/c you'll be standing and higher handbars will be helpfull along with proper hand guards, and the rally stile foot pegs. With just that, you're Solid! Sorry, Long post, but LOVE this bike! Its a Do it all! (I bet you could put soem slicks and track it too :)
I’m 71 y/o I recently unloaded a Triumph Tiger 955i that I’d had for 16 years and a Bonneville for a 2022 390 Adv. At nearly 600 lbs. loaded, the Tiger was simply more than I felt comfortable dealing with. For me, the little (?) KTM is ideal. It helps that my favorite bikes have always been light and “tossable”. I’ve installed some SW Motech bags on it and wouldn’t be afraid to ride it anywhere that I rode the larger adv. As you noted, it is quite susceptible to crosswinds, but hardly unmanageable.
Great vid, I have the 2020 model , in Australia, this bike is way more capable offroad than ppl think, I purely bought this for adv riding/camping, and it has been fantastic. Certainly more capable than 'light' offroading.
I've the 2020 model and I love it. Some minor issues like condensation on the display when it's cool out as well as the fact that it'll randomly turn off every few thousand miles which is odd. Loads of fun though and it's great in the city because it's so tall.
I'm from the Philippines and I own the 2021 version this machine for almost a year now and I have to say it's a perfect bike in this country. with ungodly traffic jams, this bike is simply perfect for all roads. I used to own an inline-4 and i have to be honest, the KTM is not the best sounding bike around :D
OC; low to mid cc will be best in most adventures around town, the hills, and ready to travel wherever the road ends outside of the US. That's why I'm all for it.
I moved from Long Island New York to Georgia 2 years ago.. When I got here I started looking for the 390... The covid Freeze on life made this bike hard to come by... In New York I had a Yamaha 650 cruiser... that I barely road... The 390 finally came available at the beginning of September... So I pulled the trigger and bought the exact bike you're riding in this video... I am 5' 8 and weigh a 160 pounds.. I'm on my toes but at stops I just lean a little to the right and put my right foot flat.... I have no off road experience yet.. But I hope to try it out once I get used to the bike.. And care less about how pretty it looks now🤗.. Like you said it's real easy to ride... And I really like the bike.. That being said.. I have 375 miles on the bike and right now it's it's in the shop Because of an oil leak That I noticed on my garage floor after returning from a 10 day trip back to New York🤷♂️
I took the MSF on Sept. 11-12 and picked up my 390 Adv on the 17th. At 6'5 it's been a great first bike since most low displacement beginner bikes are way to small for me.
@leeinwis I only kept the bike for about 5 months before upgrading to a Triumph Tiger Sport 660. If my only plans had been to have an around town bike, I'd have kept the KTM, but I wanted something more highway capable. I didn't have any issues with it, and I would have kept it as a second bike, but I only have the space for one.
Personally for tourers and semi touring bikes. I prefer seeing the internals just in case something goes wrong, you get to access it without thinking about the fairings too much
Just bought one of these.... It is AWESOME...far more off road capable than anyone would expect... took it to s. Utah and it took me everywhere I wanted to go and I was pushing it... super light no fatigue or pulled muscles from picking it up or dragging it off big rocks. Just get one. You will have zero buyers remorse I promise.
OC: For adventure riding, I will favor the simple bikes that can easily be mended in cases of damages while out there in the middle of nowhere. I think the 390 Adventure with its single cylinder engine, less electronics clutter, simple effective suspension and utilitarian overall package can go toe-to-toe with mid-power and high-power, expensive, cluttered, complicated, bigger ADVs that have parts you cannot find easily, and you need special tools to do simple repairs. But of course, the 390 Adventure should stand the test of reliability and durability off-road. Having said that, I guess most buyers of the 390 Adventure will just use this bike as a starting point for adventure riding. This bike might not even see off-road that much. Riders will eventually give-in to the ego-bug and status-symbol-syndrome and will go buy a bigger ADV bike from established brands.
Your revs were too low for the pullaway (appreciate it's in break in period), should have started in 3rd. Engine starts to pick up at 6k revs through to 9k. Also I rarely have issue with the standing position off-road. It's a little aggressive maybe, but that's actually not the downside you'd think to associate based on these first takes. Have ridden light enduro along with dedicated dirt bikes, me on stock tires, them on knoblies. Could do all the things they were doing over 150 mile off-road days, primarily down to it's very capable suspension (you can outpace the suspension if you ride super aggressive, but at a reasonable pace it's very good). I've slammed the cast wheels off road many times with zero issue. Honestly, it'd easily hold its own against the Pan Am, for example, if you ride to its strengths.
