The KTM 390 Adventure R Looks Like The Coolest Baby Rally Bike
Photo: Tschann E. / KTMAdventure bikes are a fantastic way to start your life on two wheels. They let you do a little bit of everything, from dirt trails to race tracks, so you can figure out where you want to go with the rest of your riding career. But ADVs are dweeby, and no new motorcyclist wants to look like some pocket-protector dork the first time they roll up somewhere on their shiny new bike. Enter the new hotness: The baby rally bike. For 2025, KTM’s 390 Adventure splits its focus. On the one hand, there’s the 390 Adventure X: Alloy wheels, 19 inches up front and 17 in the rear, and eight inches of suspension travel. It’ll get a new rider to Starbucks and back with no sweat. On the other hand, though, we now get the 390 Adventure R: Spoked wheels, 21 inches up front and 18 in back, with nine inches of travel on its compression and rebound-adjustable fork and rebound and preload-adjustable rear shock. This is the cool one. Photo: Tschann E. / KTMThe Adventure R may share a frame and plastics with the more banal Adventure X, but the two differ in stance enough that, even at a glance, the R looks meaner. The R doesn’t even have a lower mudguard to protect its radiator — this is clearly a bike that’s itching to go off road at all times. You probably shouldn’t go hitting jumps on your first ride out as a beginner, but this KTM will likely do its best to goad you into it. Mechanically, both the 390 ADV X and R get some nice upgrades over their predecessor. The two share a new trellis frame and a newly stroked engine, bringing displacement from 373 to 398ccs. KTM claims a mere one-horsepower increase from the updated engine, 44 horsepower to the old bike’s 43, but it’s possible the new displacement added lower-end torque or simplified emissions compliance. Photo: Tschann E. / KTMIt’s tough to think about KTM right now without considering the company’s staggering financial woes, which are a genuine concern for prospective buyers. Future parts availability isn’t necessarily a guarantee. It’s also tough to look at the 390 Adventure R’s $7,000 price tag (before $575 for freight and whatever your local dealer feels like charging for assembly) without thinking of used prices for Yamaha’s Tenere 700 or Honda’s Transalp 750 — bikes with worse suspension but more displacement and power. Still, if you’re a beginner after Dakar style, the 390 Adventure R seems to have it in droves.
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