The KTM 390 Adventure now comes with a 350cc engine variant to avoid the 40 percent GST on bikes above 350cc. This has made it Rs 62,000 cheaper than the X variant with the 398cc engine. For this report, we have also compared it with the figures from last year's 390 Adventure S performance test.
350cc KTM 390 Adventure: Acceleration
As expected, the 350cc 390 Adventure is slightly slower than the 389cc model. Up to 40kph, both the bikes took 1.55 seconds, and in the sprint to 100kph, there is a difference of 1 second. While the 398cc engine used to have a nice mid range punch, the 350cc engine feels more linear and has the surge in power coming in towards the top end. Overall, the bike is not drastically slower, but has lost out on its potent midrange performance.
350cc KTM 390 Adventure: Roll-on Acceleration
Again, not a surprise that the 350cc engine is slower in roll-on acceleration as well. In the 20-50kph run, the bike is almost half a second slower than the 398cc engine, while the gap slightly increases in the next two runs. With the weaker mid-range, the bike needs to be worked a little more compared to earlier to extract all the performance.
350cc KTM 390 Adventure: Braking
In terms of braking, the bike gets the same equipment as before. In our tests it took 1.3 metres more to come to a halt. But this will come down to a rider and road conditions.
We were also able to subject the 350cc Adventure to our routine fuel efficiency tests and the bike returned 23.63kpl when ridden at a sedate and gentle pace in Mumbai city keeping up with the usual traffic. Meanwhile, cruising on the highway and following the 80kph legal speed limit, the bike returned 29.38kpl.
350cc KTM 390 Adventure: Specification and Price
The bike is Rs 62,000 cheaper than the X variant.
The 350cc bike is priced at Rs 2.81 lakh (ex-showroom), making it Rs 62,000 more affordable than the X variant with the 398cc engine. Apart from the engine, everything remains the same including the TFT screen, and features like the Quickshifter, traction control, and Supermoto ABS. Considering the lower price, this is a good choice for riders who want a touring motorcycle. That said, it is not the most exciting city bike and might not even be that capable off-road.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Dinshaw Magol
