[SedanGuy]

Hey everyone, I wanted to share our tale of how we ended up buying our KTM 390 Adventure, the shortlisting process, and the final buying experience.

As many of the mid-life crisis posts on TBHP, My (twin) brother and I were going through a similar experience. Both of us avid enthusiasts started out on humble motorcycles from a young age. In 2005 our automotive journey started on a loaned Kinetic honda which our cousin had gracefully given to us for our 12th standard tuition rides. The kinetic honda was such a peppy thing and we loved it to bits. But we were a bunch of teenagers who knew nothing. We rode that kinetic for over 6 months without the 2T oil and one fine day the kinetic honda sadly died on side of the road. We eventually rebuilt the engine and sold it off.

That’s when we got our first new bike which was the Bajaj CT 100. Although as boring as it sounds, we had some of the best memories on this bike. This bike served us well over 5 years. One thing though with the CT100, it never stopped, even with a single drop of petrol it would chug along till the nearest petrol pump for sure.

Once we finished our education and started earning, we wanted to finally get something that we had our sights on for ages and that was the Yamaha Rx135 (4 speed). One of my classmates was selling his and we immediately sold off the CT100 and bought that without a thought. Our RX was perfect, with the catalytic converter silencer and maroon colour, it was exactly the spec we were looking for. It was well sorted, and we loved it. We also did a frame off restoration off the bike and made it look bone stock. It was an amazing piece of machinery. I have used that bike in Bangalore and Mumbai, it never had any issues until it did. Finding spares had become an issue with Rx and our growing body sizes meant that the Rx would spend most of its time in the parking lot. I remember one specific time when we had to hunt down clutch plates for the RX. It was quite a task. In 2017 we finally sold it at a massive markup.


By this time, I had already bought an RE 350 classic (2013) for office commutes. RE was another dream bike for both of us and I nearly emptied my bank balance to procure this one. Now remember back in 2013, RE350 had at least a year long waiting period. I somehow managed to get one rather quickly. They say never meet your heroes. The 350 classic was a stunning in terms of looks but the engine was pathetic. The kind of noises it made was horrendous. From the hydraulic tappets to starter motor, everything had issues on regular basis. I had given up on the service centers and they couldn’t do anything about it. Even my local mechanic was fed up with this bike. He even advised me to sell it and he would help me procure a cast iron block RE which is according to him way more refined. By 2017, I had enough of the RE. The service costs and fuel costs did not justify at all. I finally called it quits and shifted to driving my car full time.


Alternately my brother had procured an avenger from his contacts which had just 1500 kms on the clock. A stunning red cruiser which helped him commute to his work. He spent 2.5-3 years on the bike and never really enjoyed the bike as much. Although much more refined than the RE it lacked the stability on highways. With a growing family and a demanding job, he too said goodbye to bike and had an old Yamaha ray z that helped him traverse local commutes.



Although both of us quit riding somewhere between 2017-18, we never really stopped window shopping. One of the first trigger points were the launch of RE twins. We both ended up watching every single YouTube review and were in love with those bikes. During the pandemic we both started to have an itch to get a bike to explore and tour. I even offered him to go dutch on an interceptor and share the ownership. He refused. Post pandemic in 2022, my brother had changed jobs and had to travel to work occasionally. Driving through Bangalore’s outer ring on your car during weekdays is quite a task. It was 30 kms drive which would take him anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours. He finally started saying that I might want to buy one bike just to commute on these odd office days. He also had his son starting school and started making excuses saying the bike will help him drop off his son to school. Typical middle-class enthusiasts who try to justify their big purchases. His sudden decision to start hunting for bikes really triggered me to start hunting one as well. So began the planning process.