Many riders get the KTM bar risers. They offer 10, 20 & 30 mm heights. KTM has other accessories also like different height windscreens. I have seen in other videos 105 mph, 169 kph top speeds. Noraly, Itchy Boots is doing a solo S.America to Alaska, U.S.A. ride on a Honda 300 Rally. And it has 50% of the power of this KTM 390. Noraly avoids paved roads if possible as that is where the sites are. The 390 has Brembo brakers at the front, BYBRE. I like the looks. Many complain about the forward tilting footpegs. There are better ones after market.
The 390 Adv was the first bike I bought and I absolutely love it. Unfortunately 1,300 miles in it feels like it’s not enough bike for me. I guess I’ve discovered I’m a speed demon and have been looking into getting a Duke 890. Update: after 1,800 miles I traded it in and went balls to the walls with a 1290 SDR EVO. Absolutely love it.
Im 17 here in Colorado. No point in getting a permit cuz I have no one 18+ to ride with and a year early for a license. Super annoying but this will probably be my first bike
Best description you can say about this bike is " it just makes sense " pretty much encompasses all that needs said..also I think it's a good looking bike, definitely might do some cosmetic work on the appearance, like bar end mirrors, maybe black out the orange with vinyl wrap, and put a little bigger wind visor, tail tiddy kit, carbon fiber exhaust would look really good
Hopefully you do an off-road ride with this in the future, pretty much required in this segment to show how it does. I'm fairly certain for the 22 model they strengthened the wheels. Besides, as long as you're not smacking big rocks with the wheels, the cast are fine, this bike was never meant to be a pure off-roader. If I had to pick, i'd still use cast wheels on this bike mainly for easy tire plugs in case of flat and also fu** changing tubes on the road.
I just got my second, will use it for commuting, and light touring. To me, it’s a Duke 390 GT - better range, more comfortable, more versatile! And get me to the odd campsite:)
Thanx for the review. I am a 50 years old total beginner and thinking to buy my first bike. The cb500x is on the top of my list but also the KTM 390 adventure.... Difficult to choose, want to have a practical bike for commuting but also go on some touring in my country with enough power and not 'difficult' for a beginner as me. Ride safe and cheers from Serbia 🇷🇸✌️
The 390 is all around better, on road they're similar but I'll say that the 390 will feel more nimble and agile but off road 390 is just more capable and better equipped But also keep in mind that Honda will beat KTM shop network almost everytime and the 500 will probably be cheaper to fix if something breaks
OC: Still top of my list for my next bike. Great review, you touched on everything relevant other than getting her off-road. At 5'9" and 32" inseam, I'm a smidge worried by the ride height. Still, the seating position looks good and as you say, the lightness of the bike might make the height a non-issue.
Ride the Kawasaki Versys X300 ABS next, and like another viewer said below, the BMW 310GS. There are some things about both of those you will like even better!
Picking mine up next week! As I am Austrian, it was also a bit of a patriotic choice, but it really seems to be a bike that offers more bang for buck than most other companies, and that at a very high quality and with gimmicks that are usually not in that price range :D
I own a previous year 390, I have had it a year, I’m a new rider to the road but have a good amount of time ridden off road. First off, it’s as fun as Chase is saying it is, so so much fun and easy for daily commuting. I have done a few longer trips. Longest being 6 hours in the seat (stock seat, rally pegs) and my hip flexors were in so much pain I couldn’t ride. It’s okay, but not good at long distance travel. I still had a blast. I did just have to stop more than I wanted to. A bit more on that, the wind protection over time gets greatly fatiguing. At least I feel a bit like a parachute in the wind on the bike. Fuel economy is fantastic! I found it to be seriously good. (In Australia) around 300km+ a tank if you are taking it easy. Off road on fire roads or dirt roads, it’s good, you can turn it all off and have some fun, stock tyres are less than inspiring on the dirt. Although the contrary on the tar! Overall I think the bike is fun and a great bop around bike and a fantastic purchase! I love mine! I hope this helps! Thanks! (Sorry if it doesn’t all make sense, I wrote this fast)
fucking finally. I live in Europe and ride a svartpilen 401 in urban environments ie. a European capital. wouldn't trade for a higher cc bike, I've been preaching the maneuverability for a while. you can just act like a fucking hooligan in traffic and still be quicker than 99% of the cars.
Low handle bars is an issue on the Honda CRF250/300L as well. Idk why they make them so hard to stand on when clearly that’s a standard use case of these motorcycles
For someone that loves the Adventure motorcycle space not knowing about the many options below 650cc seems kind of strange but here are some available in the US market I am sure I missed one or two BMW G 310GS KTM 390 Adventure Honda CRF300L Rally Honda CB500X Kawasaki Versys-X 300
OC- as someone that owns a t7 and a wr. I think this is a good middle ground. I think 700ish is the sweet spot for a do it all. Would love if they made a 390 dual sport. Might sell my wr if that came to fruition.
