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-   -   The KTM 390 Adventure (Gen- 1) Ownership Thread! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/219937-ktm-390-adventure-gen-1-ownership-thread.html)

Took the delivery of my 390 ADV today :-)


Here are the initial observations after riding for ~ 100 KMs on both city roads (Pune) and the highway :

*Extremely nimble and easy to go around in traffic as expected (I owned a Duke 390,2017 , so I had similar expectations)

*The Wind protection is not up to the mark and that contraption which holds the windshield vibrates quite a bit at lower speeds.

*The twin fans seem to have done the trick for KTM. Heat management is very good especially in bumper-to-bumper city traffic.

*Mirrors have been carried forward from the Duke and as such no change there.

*At 90 KMPH (which is my typical riding speed on highways), engine revs at 5000 rpm. So that's down from my earlier Duke I guess.

*NVH levels are at par with the Duke 390,2017. I did not expect anything on this front as the engine in this state of tune is identical to the earlier one !

*They have changed the style sheet for the console on the ADV and it's red everywhere :-)
. I am not sure if I like that. The earlier one was more subtle.

*Yet to test the efficacy of the headlights. The ones I had on my Duke were pathetic to say the least !

This will be the bike to go to the mountains for sure. Whether she'll be able to cover distances like what I do on my V-Strom is something that remains to be seen !

Congrats on the bike. Wish you many happy miles with it.

Are you planning any mods for the windshield?

Took delivery, removed that saree guard and rode about 40 kms. At the end saw the nice error warning for quick shifter ++ :D Fun bike otherwise. More updates after I ride some more.

Redliner also has taken delivery lol

Friend says delivered on Shivratri call it Nandi or Nagu to go with Jaggu lmfao. Yes it looks like a cockroach from front.



Did about 215 kms so far, engine is slowly getting smoother. But that darn gearbox is clanky and as the heat increases it becomes super-annoying. I guess it might be mineral oil from the factory acting up.

So a quick wrap up of my impression.

• This bike is good fun being light, just like the old duke one can ride it like a hooligan.
• The power delivery is definitely more mellow compared to my previous remapped first-gen duke, I think even the ride by wire is Lil slow compared to the ones am used to on tiger, those are more crisp. Sproketing also might be the other reason for this behavior.
• Being used to the heavy tiger, this lil one gives super confidence for me. Lil overconfident, i think i should restrict my enthusiasm a little.
• Light bike, floats on highways at speed above 100 Kmph with just some mild crosswind. Right now i rate the himalayan better for a highway cruise.
• Rider seat is really spacious even for my fat bum, offers lot of space to move around to shift the bum pain. They are very firm and comfy for short to medium rides, but definitely recommend getting down for a break after an hour or so,
• Rear suspension I might wind down to soft by a notch. Will decide after the weekend-long ride to the hills.
• Quick shifter on my bike is NOT working, threw an error and i have shown the image, and reported to service guys at Indira Nagar. They took details like when did it start coming and all and have in turn reported to KTM. And they were updating their OBD device with new software. I guess i will do a recalibration once this is done, usually that set's it right as per KTM forums for other other KTM bikes.
• Giving me 31-32 kmpl with the carefree ride so far. Mostly light traffic and highway. This week true color of Bangalore traffic effect should show.
• Fan is very mild compared to the Tiger and even the first-gen Duke, people complaining really doesn't know what "thighfry" is.:uncontrol
• Rear brake pedal is adjustable for toe reach, has two holes where the front flat pedal bit can be moved.
• Gear lever on the other side is far off, so people with shorter feet will have an issue and will have to move the feet fully forward to shift.
• Handlebar risers are a must for people like me 5'10" ish or it becomes super inconvenient and painful to ride standing up for long. Challenge is... need to figure out the cable and pipe lengths. From the looks of it, max 1" is what is possible, i would prefer at least 2".
• People worried about offroad ABS switching Off at restart, use the shortcut key to keep it handy. So with just two clicks you get it back on.
• When the road gets bad, egs: hennur road towards airport, flat out is the best option on this bike.
• The windshield has started mild rattle (known issue) need to fill it will some small bits of double side tape.
• Brakes have started squeaking, again known issue and says sandpaper the pads. But am ok with this.
• Removed the saree guard and its about 1.5 Kgs! Held on with 3 bolts.
• Moved the windscreen to the higher position, helps reduce wind buffet on the helmet. But otherwise, it is darn noisy wind once you cross 90 Kmph.
• Friend was riding with his tiger and when we swapped bikes, I (moving from 390 adventure to Tiger) felt like i just moved from the top of a lawnmower / grinder to a smooth and silky electric motor. The engine was heated up and that oil loses all its oomph when hot. I strongly believe it is a mineral brew from the factory.

For me right now this feels like a perfect fit for my office commute and trucking it to further ends of this country. A hooligan version of the X pulse, a DAMN expensive version and WITHOUT A FRIGGING Adjustable suspension! Which i am already missing! Stiff for the road but not loaded enough for offroad, can easily bottem it out. Damn you KTM!

ps: My comparison ane expectations will have lot of influence of the larger Tiger XRX i have been used to so far.

