Sitting at the bottom of KTM’s Adventure range, the 250 Adventure borrows its styling and much of its equipment from its larger siblings while being powered by the same 249cc engine as the 250 Duke. Here are the three things we liked most and two areas where we think it could be better.
3 reasons to buy the KTM 250 Adventure
1. Rich feature list
The latest-generation 250 Adventure finally gets the equipment it always deserved. A crisp 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, music and call controls brings it up to date, while a bi-directional quickshifter and switchable rear ABS add genuine functionality rather than unnecessary gimmicks.
2. Quick, yet efficient engine
The new 249cc single-cylinder engine strikes an impressive balance between performance and economy. It feels smooth and responsive, offers a strong mid-range and top-end, and returned 34kpl in the city and 39kpl on the highway in our tests, giving it a potential range of over 450km on a full tank.
3. Great handler
Despite its tall adventure-bike stance, the 250 Adventure feels surprisingly agile in the city and confidence-inspiring on twisty roads. Its WP suspension is well judged, soaking up broken roads and light trails with ease while maintaining good composure at speed.
2 reasons not to buy
1. Vibrations above 7,000rpm
Noticeable vibrations creep in through the handlebars and footpegs beyond 7,000rpm. While cruising below triple-digit speeds remains comfortable, this is a trait that KTM’s single-cylinder Adventure models have consistently exhibited.
2. Tractability could be better
While the engine delivers strong performance once on the move, it could do with a little more low-end tractability. More grunt at lower revs would make slow-speed riding in the city and on technical trails feel more effortless.
Vishal Venugopal
Stephen Raj Antony