Less CCs is definitely more fun a lot of the time, being able to really chuck the bike and squeeze through tight spaces and generally be cheeky. The advantage of a bike over a car as a mode of transport is how little space you take up on the road and small bikes accentuate that!
this is a taller duke, that's it, a nice commuter and city bike, adventure is in the name only. Yes, people are gonna take it offroad, as they did with the honda monkey and cub, and scooters for that matter.
In my country have motorcycle cc limit to 165cc. So we can't ride motorcycle higher than 165cc. Our adv bike is Lifan kpt, Honda 150x. Check these. And our sports bike is r15 v3/v4, cbr150, gsxr150, gpx demon, benelli 165s, lifan kpr 165 etc.
Would love to see more first rides of more lightweight ADV bikes. I hear the Kawasaki versys 300x has become a favorite in that line for actually going offroad, because people like how lightweight it is. I’m not super interested in interstate touring and would rather have a lighter bike off-road. Want basically a dual sport but more comfortable seat and some wind protection.
@@JCrozier1 yep, same boat. I want a 300-400cc adv. Really been wishing Yamaha would make a more affordable tenere with the mt-03/R-3 motor since the t7 has the mt-07/r7 motor. Doesn’t look like that’s happening though. I dig the ktm, just worried about reliability and getting it serviced because they don’t have a great dealer network in my area. The versys 300 looks great since they more recently updated the finish. The rally version of the Honda crl300 also is interesting. Haven’t seen one yet to be able to sit on on it and see how it feels but I definitely like how that bike looks.
@@JCrozier1 yeah turned out the Honda crf rally and L are setup for a child. I’m 5’10” 240. Not super overweight anymore. More so built like a linebacker. I sat on the Hondas and they basically did the Carolina squat. Looked into upgrading suspension but it’s like $1500-$2k (too much to dump into such an inexpensive bike considering other mods I’d want to make) Seems like they were built for people that are skin and bones.
@@nephilymbass1 I'm still riding a DR200 for little in town stuff. Tried a 300L a couple months back. It's barely faster and has a squishier suspension. I'll probably stick with what I have instead of doing anything else.
Hey man…I am new to the ADV community and I bought this bike so I can’t really compare…came off a bunch of Harleys but…I am 5’8” and have NO problem at with it. It is the funnest bike I ever rode. I love it! it is a daily driver on the highway/city for me. This bike is so easy to ride. Thanks for your info bro!!
Based on this review I’m guessing you didn’t really do any research into this bike before riding it. A lot of what you said seems based on assumptions not fact. Suspension: fully adjustable front and rear. Switch gear is backlit for night use. The cast wheels have been used it lots of off road terrain and not had issues, plus it gives you tubeless tires so you can plug a puncture rather than need to change a tube. The openness or lack of side fairings is a blessing for ADV as it’s less to remove for maintenance and also less to break in the event of a drop. As for it only having a 19” front tire, well, that doesn’t make it not a true ADV bike. In order to have the larger wheel up front it would mean a longer chassis and it would lose its nimble characteristics that make it so easy to ride. Yes a little more ground clearance would be nice but then you also increase seat height and make it less approachable for new/shorter riders.
You seem to be very amazed by low CC adv bike. Now that you have reviewed this bike, please do check out and review the BMW 310 GS which has been around for quite some time.
I live in Illinois and there is a ktm 390 adventure that I have my eyes on and it’s not the normal color the orange and black it’s blacked out multicam black and the whole bike is completely blacked out
The younger yet more expensive brother of the Bajaj Dominar, interesting, I love it when you do lower cC bikes especially since KTM is farting with it's presence in Kampala "city". About the OC thing from what I have seen lower cC ADVs do make for good computer bikes since they appear to make more power than the average naked and are more comfortable than the sports package but damn they do cost a little too much, maybe KTM should consider less electronics for certain regions for example in Kampala if KTM dares this bike will cost over $8000 in perspective that can get you a good plot of land and start your construction but the boys in government would have a blast with this that is if they weren't so Subaru pron. But from this review the Dominoes seems more approachable.
I want this bike so much for winter riding in Chicago. There just seems to be a lot of small issues that aren't getting worked out and of course that motor likes to blow up. I'm hoping they eventually get this one worked out because I think it would be amazing around town bike.