Here's our list of bikes we started looking into:

• RE Meteor: We were immediately taken back by the refinement of the J platform engines. Being a former RE owner, I could not believe how far the 350 had come. One test ride and my brother was sold. He wanted to put cash down and buy it. I had to drag him out of there.
• RE Himalayan: Fantastic riding dynamics and the pros end there. The engine was a dud, it had no top end and the even the low-end torque was missing which was RE’s strong point. I wish RE had brought in the 450 LC engine, it would have made this decision easier.
• CB350: Another fantastic retro. The sound and the refinement of the engine was spectacular. The light clutch and overall riding triangle as well were strong points to consider. This immediately sparked off Meteor vs CB350 debate. My brother was so confused by this point.
• Impulse 200 4v: Although we didn’t get the test ride vehicle, we had quite a few recommendations for this bike and we really liked the overall design language. Though I am not a hero guy and didn’t consider it.
• Suzuki Vstorm 250: Quite a peppy little thing. I really like the refinement of the engine and had earlier ridden the Gixxer 250 as well. The looks are bit polarizing but I like the design language. They kept it honest to the vstorm design language.

My brother’s search is quite nicely documented in this thread.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...hday-bike.html (Marry for love | Wife plans to gift me motorcycle for my 35th birthday | Which bike?)

Since we liked the RE so much, we decided to rent the bikes and spend a day touring with them. We hired an RE interceptor and Meteor and headed out to the Hassan highway. My interceptor had a break failure the night prior to the ride and they replaced it with the Classic reborn 350. We rode about 250 kms the following day and one thing was clear. We didn’t want the 350 J platform. Don’t get me wrong, the engine is really refined and barely has any vibration until 80 kmph. Post that the bike is really pushing hard to reach 100. I think I hit 100 once or twice during the entire 250 kms stretch as it was a task to bring it up to speed. One thing was clear form the long ride, we want to be back on the saddle desperately. The joy of riding out on the open road and being lost was just an amazing feeling.


That’s it, we were so confused and even more frustrated at the price points. We were spending close to 3 lakhs and nothing seemed interesting enough to jump on to. So back to the drawing board we went. We start listing down reason for us to buy a bike:

• Touring – Strong yes, Leh Ladakh has been on our bucket list forever.
• Family riding – Not really, both of us have capable cars to ferry our families.
• Office commutes – Yes for my brother and no for me as I stay next to my office.

In all of this, we realised our ownership of the bike will largely be around weekend breakfast rides with fellow biker friends and occasional long trips (Bike week & rider mania). This is when we realised that if we stretch our budget by 1-1.5 lakhs we can really see our options open up and we want to keep the bike for 5-10 years.

So another set of options:

• Interceptor 650: Based on reviews and youtuber videos, I was pretty much sold on this bike. I had strong feelings for this bike. I had already made a list of things to do in order to make it comfortable (better seats, handlebar risers, windshield, etc.) But with the small commute I had with rented interceptor and couple of longish test rides on the airport road, I could not convince myself to buy this bike. It was front heavy and I could definitely feel that city riding is not going to be enjoyable on it. I did not dismiss it immediately, but I didn’t jump on it immediately as well.
• KTM Adv (390/250): For some strange reason KTM 390 adv has a small YouTube community. There aren’t many good quality long term reviews as well. It’s very hard to judge henceforth. However, I took test rides from 2 different showrooms, one in the city and the other on the airport road. This was by far the best option I had tried. There was an instant connection with the bike. The riding posture was perfect, ride height is somewhat of an issue but being 5’10, it doesn’t bother me that much. Between the 250 and 390 there was no real competition. For less than a lakh you could switch over to 390 and it was an easy choice.

KTM 390 Adv had won the race. I could not see myself on any other bike after riding this absolute gem of the bike. My brother on the other hand had also fallen in love with the machine. We started figuring out the best place to book the bike. So here follows the buying experience.

First, we visited the KTM showroom in Chandra layout (Amba KTM). The staff clearly ignored us from the start, when they realized we are serious buyers and looking to book 2 KTMs they started responding to us. We asked the manager to give us a good deal as we were buying 2 bikes. He flatly refused and asked us to book the bikes and then only will he negotiate on the price. I was confused by the whole thing. I even asked him if someone else offers a better price will he refund my money and he said no. It was a bizarre experience. Their initial quote was also higher by Rs1000 compared to KTM Yelahanka. I was not willing to spend my money at a place that does not value me and walked away from that place.

