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Old 25th January 2024, 23:43   #1306
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

Yeah it's a direct fit. It looks like an eyesore compared to the ADV 390's stock stem covered with plastic around it and its little bit wider than the Apache's stem so it gives good visibility.

Last edited by Axe77 : 7th February 2024 at 04:36. Reason: Caps.
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Old 26th January 2024, 00:00   #1307
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by sathasb View Post
Yeah it's a direct fit. It looks like a eyesore compared to the adv390's stock stem covered with plastic around it and its little bit wider than the apache's stem so it gives good visibility.
I guess the stock stem from the ADV is longer than the Duke's. What I did was use the stock KTM rubber boot on the Apache stem. It was a snug fit.
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Old 26th January 2024, 19:10   #1308
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

Quick update - Found a good “upgrade” option in the Reise TrailR 50-1 while replacing tyres.

Waiting to finish bedding in the tyres and riding some trails before forming a definitive opinion - but on dry Bombay roads - these feel surprisingly better than expected in comparison with the run down Timsuns I was used to. But I suspect this will not match the OE Metzellers on fast highway curves, but

But I’m happy considering how much “cheaper” tyre replacement has become. Total cost was 8.5K to buy, ship and install.

The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!-img_0651.jpeg

The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!-img_0650.jpeg
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Old 27th January 2024, 23:00   #1309
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by surajram View Post
Quick update ..
Reise has been taking the market by a silent-storm and it's definitely no slouch when it comes to performance per my friend, a fellow rider who's swapped to this on his ADV390 a couple of months back. He's extremely happy, coming from the Metzeler and is using the Reise Tour-R series. The good thing about Reise is that they're the only manufacturer to offer 6 years warranty, full brownie points.

Cheers!
VJ
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Old 4th February 2024, 09:10   #1310
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

Hey fellow owners, does the bike have a wheel balancing weight on the rear tyre from the factory? My bike is unstable and when I looked at the rear wheel, I couldn't find the wheel weight. Can anyone check it?

Last edited by Aditya : 6th February 2024 at 23:15. Reason: Typos, punctuation, grammar
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Old 4th February 2024, 11:10   #1311
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Hey fellow owners, does the bike have a wheel balancing weight on the rear tyre from the factory? My bike is unstable and when I looked at the rear wheel, I couldn't find the wheel weight. Can anyone check it?
Yes it does. Do the balancing at a dealer specialising in 2 wheeler balancing.

Last edited by Aditya : 6th February 2024 at 23:16. Reason: Quoted post edited
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Old 6th March 2024, 20:02   #1312
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

I am on the verge of picking up the current gen ADV 390. I have a few last moment clarifying questions. How different does the gen 3 LC4C feel compared to the current one? I have rode both and feel the new engine is slightly more torquey, but how bad will the ADV feel in the low end? Havent ridden either bikes for long.

Also how bad are the vibrations/buzzes over a long day of riding?

What are the small issues I should be looking out for?

Also is the new ADV coming out in 2025 or 2024 and is it worth the wait? I dont like how the leaks look and like the current gen ADV much more (from a design POV).

My use case would be mostly touring and occasional trails and if its good enough for the city, I will use it as my only bike. Planning to upgrade from a 15k odo BS6 FZ25 (which is my first bike).

Last edited by SiLxNcE : 6th March 2024 at 20:03.
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Old 7th March 2024, 11:26   #1313
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by SiLxNcE View Post
I am on the verge of picking up the current gen ADV 390. I have a few last moment clarifying questions. How different does the gen 3 LC4C feel compared to the current one? I have rode both and feel the new engine is slightly more torquey, but how bad will the ADV feel in the low end? Havent ridden either bikes for long.

Also how bad are the vibrations/buzzes over a long day of riding?

What are the small issues I should be looking out for?

Also is the new ADV coming out in 2025 or 2024 and is it worth the wait? I dont like how the leaks look and like the current gen ADV much more (from a design POV).

My use case would be mostly touring and occasional trails and if its good enough for the city, I will use it as my only bike. Planning to upgrade from a 15k odo BS6 FZ25 (which is my first bike).
Hello sir. I have the gen-3 Duke 390 and here are my honest observations.

1. The engine is a peach. The powerband is much better than the 373cc engine. The quickshifter also works 95% of the time. I would say in this regard, it's a fantastic upgrade for the lineup.

2. In terms of vibrations, yes they are present but not bothersome. Maybe only in low revs and around city, the fuelling can get a little jerky. If you ride for a while, you will have your hands buzzing for a bit.