KTM regularly sells around 45000 to 60000 units of these small CC bikes annually here in India alone. Have never heard of these motor blowing up, yet. Don’t know where those bikes y’all get in the US of A is manufactured but if it keeps blowing up & with the prevalence of lawsuits there, I bet it’s just a matter of time before someone sues KTM.
Women who want to ride with their SO like me are limited bc of height (5’3) and as beginners very few options for us! Never can find “ the best” as a short beginner who wants to also hang out and ride. It’s frustrating there isn’t more market for women… maybe they would ride more. This bike is my choice so far as my Grom upgrade even though it is tall I don’t see any other choice as it’s still a light bike .
KTM was almost dead as the company caught in the 2008 global meltdown, that's when Bajaj Auto Ltd. brought them back from the dead, picked up 48% in KTM in 2008 and bailed out the loss-making company admits CEO Stefan Pierer. The 390 ADV sells for around ~3600USD on road prices in India. Of course there's a 250cc model, low seat height for shorter riders, spoked wheels, bare bones X variant and a ton of aftermarket accessories like the taller windshield, engine guard with sliders, bash plates, Jerry can mounts, radiator guard
So, I own this bike, and I love it! I had Liter bikes and a Super Duke and I did ride this one a lot more. While I had my R1, I took this bike on a 9 hour highway trip from Salt lake to southern Colorado, and while on the cabin in the mountains did a lot of off road with it, and some stuff fairly hard core (even with the cast wheels); I did eventually changed the wheels for the spoke-type, but I did jump the hell out of the bike, and no damage on the wheels on or off-road. If you are goign to ride it in city, the bike needs no mods. I did change some things on mine,and many of these mods are available from KTM's catalog. I got the 890 ADV rally style footpegs (larger, better angle), the handlebar rise is a MUST, replace the plastic engine guard with an aluminum one and added hand guards, along with KTM's confort seat & Pillion. Added some saddlebags, a pillion bag, and went on a few trips with it. With the Pillion bag, it was great for in town errands, and I even drove this bike on winter/icy conditions. Did fine. I did a lot of off road stuff with it (some pretty rough fire lanes) and plenty off the road stuff, but I wouldn't take it where I take my Enduro KTM (that's a 450 cc, but even lighter). This did fine in every occasion with cast or spoke wheels. Also, the controls are illuminated,and you can pay to unlock the Quick shifter (or you could on the 2020 model year). Headlight is bright as my car's light (Love that about the KTMs), so ifyou odn't mind the bug look, (I love it) its a good looking bike, and KTM does great jobs with the paint schemes.
OC Again, YOu can take this off road fine. I saw people take the pipe to get a few extra HP when off roading this bike. so, if you're are going to seriously off road this bike, the biggest change you'd need is the better engine guard (the plastic one mine had was not good enough, and I'm not sure if the newer ones updated that to metal). Get bar risers, b/c you'll be standing and higher handbars will be helpfull along with proper hand guards, and the rally stile foot pegs. With just that, you're Solid!
Sorry, Long post, but LOVE this bike! Its a Do it all! (I bet you could put soem slicks and track it too :)
It fall apart yet ?
KTM would sell a lot more motorcycles if they offered a color other than orange-white-black-ktm-pattern. A solid black or white option would be great.
I do not like that orange all over at all!
Solid black sucks but more colours welcome
I a big fan of white motorcycles. Yes KTM needs to offer more color options.
I'd love black and blue
They did it in 200 here in Asia
Picking mine up tomorrow, it’s my first bike! Your video has so excited for it!
It’s an amazing first bike. Nice choice.
I have the Duke 390 (street version of this) and Chase is right, the maneuverability is insane.
hows the stock sound irl?
@@evenlandaas306 well it is okay but nothing impressive. i would recommend a yoshimura or akra upgrade.
I’m 71 y/o I recently unloaded a Triumph Tiger 955i that I’d had for 16 years and a Bonneville for a 2022 390 Adv. At nearly 600 lbs. loaded, the Tiger was simply more than I felt comfortable dealing with. For me, the little (?) KTM is ideal. It helps that my favorite bikes have always been light and “tossable”. I’ve installed some SW Motech bags on it and wouldn’t be afraid to ride it anywhere that I rode the larger adv. As you noted, it is quite susceptible to crosswinds, but hardly unmanageable.
Great vid, I have the 2020 model , in Australia, this bike is way more capable offroad than ppl think, I purely bought this for adv riding/camping, and it has been fantastic. Certainly more capable than 'light' offroading.
Do the rear set foot pegs big you off-road? This is my main concern
Get new pegs dude. Modding is just part of owning ADV bikes.
I've the 2020 model and I love it. Some minor issues like condensation on the display when it's cool out as well as the fact that it'll randomly turn off every few thousand miles which is odd. Loads of fun though and it's great in the city because it's so tall.