Congrats on the bike.

Since two capable riders have now taken delivery before the weekend, I guess we can expect your riding impressions soon.

Eagerly following your updates :) despite this bike being beyond me (height 5.7ft :Frustrati).

Lol, and on top of it, you've got a great reason to do Jagarane.

Idiots have given the 390 Duke owners manual with the 390 adventure.

Congrats Parrys, rb2399, Jaggu & Red Liner. clap:

Please keep updating the thread with your initial impressions. :thumbs up

Gearbox is a bit clunky right out of the dealership. Bike stalled/switched off in traffic in 3rd gear. I had to start her up again in motion. Clutch and the shift lever needs fine tuning for sure. Could be chain slack too. Was too dark for me to check anything at all.

Suspension is fairly damped for crappy roads. Little bit of play on the throttle side. Can it be adjusted in ride by wire to reduce that play? Bike feels super nimble, light,and agile off the bat.

Congratulations Jaggu bhai. Now the wait continues for your impressions.

Finally some good news for Bangalore folks!
Congratulations Parrys, rb2399, Jaggu & Red Liner - wish you all 100s of Ks of happy and safe adventurous miles ahead.

Although I had booked ages ago with Red Liner, might only be picking up mine around June.
Until then, will console myself that I would be getting the version II with the beta testers ready now stupid:

Edit: Please add your ownership impressions (soon) gentlemen, lot of folks waiting for it.

Took A TD of 390 ADV today.


Initial Impressions :

1. It is very nimble to handle. After coming from Ducati MS1260S it felt like a bicycle.

2. Clutch is super light.

3. Brakes are pretty good, you can vouch for it to save life.

4. I found hitting 8K rpm pretty easily and it does not go further. Enquired about it and they said it has been set like that.

5. Found serious lack of power, it may due to me riding Ducati back to back.

6. Suspension is pretty good and it gobbles up potholes and bumps.

7. Quickshifter, now this is interesting, in most bikes where I've tried QS, upwards works seamless and downwards is bit clunky, but here it is Vice versa :D

8. Did not find any issue with seat height, Yes I'm north of 6 feet and was fully geared up.

9. Found seat cushion perfect, need to see it on a long run.

10. Liked the display unit, It is crisp and functional.

11. It cost 3.87 Lakhs OTR here in Kerala, while Duke 390 costs 3.37 Lakhs OTR

Yes if I had spare cash, would definitely go for it. Pretty impressed with the bike. Would be a excellent beater.

Katoom came over. I had removed the saree guard by then. Had also adjusted the clutch lever play, was ridiculously huge. The screen was already in the raised position. Chain slack was actually okay. Tried adjusting the shift lever, but it would not go up further for more clearance. Played around with the console a bit. And consoled myself about not riding much for the next few days :)

Other bits and bobs:
+ Forks are made by endurance for WP :( found by katoom
+ Could not read who made the radiator fans
+ Tiny screw on the left of the headlight assy to change the beam orientation found by katoom
+ Brake pads are bybre and not Brembo like the interceptor. Maybe ebc on the next change. Katoom again
+ Mirrors have to go asap. What are my options. We saw an interceptor, and it’s nice and round, the mirrors. Katoom suggestion
+ Front suspension is quite soft...I can’t find out what weight oil is in there. Duke runs 5w, maybe this is a 7.5? Or even 10?
+ Two accessory ports on either side of the console with a dedicated fuse for each under the seat. Finally me lol
+ Air filter is easy access

More as I remember.

I had a very short run on Red Liner\'s katoom and it was fun!
Although it felt raw and coarse, I think it would all be smoothened out with more and more KMS on the odo along with the first oil change.

Couple of things I remember:
Headlamp can be switched on even when the engine isn\'t running. Very useful!

Seats can be removed without any tools, which is pretty useful.
Under the seat storage is nothing to speak about. Just enough to keep the toolkit and the small first aid kit.
Fuse box is redesigned compared to mine and is easier to access now.

Folks thinking about scooping out the seat to reduce the saddle height - forget about it. There\'s hardly an inch of foam and nothing really possible here.

Starter relay housed under the seat - this is well thought out. In case of the relay getting submerged during water wading, the relay can get a short and keep cranking.

Engine compartment is really a busy place now. The newer emission norms have forced the addition of a lot of apparatus.

I did hear that the test ride bikes are gonna be available in Bangalore from next week.

Few pics comparing my first gen Duke Tashi with the new boy attached.

To summarize, the Adv is a tall boy and is visibly bigger than the Duke. I am eagerly waiting for the TR.

The both of us also feel that the fueling could be a bit lean. Maybe a fuel controller with a map to zap the low end torque would be nice.

But I found the gearbox to be quite smooth in the TD vehicle.

Only complaints where some hesitancy showed up shifting using quickshifter.