Confirmed: KTM to launch 390 Adventure in India in 2019
As we had reported back in 2016, KTM has now released official confirmation that it will be launching the KTM 390 Adventure in India in 2019. The 390 Adventure will join the 390 Duke and supersport RC 390 series of motorcycles in India. While the Adventure will most likely be powered by the same 373cc, single-cylinder, liquid cooled motor that puts outs 43.5PS and 37Nm. We expect the engine in the ADV to feature a different state of tune to make it better suited for off-road use.
We also think that while the RC and the Duke are only separated by a change in steering geometry, the gap between the 390 Adventure and the 390 Duke will be significant. The chassis, at the very least, will have to be pinched aft of the engine compartment so that a reasonable seat height and the good ground clearance that marks a bike in this class can be created.
Further, spy shots seen earlier have revealed that the tank is basically welded steel panels, the headlight cluster and the fairing is a lash-up, and the body panels are basically zip-tied to the frame to cover the mechanicals. The chassis should be a simple trellis as KTM likes to make them with a flat, featureless swingarm that should mimic the length and dimension of the final swingarm. The suspension should have extra travel and the frame should be new. The 390 Adventure will also get a much bigger fuel tank that what you see on the 390 Duke and the RC390. Overall, the design should be heavily influenced by that of the top-of-the-line KTM 1290 Adventure. KTM could also launch the 390 Adventure in two variants, one with alloy wheels, primarily for road use with mild off-roading capabilities and a spoke-wheeled version for better off-road ability.
The entry-level adventure motorcycle market seems to be opening up in India with the imminent launch of the BMW G 310 GS and now the KTM 390 Adventure, so it will be interesting to see how Indian buyers react to this new class of motorcycles in India.