I'm from the Philippines and I own the 2021 version this machine for almost a year now and I have to say it's a perfect bike in this country. with ungodly traffic jams, this bike is simply perfect for all roads. I used to own an inline-4 and i have to be honest, the KTM is not the best sounding bike around :D
Anny issues until now; problems;
OC; low to mid cc will be best in most adventures around town, the hills, and ready to travel wherever the road ends outside of the US. That's why I'm all for it.
I moved from Long Island New York to Georgia 2 years ago.. When I got here I started looking for the 390... The covid Freeze on life made this bike hard to come by... In New York I had a Yamaha 650 cruiser... that I barely road... The 390 finally came available at the beginning of September... So I pulled the trigger and bought the exact bike you're riding in this video... I am 5' 8 and weigh a 160 pounds.. I'm on my toes but at stops I just lean a little to the right and put my right foot flat.... I have no off road experience yet.. But I hope to try it out once I get used to the bike.. And care less about how pretty it looks now🤗.. Like you said it's real easy to ride... And I really like the bike.. That being said.. I have 375 miles on the bike and right now it's it's in the shop Because of an oil leak That I noticed on my garage floor after returning from a 10 day trip back to New York🤷♂️
I took the MSF on Sept. 11-12 and picked up my 390 Adv on the 17th. At 6'5 it's been a great first bike since most low displacement beginner bikes are way to small for me.
Any update ? Is it still comfortable to you ? Any issues with the bike ?
@leeinwis I only kept the bike for about 5 months before upgrading to a Triumph Tiger Sport 660. If my only plans had been to have an around town bike, I'd have kept the KTM, but I wanted something more highway capable. I didn't have any issues with it, and I would have kept it as a second bike, but I only have the space for one.
Personally for tourers and semi touring bikes. I prefer seeing the internals just in case something goes wrong, you get to access it without thinking about the fairings too much
Just bought one of these....
It is AWESOME...far more off road capable than anyone would expect... took it to s. Utah and it took me everywhere I wanted to go and I was pushing it... super light no fatigue or pulled muscles from picking it up or dragging it off big rocks.
Just get one. You will have zero buyers remorse I promise.
I just bought o e im supper excited
New RC390 next?
So interested in this
OC: For adventure riding, I will favor the simple bikes that can easily be mended in cases of damages while out there in the middle of nowhere. I think the 390 Adventure with its single cylinder engine, less electronics clutter, simple effective suspension and utilitarian overall package can go toe-to-toe with mid-power and high-power, expensive, cluttered, complicated, bigger ADVs that have parts you cannot find easily, and you need special tools to do simple repairs. But of course, the 390 Adventure should stand the test of reliability and durability off-road. Having said that, I guess most buyers of the 390 Adventure will just use this bike as a starting point for adventure riding. This bike might not even see off-road that much. Riders will eventually give-in to the ego-bug and status-symbol-syndrome and will go buy a bigger ADV bike from established brands.
True!!!
Drz400 better
I love watching these videos. He acts like a kid on Christmas with his reactions😁
Just spot on. A cruise control and adaptive cornering lamps, even as an optional accessory will make this bike complete!
Your revs were too low for the pullaway (appreciate it's in break in period), should have started in 3rd. Engine starts to pick up at 6k revs through to 9k. Also I rarely have issue with the standing position off-road. It's a little aggressive maybe, but that's actually not the downside you'd think to associate based on these first takes. Have ridden light enduro along with dedicated dirt bikes, me on stock tires, them on knoblies. Could do all the things they were doing over 150 mile off-road days, primarily down to it's very capable suspension (you can outpace the suspension if you ride super aggressive, but at a reasonable pace it's very good). I've slammed the cast wheels off road many times with zero issue. Honestly, it'd easily hold its own against the Pan Am, for example, if you ride to its strengths.
Many riders get the KTM bar risers. They offer 10, 20 & 30 mm heights. KTM has other accessories also like different height windscreens.
I have seen in other videos 105 mph, 169 kph top speeds.
Noraly, Itchy Boots is doing a solo S.America to Alaska, U.S.A. ride on a Honda 300 Rally. And it has 50% of the power of this KTM 390. Noraly avoids paved roads if possible as that is where the sites are.
The 390 has Brembo brakers at the front, BYBRE.
I like the looks.
Many complain about the forward tilting footpegs. There are better ones after market.
The 390 Adv was the first bike I bought and I absolutely love it. Unfortunately 1,300 miles in it feels like it’s not enough bike for me. I guess I’ve discovered I’m a speed demon and have been looking into getting a Duke 890.