Next, we visited KTM Yelahanka which is run by the Kalyani group. The folks at this place were really receptive and answered all of our question patiently. They offered test rides of both 390 and 250 adv. They offered a measly discount of about 3k or so per bike and we had realized that no one would offer more (One of my friends had enquired at another showroom as well). So, we decided to book the bike and the process took around 3-4 hours. If we had gone in the morning, we could have taken delivery by evening. Both of us paid 50% down payment and rest was on loan. The loan was processed and transferred to KTM’s account with in 2-3 hours. Friday evening, we booked our bikes and took deliver on Monday.

Although I noticed some shady stuff post-delivery. They gave us an invoice of only the ex-showroom price. There was no receipt of the registration fees. Based on the 18% registration fees, the amount should be close to Rs. 68,000 but KTM Yelahanka charged us Rs. 75,000. When I pressed them, they said its handling charges. I was furious but didn’t want to ruin the delivery experience.

Delivery day was nothing out of the blue, they offered to do the instagram reveal style for the camera but we refused here are the pics from delivery



Here's what we like about our new bikes:

• Great presence and colors: The KTM 390 in the blue and orange livery is quite a stunning looking bike. The black one is very stealth looking but this one is loud, and I like that about it.
• Tech: Although I don’t know if I will use all of it, but the spec sheet is out of the superbike category. Riding modes, switchable ABS, quick shifter and many more, it comes with an amazing array of tech. The TFT display is incredible and has great connectivity features as well.
• Riding postures: Great riding posture, it can be bit of reach if you are too tall but nothing that handlebar risers can’t fix. The seat is wide which lets you switch positions when you start to go sore. Lot of people online complain about the stiffness of seat, but I think they work better for me. I have been cycling for a long time now and the stiff cycle seats work great for endurance, and I have done small 150-200 km rides now and had no issues.
• Top end performance: If you have listened to the Motor Inc podcasts, Shumi talks about how touring bikes need to be set up in the adv podcast. The bike needs to have 150-160 kmph top so that 100-120 cruising happens at a very relaxed engine state, that’s exactly how KTM is designed to ride. The bike has great top end performance, and you can barely notice it going into triple digits.
• Accessories: Standard accessories are amazing. You get handlebar protectors, engine guard, crash guard and adjustable levers from the factory. You don’t really need a whole to get going from day 1.

What we don’t like so much:

• City riding: The bike lacks low end grunt and as a result I have stalled the bike multiple times now. It forces you to be in the right gear which I guess can be a good thing. The tall seat certainly makes it a challenge in stop go traffic.
• Mirrors: These fancy mirrors are useless. I am looking for after market options. You literally cant see the vehicle behind in the lane next you.
• Windshield: Although adjustable, the windshield is not much use. There is a lot of buffeting, one might want to upgrade it.
• Bouncy Ride: The bike feels bouncy at high speeds, it’s something that I need to get used to. Also need to adjust the rear shocks to a softer setting, this might help.
• Stiff suspension: The suspension is pretty much nonexistent on the infamous Bangalore’s roads. On the highway it’s nice to have the stiffer ride but if you do city riding, your back is taking quite a hit.

Just a side note, my brother has done some customization from bikenbiker:

• Zana crash gaurds for safety
• Zana handlebar risers for a more comfortable seating position
• Grip puppies for a better city ride experience.

Ending this post with a quote “If you want to be happy for a lifetime, ride a motorcycle” – I don’t know about a lifetime but certainly these bikes have managed to bring back joy on those gloomy Sundays when we start thinking about Monday morning blues.

If you have come this far, thank you for taking out the time to read through this long post. This definitely has been my longest post and for a change a happy one. Signing off with photos from my latest ride. Ride safe

[TheHelix0202]

Half expected this to be a post about the 650 twins, but brilliant choice of bikes! Would like to see future ownership logs and travelogues too. Ride hard, ride safe.