3. If your use is mostly touring, either wait for the next-gen Adv 390 in 2025 or pick up the current gen. After riding the Duke on the highway, I would say that it isn't the best tourer. There is a lot of windblast; you would be really comfortable on the ADV over the Duke.

4. If you maintain chain slack and clean and lube it every 500-600km, the bike will be smooth and you won't face any quickshifter issues. For the current-gen ADV390, I dislike the quickshifter as it does not do its job very well. In terms of issues, so far I haven't really faced any major issues apart from the occasional stalling or heating issues. That's also because I mostly ride inside the city in peak traffic.

My two cents - wait for the new ADV390 and get that version if you want a more competent bike. If you cannot wait, please do go for the top-of-the-line Rally version. Yes, tubed tyres I know, but trust me the adjustable suspension is worth every penny.
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Old 8th March 2024, 16:14   #1314
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

So curious issues have crept up on my 390 adv,

1. Fuel tank key lid has come loose and now vibrates irritatingly. Planning to check if i can use magnets there to sort it out as changing that would mean i have to change all key slots.

2. There is some hollow rattle from rear whenever i go into some ditch or over some speed breakers.

3. Handle bar has some noise when braking, i thought it would be some cone issue but service center guys dismissed me pretty fast. Will check with some local mechanics may be.

4. Front left suspension has some noise when going over breakers, service center has done nothing to resolve that


Also what have anyone changed to a different engine oil? I tried liquimoly race street and boy was i wrong. Granted it was smooth but i was horrified to know that only .5 l engine oil remained in the bike after my rajasthan trip. Even during my recent goa trip the evap rate was pretty high, i had to top up before the second leg.

How to source metzeler tyres in india? I am not close to using out the current set but i want some info on how to source them.
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Old 10th March 2024, 21:26   #1315
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

Quote:
Originally Posted by SiLxNcE View Post
I am on the verge of picking up the current gen ADV 390. I have a few last-minute clarifying questions. How different does the

My use case would be mostly touring and occasional trails and if its good enough for the city, I will use it as my only bike. Planning to upgrade from a 15k odo BS6 FZ25 (which is my first bike).
I got a chance to check the test mule out at a fuel station near Chakan around 10 pm a fortnight ago. As usual, the rider didn't want me to click the pics, saying it was his job. So, I respectfully agreed and instead decided to have a chat. It's an all-out tall ADV (I mean the handlebars and not the seat). So I am pretty sure it won't be be as agile and sporty as the current gen. However, it is still a KTM so it should be swifter and faster than a Himalayan for sure. The bike is very light. The rider showed how he could move the bike with one hand. Another thing he showed was the splendid throw of the projector LEDs. He said this has cruise control; however, I am not really sure he understood. I didn't see any dedicated joystick. Who knows, they might have integrated it as a shortcut/long press on the existing 4-way switch. Now, the million-dollar question I asked was about the low-end torque. he didn't understand that either. I explained to him does the bike needs frequent gear shifts at low speeds in the city? He said yes, compared to Pulsar that he owns Bottom-line, my question remained unanswered.

I would recommend waiting. Even if you decide to go for the current gen 390 ADV, you could inform the showroom that you need a test ride of the new version and only then decide. Usually, the showrooms have stocks of old versions for 1-2 months, and they sell it at discounts.
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Old 11th March 2024, 11:05   #1316
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

Hi team,

I am on the fence for quite some time for the 390 ADV and need some help from the ADV owners.

To give you context I have owned Dominar 400 for 40k kms and I have Xpulse 200 4v since a couple of years. Right now I am looking a ride for long distance touring (including bad roads). I have booked Himalayan 450 but I am not very sure about its reliability in the long run.

When I took a test ride of the ADV 390 (2020 Model) last week, I faced a lot of issues in that ~20 kms ride.

1. The bike was constantly bobbing up even on the flat road. It was very irritating.

2. The handling was weird. Somehow, it was a bit difficult to turn the handle to the right side.

3. The most annoying issue was abrupt power cut. Whenever I was revving hard, the engine was making the revving sound, the RPM was also going up but there was no power for a couple of seconds and then the RPM was coming down and then I was getting the power gradually. This was very annoying and I was not able to enjoy the acceleration at all.

Now, my worry is are these issues due to the older (and probably not maintained) test ride bike. Or this is due to the MTC interference? Although the roads were not wet or they did not have any gravel etc. They were typical city roads. Does MTC interfere a lot on normal roads as well? I am a hard accelerating rider in general and was looking for that so famous "KTM power rush" but did not find at all.