Update: after 1,800 miles I traded it in and went balls to the walls with a 1290 SDR EVO. Absolutely love it.
friendly reminder it has the same hp as the KLR650. just about out of the break-in period, i fkn love this bike. came from a crf300l.
Sold my crf250l and bought one.... all smiles
Im 17 here in Colorado. No point in getting a permit cuz I have no one 18+ to ride with and a year early for a license. Super annoying but this will probably be my first bike
Nice In depth review...Enjoyed.
Review the cb500x from Honda
Love our Duke 390. Smile on my face every time I ftake it around lake road twisties
There is 250 Adventure too.
We want an xsr 700 video!!
Chase you should do the BMW G310GS!
Best description you can say about this bike is " it just makes sense " pretty much encompasses all that needs said..also I think it's a good looking bike, definitely might do some cosmetic work on the appearance, like bar end mirrors, maybe black out the orange with vinyl wrap, and put a little bigger wind visor, tail tiddy kit, carbon fiber exhaust would look really good
Hopefully you do an off-road ride with this in the future, pretty much required in this segment to show how it does. I'm fairly certain for the 22 model they strengthened the wheels. Besides, as long as you're not smacking big rocks with the wheels, the cast are fine, this bike was never meant to be a pure off-roader. If I had to pick, i'd still use cast wheels on this bike mainly for easy tire plugs in case of flat and also fu** changing tubes on the road.
8:02 lol that VW's license plate in front means "toy" in German haha, Spielzeug, or more accurately, "play thing" 😂
I just got my second, will use it for commuting, and light touring. To me, it’s a Duke 390 GT - better range, more comfortable, more versatile! And get me to the odd campsite:)
Thanx for the review. I am a 50 years old total beginner and thinking to buy my first bike. The cb500x is on the top of my list but also the KTM 390 adventure.... Difficult to choose, want to have a practical bike for commuting but also go on some touring in my country with enough power and not 'difficult' for a beginner as me. Ride safe and cheers from Serbia 🇷🇸✌️
The 390 is all around better, on road they're similar but I'll say that the 390 will feel more nimble and agile but off road 390 is just more capable and better equipped
But also keep in mind that Honda will beat KTM shop network almost everytime and the 500 will probably be cheaper to fix if something breaks
Do a Svartpilen 401!
How does engine vibration on the highway compare to the DRZ400?
OC: Still top of my list for my next bike. Great review, you touched on everything relevant other than getting her off-road. At 5'9" and 32" inseam, I'm a smidge worried by the ride height. Still, the seating position looks good and as you say, the lightness of the bike might make the height a non-issue.
Throw this thing on a trailer once and ratchet down the bike. It's not a big bike.
I have a 31” inseam and I’m on tip toes but it’s not bad. The lightness of the bike pretty much makes it a non-issue.
why would you do a 40-80 in 4th gear not 3 or even 2nd?
Anyone else notice at around the 19 minute mark he had his turn signal on for a while 😂
Ride the Kawasaki Versys X300 ABS next, and like another viewer said below, the BMW 310GS. There are some things about both of those you will like even better!
They need to make these in a supermoto!
I'm 6 feet tall with a 32" inseam and I cant flat footed. One inche lower would be perfect.
👍 good video 👍👍 Really Amazing 🤩👍 video as usual
Picking mine up next week! As I am Austrian, it was also a bit of a patriotic choice, but it really seems to be a bike that offers more bang for buck than most other companies, and that at a very high quality and with gimmicks that are usually not in that price range :D
I own a previous year 390, I have had it a year, I’m a new rider to the road but have a good amount of time ridden off road.
First off, it’s as fun as Chase is saying it is, so so much fun and easy for daily commuting.
I have done a few longer trips. Longest being 6 hours in the seat (stock seat, rally pegs) and my hip flexors were in so much pain I couldn’t ride. It’s okay, but not good at long distance travel. I still had a blast. I did just have to stop more than I wanted to.
A bit more on that, the wind protection over time gets greatly fatiguing. At least I feel a bit like a parachute in the wind on the bike.
Fuel economy is fantastic! I found it to be seriously good. (In Australia) around 300km+ a tank if you are taking it easy.
Off road on fire roads or dirt roads, it’s good, you can turn it all off and have some fun, stock tyres are less than inspiring on the dirt. Although the contrary on the tar!
Overall I think the bike is fun and a great bop around bike and a fantastic purchase! I love mine! I hope this helps! Thanks!
(Sorry if it doesn’t all make sense, I wrote this fast)
I would buy one of these and keep them forever. However a good looking bike matters and can’t ignore the RC390🥺🙆🏾♂️🥹👌🏽😂😊
Little thumper for bopping around town!
