2025 KTM 390 Adventure range

Austrian firm shows off next generation of A2-friendly adventure bike, with on- and off-road versions now available

Small bikes are where it’s at for a lot of riders nowadays. Sub-400cc machines are topping sales charts all over Europe, with Triumph, Royal Enfield, and Honda in particular doing very well of late.

The combination of cheaper purchase price, lower running costs, lighter weight and manageable power is an attractive one, for both older riders looking to downsize from a 250kg 1000cc+ bike, and younger novice riders just starting out on an A2 licence.

KTM has a strong record here too. It’s long offered a range of fun pocket-rockets, with a ‘390’ nominal capacity, and a high-performance single cylinder engine. The sporty RC390, the 390 Duke– and the various offroad machinery, like this KTM 390 Adventure.

The orange brand has pushed the limits on power and weight to the edge of the A2 licence rules, and with its smart chassis design and solid componentry, its 400-class single-cylinder models have all performed really well.

And now for 2025, the 390 Adventure gets an update, bringing its tech and design into line with the rest of the KTM lineup. There are two all-new models in the range: a street-friendly 390 Adventure X, with cast wheels and less suspension travel, and the dirt-focused 390 Adventure R, which has wire spoked rims and more capable suspension.

Both 390 Adventures share a revamped DOHC 4v l/c single cylinder engine, the 399cc Euro 5+ compliant LC4c, as seen on the latest Duke and Enduro models. It’s got a redesigned cylinder head, which has been reduced in size, with the thermostat mounted directly into the head, and a larger valve cover.

The intake and exhaust are tweaked, with new fuel injectors with a finer atomisation pattern which are angled straight at the inlet valves. There’s a new airbox and exhaust too, with the airbox redesigned to let the engine sit higher in the frame for better ground clearance, and the one-piece stainless steel exhaust is now 2kg lighter than before.

It also includes a double catalyst for the cleaner Euro 5+ running without reducing power. Finally, the transmission is revised, with tougher selector fork and shift drum design for smoother gearchanges and less lever travel, and it gets a slipper/assist clutch. There’s also an optional KTM Quickshifter+ available.

Power is similar to last year: around 44bhp claimed, well within the A2 46bhp limit, and decent, considering the ready-to-ride weight of 165kg (wet, no fuel).

Both bikes share the same basic chassis layout, with a two-part steel tube trellis frame based on that from the Duke, Enduro R and SMC R models, with a different steering head angle, triple clamps, subframe mounts and rigidity profile, specifically engineered for adventure touring use.

There’s a bolt-on subframe, with two different seat heights: 870mm on the R and 825mm on the X. A cast aluminium rear swingarm rounds off the chassis, with two different suspension packages for the two bikes. As you’d expect the X model has less-trick units, with WP APEX unadjustable 43mm USD forks and preload-only adjustable WP APEX emulsion rear shock.

Meanwhile, the R model has WP APEX 43mm open cartridge USD forks with 230mm of travel, which are adjustable for compression and rebound in 30-click steps. At the back, there’s a WP APEX Separate Piston shock absorber, also with 230mm of travel plus both preload and rebound adjustment.

The wheels, tyre and brake package is also different on the two bikes, again, as you’d expect. The R comes with a 21” front and 18” rear wheel set, with wire-spoked rims and dirt-friendly Mitas Enduro Trail E07+ rubber.

The X has a 19” front and 17” rear rim, with cast aluminium wheels and either Apollo Tramplr XR or MRF Meteor road-focused tyres. The brakes look very similar, with the same ByBre two-piston floating caliper and single 320mm disc up front, but the R has a floating disc while the X has a fixed part. There’s an off-road capable ABS setup too, with switchable rear channel, for more control on the dirt.

Electronics are less important on a smaller bike – and fewer gizmos can also attract riders looking for a simpler life. The X and R have similar tech packages, with the X having a cheaper monochrome LCD dash and the R having a colour TFT display, both 5” in size, and the R getting an IMU-assisted ECU for cornering functions.

That dash, plus new 4-way switch cubes lets you access rider modes – including an offroad mode. The default setting is Street, with Rain mode providing a less aggressive power delivery and more conservative traction control.

The Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC) can also be turned off completely for dirt use. The 2025 line-up also includes an ‘always on’ feature. This means that whichever ride mode is in use when the motorcycle is turned off will remain engaged upon start up.

The 390 Adventure R is fitted with cornering MTC, which uses the input from the 3D sensor to adapt in cornering situations – but the cheaper Adventure X has no cornering MTC.

All 2025 models feature rally-inspired LED lights, which provide excellent visibility during the day and illumination at night. The R model also has unique LED positioning lights.

Both new models also have multimedia functions, such as a music player via the KTM app and the ability to answer incoming calls, plus navigation. The new connectivity unit connects the motorcycle to the rider’s smartphone via Bluetooth, and lets the rider access features such as turn-by-turn navigation and their music library directly from the dashboard, call in and out and Remote Control Mode, which allows the rider to control their phone via the bike’s switchgear.

Optional cruise control and the optional up/down shifter rounds off the tech suite nicely.

A tempting prospect then – and at a decent price. The new 2025 KTM 390 ADVENTURE range will arrive in Authorised KTM Dealers throughout the year – the R variant hitting showrooms in late March, with the X variant following in autumn 2025. UK pricing is £5,399 for the X and £6,699 for the R.

There are obvious concerns for customers at the moment, with KTM’s parent firm Pierer in the middle of a serious financial crisis. At the moment though, it looks like day-to-day operations for the orange brand will continue as normal, even with the major restructuring planned at the top of the organisation.

More info: www.ktm.com

KTM 390 Adventure R (X) Specifications