I think issue #2 must be due to some alignment. But what about issue #1 and issue #3? Is someone facing these issues? If it was due to MTC, should I consider KTM 390 ADV X version?
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Old 15th March 2024, 12:40   #1317
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by rearviewstories View Post
Hi team,

I am on the fence for quite some time for the 390 ADV and need some help from the ADV owners.
As a follow-up to my previous query on being on the fence to upgrade from a FZ25 to the current 390 ADV, let me tell you my experience and answer your queries along with it from what I felt.

I rented the ADV 390X on a weekend in Bangalore and took it to Nandi Hills and back in full riding gear to simulate touring. It’s a 150kms circuit that contains crazy city traffic, some stretch of open highways, ghats and hairpins. So, it’s a great way to take a bike through all its paces. And then I returned the bike on a Monday morning in jam-packed traffic.

Let me start with the positives:

1) Very good and comfortable seating posture. After riding it for a day, I felt I dwarfed my FZ25 or even a friend’s V-Strom 250. The 390 ADV is that good. I would like to believe it would be supremely comfortable (only from a seating POV, more on that later)

2) Unmatched handling in ghats. Very composed body balance. The bike is so eager to lean in and exit fast from corners. It indeed feels like a slightly taller corner carving Duke. So your issue regarding the handling being weird might be that bike specific. Also since its old, maybe the cone-set needs maintenance. Try a newer one.

3) Very very powerful acceleration. The surge after 5k RPM is real. It’s almost superbike-like. It can overwhelm you and scare you and make you grin every time you whack open that throttle if you aren’t used to it.

4) The tyres felt good on the X, in contrast to popular opinion. Didn’t feel it losing grip on hard acceleration. The bike was at 10k on the odo on stock tyres.

5) Great highway presence. Looks like a fighter jet flying low. Attention seeking. A guy came up to me and said “Dude, you have a fancy ride” before noticing it was a rental. A kid came and asked me to do a wheelie. The bike was bright orange too.

Now the things I didn’t like much:

1) The buzz is also real. It’s terribly buzzy throughout the rev-range. Does get somewhat smooth at the top end, but if you are coming from a Japanese, I think it will take some time getting used to it. For comparisons, I had a VStrom along with me to the Nandi Hills run, and when I switched to that bike from the 390, it instantly felt like I am now a spectator to the road and the scenaries and going ahead rather than riding something. Both were at speeds of around 100kmph. I do understand the ADV will be more fun to ride, but after a long day of touring, maybe it’s the VStrom you’d rather want to be on. Day-night difference easily. Stopping after 60kms for breakfast felt like stopping after 200kms on the ADV. The tingly feeling on the fingers and foot never left.

2) The bike is not meant for the city traffic. Of course, you can ride it if it’s your only bike. But the bike itself is not comfortable. It gets terribly hot with bad heat management to a point you would need good denims to at least feel it less. No stalling issues whatsoever. I think that’s fixed fully now. But it’s very annoying to ride in stop-go traffic until you find the workaround, which is you actively start to look for gaps in traffic, and point and shoot this thing, keeping it in powerband. That way it’s very eager and enjoyable too. But sedately running it is out of question (at least comfortably).

3) The suspension is not that good. At least on the X. Have heard its stiffer on the STD. The Rally version, which I test-rode once for 5kms is much much better. The rear is super stiffly sprung. The front is alright but can’t hold a candle to the new Himalayan.

4) Very unforgiving w.r.t. gear changes. You can’t ride it in 1 higher gear without the front end rattling a little and asking you to shift down. (Yes, this bike has a downshift indicator in this way, haha). This in turn eats more fuel. Bottom-line: keep it in powerband.

5) City mileage is abysmal. Over 200kms of all conditions, it ate through 8L of fuel. This is measured from Reserve-Reserve method. I filled in 8L when I took it. It was in reserve. A km before returning, it went to reserve again. Highway mileage is good if ridden sanely. I could see the Fuel Range keeping on increasing as I was cruising around 90 – 100.

6) The exhaust note. I didn’t like it at all. It makes a weird grrrrr sound when it starts pulling hard. At low end, it sounds unrefined, which it is. The exhaust note is not what you would typically call sweet. Rather it’s something that might start annoying you after a long day. My FZ25 sound much better in comparison.


Things I couldn’t check:

1) High-speed runs. There was a speed-cap of 110 on the rental bike and had a penalty of Rs500/- every time its exceeded. So, didn’t push it.

2) Accessorized ride. Crash guards etc. The rental was bone stock. And the ADV has a lot of NVH. So, I am assuming it will buzz more with aftermarket accessories.