There is also the Vstrom 250 which is probably the smallest adv I have ridden so far.
Just came back and check on this channel I used to binge tf out of your videos years ago
Handsome little bike
fucking finally. I live in Europe and ride a svartpilen 401 in urban environments ie. a European capital. wouldn't trade for a higher cc bike, I've been preaching the maneuverability for a while. you can just act like a fucking hooligan in traffic and still be quicker than 99% of the cars.
Low handle bars is an issue on the Honda CRF250/300L as well. Idk why they make them so hard to stand on when clearly that’s a standard use case of these motorcycles
Can you do a Kawasaki Versys X 300 first ride? Maybe a comparison of the two bikes?
There is a cruse control, mc cruse. Down under.
For someone that loves the Adventure motorcycle space not knowing about the many options below 650cc seems kind of strange but here are some available in the US market I am sure I missed one or two
BMW G 310GS
KTM 390 Adventure
Honda CRF300L Rally
Honda CB500X
Kawasaki Versys-X 300
Oc solid bike i got a duke390 and somehow regret not getting the adv390
OC , had one on order since april is aus... told maybe december...
Weird for me to consider selling my DRZ to pick up one of these
Also I’m considering selling my DRZ for this
Review the Svartpilen 401 PLEASE! It's basically the same motorcycle but better
The cast wheels are very durable, and this bike is fully capable of whatever off-road riding you want to throw at it.
OC- as someone that owns a t7 and a wr. I think this is a good middle ground. I think 700ish is the sweet spot for a do it all. Would love if they made a 390 dual sport. Might sell my wr if that came to fruition.
Less CCs is definitely more fun a lot of the time, being able to really chuck the bike and squeeze through tight spaces and generally be cheeky. The advantage of a bike over a car as a mode of transport is how little space you take up on the road and small bikes accentuate that!
OC. Chase, you should take BMW G310GS for a FR!
Oc Ktm has heaps of power parts for this bike, I looked at one with the ktm spoked wheels at my local dealer.
you never seen the Adv Honda CB150X
Still waiting on that TW200
I am also my brother….
Bro! Thanks for this, I’ll buy the 2023 changes some thing like wheels, led and some more.
Chase: 3:33 “No problem with the engine”
Also Chase 3:36 *Bouncing off limiter*
He's bouncing off the limiter because it's limited to 7000 rpm until you get through the break in period (1000km).
this is a taller duke, that's it, a nice commuter and city bike, adventure is in the name only.
Yes, people are gonna take it offroad, as they did with the honda monkey and cub, and scooters for that matter.
Some further research of other channels on this bike says otherwise, very capable off-road
Can you do a review of the Honda NC750X Manual it is much different than the DCT.
In my country have motorcycle cc limit to 165cc. So we can't ride motorcycle higher than 165cc. Our adv bike is Lifan kpt, Honda 150x. Check these. And our sports bike is r15 v3/v4, cbr150, gsxr150, gpx demon, benelli 165s, lifan kpr 165 etc.
Would love to see more first rides of more lightweight ADV bikes. I hear the Kawasaki versys 300x has become a favorite in that line for actually going offroad, because people like how lightweight it is. I’m not super interested in interstate touring and would rather have a lighter bike off-road. Want basically a dual sport but more comfortable seat and some wind protection.
I've been trying to pick between this and the x300 for at least a year. I just can't decide.
@@JCrozier1 yep, same boat. I want a 300-400cc adv. Really been wishing Yamaha would make a more affordable tenere with the mt-03/R-3 motor since the t7 has the mt-07/r7 motor. Doesn’t look like that’s happening though. I dig the ktm, just worried about reliability and getting it serviced because they don’t have a great dealer network in my area. The versys 300 looks great since they more recently updated the finish. The rally version of the Honda crl300 also is interesting. Haven’t seen one yet to be able to sit on on it and see how it feels but I definitely like how that bike looks.
@@nephilymbass1 I test rode a 300l. It's barely better than my dr200.
Super squishy suspension.
300 rally was on my short list.
@@JCrozier1 yeah turned out the Honda crf rally and L are setup for a child. I’m 5’10” 240. Not super overweight anymore. More so built like a linebacker. I sat on the Hondas and they basically did the Carolina squat. Looked into upgrading suspension but it’s like $1500-$2k (too much to dump into such an inexpensive bike considering other mods I’d want to make) Seems like they were built for people that are skin and bones.
@@nephilymbass1 I'm still riding a DR200 for little in town stuff. Tried a 300L a couple months back. It's barely faster and has a squishier suspension.
I'll probably stick with what I have instead of doing anything else.