[SedanGuy]

Almost bought the interceptor but it is bit more than what I am capable of. Additionally the KTM is pretty much turn key from touring stand point, dont really need a whole lot to get started. In my opinion I would call Interceptor as a canvas, you will have to paint in a certain way in order to start touring with it.

[HappyWheels]

Was planning to skim through the post but ended up reading the whole thing! Well written and congrats on the bikes.

Happy biking!

[Vinodh_Gowda]

Originally Posted by SedanGuy

First, we visited the KTM showroom in Chandra layout (Amba KTM). The staff clearly ignored us from the start, when they realized we are serious buyers and looking to book 2 KTMs they started responding to us. We asked the manager to give us a good deal as we were buying 2 bikes. He flatly refused and asked us to book the bikes and then only will he negotiate on the price. I was confused by the whole thing. I even asked him if someone else offers a better price will he refund my money and he said no. It was a bizarre experience. Their initial quote was also higher by Rs1000 compared to KTM Yelahanka. I was not willing to spend my money at a place that does not value me and walked away from that place.

Next, we visited KTM Yelahanka which is run by the Kalyani group. The folks at this place were really receptive and answered all of our question patiently. They offered test rides of both 390 and 250 adv. They offered a measly discount of about 3k or so per bike and we had realized that no one would offer more (One of my friends had enquired at another showroom as well). So, we decided to book the bike and the process took around 3-4 hours. If we had gone in the morning, we could have taken delivery by evening. Both of us paid 50% down payment and rest was on loan. The loan was processed and transferred to KTM’s account with in 2-3 hours. Friday evening, we booked our bikes and took deliver on Monday.

Congratulations to you and your twin brother on the purchase. I got my KTM 390 Adv last August and my experience too at Chandra Layout was no different. They seemed least interested and frankly, I feel they even thought I was not able to afford the motorcycle as per their behaviour. I then checked with KTm Mekhri (Average), KTM Hennur (Good) and KTM Yelahanka (Good). Finally got my bike from KTM Yelahanka - as their quote was better and also the iteration with Dhruva was confidence inspiring.


About the Zana handlebar riser, was the clutch cable changed for this? Is this the angled 1-inch riser?

[Vinodh_Gowda]

Originally Posted by SedanGuy

[*]Mirrors: These fancy mirrors are useless. I am looking for after market options. You literally cant see the vehicle behind in the lane next you.

Agree completely with this. The standard mirrors though good aesthetically, are practically not even average. The coverage area and the vibrations make it a scary experience. I currently have https://advtribe.net/products/univer...rror-extenders but frankly, they have made the scary experience a bit less scary with not much of an improvement. Was suggested Bajaj Avenger's rearview mirrors but they do not go with the motorcycle's design.

[SedanGuy]

Originally Posted by Vinodh_Gowda

About the Zana handlebar riser, was the clutch cable changed for this? Is this the angled 1-inch riser?

Yes, the cable needs to be changed in order to manage the handlebar riser. I am not sure about the length of the riser.

[ramgkulkarni]

Yes it is the ZANA 1 inch angled raisers. I bought the angled ones because I felt I was stretching a little bit while sitting at the rearmost part of the seat.

The clutch cable comes as part of the ZANA package. It seems to have done the trick pretty well.

I did feel the risers along with the installation at bikenbiker to be slightly on the higher side but I didnt have the time to research it. The garage at the bikenbiker is very professional and they did do a very good job.

[MiSiMa]

Congratulations on the new addition to the garage. And with the adventure you might get the itch to try taking it off roading, in case you haven't yet. It is good to get started with it even in stock avatar, so hope you have a fun time.
Coming to the shady registration charges, it seems to be rather standard way of making extra buck by KTM showrooms. When I got my bike from KTM Chandrashekharpur, Bhubaneswar I registered using BH series registration but was asked to pay the OD registration tax and then they will return the excess amount. Which never happened. I tried to get it back for a few months and then moved out of bbsr. And unfortunately the feedback and complaint mechanism is unusable on both, the website and app as it doesn't accept my VIN when trying to register the complaint. Eventually i let it go as there was no point in investing further efforts in this. This certainly was a sad lesson for me and the only sour experience till now in it's ownership.