3) Extra features of the STD, like the Quick shifter, TC, Cornering-ABS, TFT display. Have heard the quick shifter is a little jittery and doesn’t work always as expected, Never felt the need of TC, but had a very short stint with the STD too, and felt the 390X accelerates better. But this needs more testing to conclude. Cornering ABS would be a good safety feature to have. The TFT display, is well, good of course, and gives a rich ownership feel but the one on the X was also alright with all info available at once.

Conclusion:

It’s a very dual-character bike. One side is very unamusing. Chugs along unhappily and angrily. The other side is very appealing. Always eager to run. But in both cases, it buzzes. It doesn’t make you a comfortable spectator to the road (I think it’s important from a touring POV), instead it seeks your attention and wants you to ride it hard. Every time I got off it and looked at it I felt happy, but am not sure if that compensates fot he rough ride it has.

I wanted to upgrade to this and had very high hopes but killed most of it after riding it for 2 days. Now, I am not sure anymore for my use case of planning to use it as my only bike for everything. I will wait for the next gen and see how it is. (Have ridden the Duke 390 gen 3 and the low-end is improved, still buzzy though) or I will try to convince myself to believe that the Honda NX500 is really worth it.

But for what it is, its tremendous value for money, and the X makes a better case as its much cheaper than the STD, and you don’t miss out on much, gets the best color scheme (the liquid metal-ish black) and is compatible with the Rally suspension to upgrade to later.

Last edited by SiLxNcE : 15th March 2024 at 12:45.
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Old 15th March 2024, 12:50   #1318
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by virajvroom View Post
I got a chance to check the test mule out at a fuel station near Chakan around 10 pm a fortnight ago.
Whoa! I have some questions for you. How does it look in person? From photos, it looks a little weird tbh. Is it visually bigger than the current model and does it look proportionate? How does the new front windshield add up to the entire scene? Does the bike look almost production ready? Is it too narrow? How was your POV when you sat on it compared to the current one? And any discussions regarding launch time lines?
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Old 15th March 2024, 13:26   #1319
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by SiLxNcE View Post
Whoa! I have some questions for you. How does it look in person? From photos, it looks a little weird tbh. Is it visually bigger than the current model and does it look proportionate? How does the new front windshield add up to the entire scene? Does the bike look almost production ready? Is it too narrow? How was your POV when you sat on it compared to the current one? And any discussions regarding launch time lines?
Man, those are too many questions for all of us. And I doubt even the test mule riders have answers to that. Since I have stayed very close to Tata and Bajaj plants since childhood, seeing test mules is a routine for me. You won't believe it; Bajaj has been testing Chetak Electric, Platina CNG, Qute, and electric Rickshaws since the mid-2000s (without name tags of course). To be honest, the drivers/riders have no clue about the business details. It's just another day for them. They get a bike assigned by their managers (sometimes third-party). You might sometimes spot White-collared employees riding them but that would be when the bike is production-ready.

Now, here are the answers to your questions regarding my POV. They won't obviously allow anyone to sit. You just need to get lucky. I had spotted the Hexa test mule long ago at a tea stall. So I paid for that guy's tea, and he had allowed me to sit. Apart from that, no one has ever allowed me to test a test mule

Looks: if the current one's shape looks like a T-Rex (bulkier and stooping), the new one looks like a Velociraptor (slim and head-high stance). Here, I mean purely the design lines. Not size. I could not find a better analogy. So yes, KTM ADVs have always been weird. Take it or leave it kind.

Proportion/narrowness: Subjective. It feels like a big and tall bike from the front, but as you go to the back, it tapers insanely! Just like the existing model, the traffic behind is going to have a hard time figuring out that they are overtaking an ADV; they will only realize halfway when they come closer to your handlebars. In the existing model, we at least have a muffler. The new one with an underbelly is very slim. Hopefully, the new mirrors that seem wide will help the riders proactively avoid squids in the rear.

Wind Shield: It seems to be very functional. It is wider.

Production-ready: Yes, visually. All parts appeared ready to be painted.

Launch time: No hint. Seems mid or late 2025. I was planning to sell my 390 ADV I just bought last year. But foreseeing the timeline and the completely new chassis, I am going to wait until the second lot of the bike arrives, that is If the Triumph 660s don't get cornering abs and cruise control until then or if KTM doesn't launch the 790/890 ADVs in India

Last edited by virajvroom : 15th March 2024 at 13:38.
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Old 24th March 2024, 12:47   #1320
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Re: The KTM 390 Adventure Ownership Thread!

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Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
Has anybody tried moturenn's neck brace?
https://www.motourenn.com/products/k...390-neck-brace

Thinking of getting one for my KTM ADV 250. The brace should work better on the ADV 250 due to fewer vibrations compared to ADV 390.
What's the update a year later now? Is it worth getting?
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