I don’t know why I hate the abbreviation ADV being said so much
Hey man…I am new to the ADV community and I bought this bike so I can’t really compare…came off a bunch of Harleys but…I am 5’8” and have NO problem at with it. It is the funnest bike I ever rode. I love it! it is a daily driver on the highway/city for me. This bike is so easy to ride. Thanks for your info bro!!
The ktm should have came with bar risers and flat angle pegs
Based on this review I’m guessing you didn’t really do any research into this bike before riding it. A lot of what you said seems based on assumptions not fact. Suspension: fully adjustable front and rear. Switch gear is backlit for night use. The cast wheels have been used it lots of off road terrain and not had issues, plus it gives you tubeless tires so you can plug a puncture rather than need to change a tube. The openness or lack of side fairings is a blessing for ADV as it’s less to remove for maintenance and also less to break in the event of a drop. As for it only having a 19” front tire, well, that doesn’t make it not a true ADV bike. In order to have the larger wheel up front it would mean a longer chassis and it would lose its nimble characteristics that make it so easy to ride. Yes a little more ground clearance would be nice but then you also increase seat height and make it less approachable for new/shorter riders.
You seem to be very amazed by low CC adv bike. Now that you have reviewed this bike, please do check out and review the BMW 310 GS which has been around for quite some time.
Have one great bike a lot of fun.I love the looks.
Awesome review chase!
OC: oooooh small bore adventure 🤩
I live in Illinois and there is a ktm 390 adventure that I have my eyes on and it’s not the normal color the orange and black it’s blacked out multicam black and the whole bike is completely blacked out
Love the videos chase! OC
Crf300 rally
How’s it compare to the CB500X?
You think it would come with spoke rim for a adv bike
Nice bike, why are you riding with the high beams on though?
I actually like the way this looks compared to the Duke tbh
The younger yet more expensive brother of the Bajaj Dominar, interesting, I love it when you do lower cC bikes especially since KTM is farting with it's presence in Kampala "city". About the OC thing from what I have seen lower cC ADVs do make for good computer bikes since they appear to make more power than the average naked and are more comfortable than the sports package but damn they do cost a little too much, maybe KTM should consider less electronics for certain regions for example in Kampala if KTM dares this bike will cost over $8000 in perspective that can get you a good plot of land and start your construction but the boys in government would have a blast with this that is if they weren't so Subaru pron. But from this review the Dominoes seems more approachable.
I want this bike so much for winter riding in Chicago. There just seems to be a lot of small issues that aren't getting worked out and of course that motor likes to blow up. I'm hoping they eventually get this one worked out because I think it would be amazing around town bike.
KTM regularly sells around 45000 to 60000 units of these small CC bikes annually here in India alone. Have never heard of these motor blowing up, yet. Don’t know where those bikes y’all get in the US of A is manufactured but if it keeps blowing up & with the prevalence of lawsuits there, I bet it’s just a matter of time before someone sues KTM.
Hey there!
Any chance on doing the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401?
Women who want to ride with their SO like me are limited bc of height (5’3) and as beginners very few options for us! Never can find “ the best” as a short beginner who wants to also hang out and ride. It’s frustrating there isn’t more market for women… maybe they would ride more. This bike is my choice so far as my Grom upgrade even though it is tall I don’t see any other choice as it’s still a light bike .
Rebel 300/500 ?
Ktm DUKE 390
Wait i feel that some fairings of the bike is missing..... Compared to the Indian version 🥺
Wish there was a button to turn the high beam off..
Anybody having overheat issues when goin slow on these?.looking at one for the wife.
Not at all liquid cooling is great just make sure if you do off road keep the radiator clean.
need a KTM RC 390 2022 model review
From what I have heard, these cast wheels are pretty strong
Did you catch the fortnite test on this bike? He beats the death out of it and appreciates that it's tubeless.
adventure bike should have spoke wheels for offroad
Is it a sponsored video ?
Finally saw the camera car 🤣🤣🤣
Its not broken in yet will get faster
KTM was almost dead as the company caught in the 2008 global meltdown, that's when Bajaj Auto Ltd. brought them back from the dead, picked up 48% in KTM in 2008 and bailed out the loss-making company admits CEO Stefan Pierer. The 390 ADV sells for around ~3600USD on road prices in India. Of course there's a 250cc model, low seat height for shorter riders, spoked wheels, bare bones X variant and a ton of aftermarket accessories like the taller windshield, engine guard with sliders, bash plates, Jerry can mounts, radiator guard
How many RPMs is the bike doing at 65 mph? I was at the dealer yesterday and they couldn't tell me exactly what it would be
mine runs about 58-5900rpm at 65
Agreed under 6000 not even close to red line