[TusharK]

KTM has rolled out software updates for older 390 Adventure bikes. As part of the update, MY2020 and MY2021 bikes will get riding modes that were introduced on the 2022 version.



Owners of the 390 Adventure can get their bikes updated at their nearest authorized KTM service station. It’s a free upgrade and will take about 20 minutes.

The 2022 KTM 390 Adventure was launched in the month of May. The bike comes with Street and Off-road modes for the traction control system. Besides this, the new version also comes with more robust cast wheels.

The 390 Adventure is powered by a 373cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that produces 43 BHP and 37 Nm. The bike rides on WP Apex upside-down forks with an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. It comes with disc brakes at both ends dual-channel ABS.

Link to Team-BHP News

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The 390 Adventure is powered by a 373cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that produces 43 BHP and 37 Nm. The bike rides on WP Apex upside-down forks with an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. It comes with disc brakes at both ends dual-channel ABS.

The so called WP Apex shocks that come on Indian Spec 390 Adv bike are actually made by Endurance(both front and back). How do I know? I bought a hyper pro spring from USA to replace the front suspension springs and found the hyper pro spring to be a good 40mm shorter than the the stock spring on the 390 ADV. The entire unit on the Indian spec 390 is made by endurance. This is printed on the inside of the front shock and WP Apex sticker slapped on top of it.

[neil.jericho]

Well, if KTM can get away with it, soon we will have other companies that use Gabriel manufactured shocks, put Showa stickers on top of them!

[sole_rider]

Originally Posted by Neo18

The so called WP Apex shocks that come on Indian Spec 390 Adv bike are actually made by Endurance(both front and back). How do I know? I bought a hyper pro spring from USA to replace the front suspension springs and found the hyper pro spring to be a good 40mm shorter than the the stock spring on the 390 ADV. The entire unit on the Indian spec 390 is made by endurance. This is printed on the inside of the front shock and WP Apex sticker slapped on top of it.

I have read somewhere that WP has a tie up with Endurance in India.

Here's the link to the article.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aut...s-5080%3famp=1

[Neo18]

If KTM can rebrand Endurance as 'WP Apex', then they surely can as well build a better/Adjustable suspension from the same Endurance Brand and call it whatever 'WP *' they want and could have charged a premium for the same. At least KTM could have offered better/Adjustable suspensions as a Rally kit, like how XPulse is doing it. It just peeves me that though KTM 390s' are manufactured here, we get 2nd quality products.

KTMs are no longer VFM, with the KTM 390 Adventure retailing at close to 4.3 lakhs on road in Bangalore. Nor are KTMs the firebrand performance Machines that the initial 390s were. Reminds me of the route that OnePlus took to boost their sales through Fantastic product offerings initially targeted at Enthusiasts and later got bitten by the Flagship bug to become a 'neither here or there' brand.

Enough of my rant!

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by Neo18

If KTM can rebrand Endurance as 'WP Apex'

Are you sure it is just rebranding? It is also possible that Endurance is their manufacturing partner to keep the cost low. Even though the factory is same, material and QA are usually different.

This happens across sectors. Levi's jeans are made by Raymond subsidiaries. iPhones are assembled by Foxconn.

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62

Are you sure it is just rebranding? It is also possible that Endurance is their manufacturing partner to keep the cost low. Even though the factory is same, material and QA are usually different.

This happens across sectors. Levi's jeans are made by Raymond subsidiaries. iPhones are assembled by Foxconn.

Sure, Endurance can well be their manufacturing partner, if so, then shouldn't the Endurance branded "WP Apex" internals be similar to what KTM sells worldwide? Even if an iPhone is manufactured in India, will the internals be radically different to an iPhone manufactured elsewhere?
I am aware that manufacturing is often outsourced for cost constraints and then quality Audited before the Parent Company's brand is slapped on to the product, but this is not it. You cannot even buy a progressive spring from a 3rd party who advertises the product to be a fit for the 390 ADV and fit it on the "Indian" 390 ADV, because the product given to us is way different to what is sold worldwide.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Neo18

Sure, Endurance can well be their manufacturing partner, if so, then shouldn't the Endurance branded "WP Apex" internals be similar to what KTM sells worldwide? Even if an iPhone is manufactured in India, will the internals be radically different to an iPhone manufactured elsewhere?
I am aware that manufacturing is often outsourced for cost constraints and then quality Audited before the Parent Company's brand is slapped on to the product, but this is not it. You cannot even buy a progressive spring from a 3rd party who advertises the product to be a fit for the 390 ADV and fit it on the "Indian" 390 ADV, because the product given to us is way different to what is sold worldwide.

You are right and You are wrong.

Endurance branded WP Apex is non adjustable for India.

WP Apex adjustable for Global market.

Hyper pro spring is advertised for the Global market - NOT for the Indian market. You should have figured this out prior - not the job of the manufacturer of the Hyper Pro spring, nor KTM, nor WP Apex, nor Endurance.

We can continue bashing ed nauseam but the respective manufacturers have made certain manufacturing decisions best known to them, and no where have they mentioned that the front fork is the same component between the Global and Indian models. The very fact that one is adjustable and the other is non adjustable should have sent alarm bells ringing in your head.

I would have first opened my fork, understood everything inside before placing an order. But that's me.

Cheers

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

You are right and You are wrong.

Endurance branded WP Apex is non adjustable for India.

WP Apex adjustable for Global market.

True that!