Regards,
MiSiMa

[PatienceWins]

Congrats, very well written. It is nice that you and your brother went for the same bike.

I am considering upgrading to an adv from my CBR 250. I am 6' 2" tall and feel cramped on long rides, so looking for a comfortable adv. Looking at KTM 390 or Honda 500 adv.

KTM is definitely value for money and a good package, but will miss the refinement and ride quality of Honda on long rides. I used friend's KTM 390 for sometime during last northeast trip. It is a great package other than the inadequate low end torque, refinement and stiff ride.

[SedanGuy]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

refinement

I really wanted to zoom in on this, Although I was under the same impression with past 390 experiences from friends, this engine is definitely far more refined than previous generations. From 100-120 there is some vibes but most bikes do have vibrations in that powerband(Maybe not the honda). My only qualm with the Honda CB500x is the price. I dont think it deserves that price point for what it offers where as KTM over delivers at its price point.

I am sure you will find the right bike. All the best.

[Turbosailor]

Thanks SedanGuy for taking time and sharing your whole experience with us. I am in the same boat as you were . Need a bike in the same category, but CB500X is not even on the horizon. And we don't know what's cooking in the Honda India oven. 310 GS is a nice bike which I have not ridden but heard its maintenance cost is horrendous and very less ASC. And I have test ridden the Interceptor 650 for 4 times and didn't get connected to that bike, especially due to the front heavy nature and pathetic pillion comfort . And now I have booked a test ride for ADV 390. Hopefully I can manage it. My one and only concern is its seat height, because I am vertically challenged 5.4 ft . Will be using this bike primarily for weekend touring and occasionally long highway trips along with my buddy on his Versys 650. And sometimes to drop my better half to her work place which is 60 KM up and down of mixed urban and well paved rural roads. Honestly I really wish I could tame this beast. Will share my test ride experience*here soon.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by Turbosailor

Hopefully I can manage it. My one and only concern is its seat height, because I am vertically challenged 5.4 ft . .

I am around 5.7 ft and I recently booked suzuki vstrom 250. I can't flat-foot with both my legs and while wearing sneakers, but I am confident to ride.

Suzuki has a scooped out seat which lowers the seat height. See if you can find something similar to ktm or maybe get a customized one made. Riding boots might help too.

[minzanurag]

Many congratulations and happy riding on the 390adv.

Originally Posted by SedanGuy

Just a side note, my brother has done some customization from bikenbiker:

• Zana crash gaurds for safety
• Zana handlebar risers for a more comfortable seating position
• Grip puppies for a better city ride experience.

Attachment 2423586
Attachment 2423592

When I was doing the TD rounds in late Nov, I saw 390adv at KTM Mekhri Circle also had the crash guard on a fresh piece. I enquired with the sales person and they mentioned it comes with the bike. Is the Zana crash guard different from the one provided by the showroom or do these 390adv come without any sort of crash guard?

Originally Posted by SedanGuy

Ending this post with a quote “If you want to be happy for a lifetime, ride a motorcycle” – I don’t know about a lifetime but certainly these bikes have managed to bring back joy on those gloomy Sundays when we start thinking about Monday morning blues.
Attachment 2423591

Very true. Sometimes just riding aimlessly on Sunday evening dispels most of the worries of a hectic Monday.

[kaushalswarup]

Originally Posted by minzanurag

When I was doing the TD rounds in late Nov, I saw 390adv at KTM Mekhri Circle also had the crash guard on a fresh piece. I enquired with the sales person and they mentioned it comes with the bike. Is the Zana crash guard different from the one provided by the showroom or do these 390adv come without any sort of crash guard?

The 390 adv does come with crash guards as stock, albeit smaller in size than most of the aftermarket offerings. Yes, the Zana guards are different from the stock guards. They’re heavier and larger than stock, and cover a much larger part of the bike.