I rushed in on the purchase since I was in the US and on seeing some offer on the Hyperpro spring, I thought it would be more or less a direct fit. I should have tried some basic things like changing to a heavier oil in the front forks. Also it did not dawn on me that the entire cartridge would be way different in comparison to the Adjustable suspension. Anyways price paid and lesson learnt the hard way.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Neo18

True that!

I rushed in on the purchase since I was in the US and on seeing some offer on the Hyperpro spring, I thought it would be more or less a direct fit. I should have tried some basic things like changing to a heavier oil in the front forks. Also it did not dawn on me that the entire cartridge would be way different in comparison to the Adjustable suspension. Anyways price paid and lesson learnt the hard way.

I just used my favourite Maxima front Fork oil and replaced the gunk Bajaj spec oil that was there and we're both happy...

[VW2010]

KTMs are no longer VFM, with the KTM 390 Adventure retailing at close to 4.3 lakhs on road in Bangalore.

This is just a rant. There is no other adventure with this package available cheaper than the KTM. The spares for KTM are still the cheapest. While i am a KTM blindfold follower I also know what it costs to own these bikes vs what is available elsewhere.

On the suspension, please check zedling suspension. They do provide an upgrade for the front with better oil and tune up. I definitely want to give it a try soon.

The best option would be to upgrade to a fully adjustable one if we can source those that are getting exported.

For India they gave the quick shifter and for export they gave the suspension. While the quick shifter is available as a power parts outside we in india do not have any option to buy the adjustable suspension even via power parts.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I just used my favourite Maxima front Fork oil and replaced the gunk Bajaj spec oil that was there and we're both happy...

Can I replace the stock fork oil in the 390 Duke with something else? Any recommendations? I don't like the idea of using the stock Bajaj oil.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Can I replace the stock fork oil in the 390 Duke with something else? Any recommendations? I don't like the idea of using the stock Bajaj oil.

I used the same weight Maxima. Based on my research Maxima fork oils have the best technical specs. I used it on my Versys and now on my 390 adventure and we are happy campers.

[VijayAnand1]

Surprised by the amount of chafe this topic has caused. @Neo18 and @neil.jericho

KTM has been using ENDURANCE as their partners right from 2012 inception days, and it's no surprise. All the KTM bikes sold i.e. the likes of USA and elsewhere use the same forks supplied by Endurance, including the adjustable ones and revised OC front and newer adjustable rear shocks. ENDURANCE is a global supplier for global OEMs (EUROPEAN and WESTERN) including having manufacturing plants in major auto global OEM countries.

It'd be no-brainer to expect an Austrian made WP suspension kit when we're practically paying peanuts for a bike that created a segment first in terms of everything it had to offer right from four pot calipers to upside forks to a maniacal single, what not etc.

When considering what Endurance has been serving and are capable of, they are equally capable of providing SHOWA quality Endurance forks, it's only a matter of time. Yes, the forks are "decent" for what they have to offer and they in fact do a great job at that, but they're not in any way shape or form cheap or mediocre. FYI, the forks are the highest priced single component on any KTM bike sold in India, and that's for an Endurance manufactured one.

Logistically and technologically speaking, we need such out-bred collaborations and technology know-how that would trickle down to us the riders at a viable cost. When USD forks were seen as a thing of "race bike", looking at how it's trickled down to the the Hornet 160 to CB200x to Dominars to RR310s to the all new Ronins.

See, upgrades and third-party add-ons make any vehicle perform and feel great, agreed but a stock setup is designed primarily for affordability and performance all coming under the scalpel for MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and that's why they say, you get what you pay for. But remember the adage, all that looks and feels good, doesn't necessarily mean they perform the best and long last.

I have seen Triumphs and Kawasakis have throttle/clutch cable made in China by a Chinese manufacturer and that's on a brand new bike, yet I am paying for it in lakhs, but the key takeaway is a specific country's product doesn't always necessarily mean it's hogwash and the rest are bulletproof till eternity. We might not be there, but we are inching there, albeit slowly and that's not a bad thing.



Cheers!
VJ

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Surprised by the amount of chafe this topic has caused. @Neo18 and @neil.jericho


Cheers!
VJ

Agreed that my opinion is in the wrong forum. Should have bought it up in the KTM 390 Adv ownership thread. But to call it a Chafe is a bit of a stretch. I own the bike for 2 years now and close to 14k kms and in my view and usage, the suspension is not up to my expectation. Hence I call it my personal rant. At my weight of 90 kgs in riding gear and a tail bag, I have experienced that the front forks are spongy and the rear suspension has near zero rebound even at the softest setting. If a customer is willing to spend close to 4 lakhs for what is essentially a recreation tool, at this segment, its a no brainer that a performance/rally suspension is made available from the manufacturer. If Hero can do it in a bike which is essentially in a commuter segment, what is preventing KTM in offering the adjustable suspension as a power part, something that the rest of the world gets as standard? I know atleast 10 folks who have got this adjustable suspension imported from their sources at an eye watering price.


Let me be among many to praise KTM in offering an affordable ADV bike which can be driven straight from the showroom to the nearest mountain 500kms away, without the need for any addition or modification whatsoever. But suspension is one department where lack of any adjustability even for customers who are willing to pay for it, is mind boggling. As I have already posted, it was lack of research from my end that lead to this fiasco. Money paid, lesson learnt. I think the person owing the bike is the best judge of what the bike means to him/her and it is a little over to top to dismiss someone else's concern as a chafe.