New Spy Shots Of Upcoming KTM 390 Adventure Emerge

It’s been just over a week that Bajaj dropped the bomb about launching the KTM 390 Adventure in India next year. And just when we thought the KTM hype train had dulled down, new spy pics have surfaced, giving us a clearer picture of what the 390 Adventure could look like.

To begin with, as we had expected, parts like the headlight, engine, frame and swingarm on the prototype Adventure have been carried forward from the 390 Duke. What's changed though are the wheels, overall design, suspension and riding ergonomics.

On the design front, we have the same LED headlight borrowed from the 390 Duke, albeit with redesigned plastic elements surrounding it. Then you have a stubby flyscreen much like its elder sibling, the 1290 Adventure R, which seems to be manually adjustable. Additionally, the bike also gets twin wing-like deflectors which may be used to deflect wind around the rider, thus negating the need of a full blown windscreen. The tank has also been redesigned with slimmer extensions as compared to its naked sibling; however, the radiator shrouds are bigger and beefier.

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The seat seemed to have a lot more cushioning - and why wouldn’t it, it’s a tourer after all. You wouldn’t want a sore bottom while going for those long hauls. Unlike most adventure bikes out there, the 390 Adventure doesn’t employ a ‘beak’-like fender at the front. Instead, it uses a conventional front fender which extends and covers the fork seals to protect it from unwanted harm. The rear, on the other hand, looks pretty simple and is expected to have provisions for luggage racks and panniers.

The 373cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor has been carried forward from the Duke. However, it seems to be BSVI-compliant owing to the beefier exhaust and a large collector box. A sump guard seems to be missing from the bike, but we expect the production bike would have one. 

It appears from the image that the coolant reservoir tank has been moved behind the engine, where the catalytic converter used to sit in the 2017 KTM 390 Duke. This new arrangement of the coolant system should allow KTM to equip the motorcycle with a larger fuel tank, which will explain why KTM has chosen to route the exhaust under the engine rather than the left side of the trellis frame.

From the looks of it, the 390 Adventure seems to be using Excel aluminium alloy 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels. The tyres don't seem to be as knobby as we had expected; instead, it gets dual-purpose tyres which suggests that the bike isn’t a proper off-roader. Much like the Duke, the Adventure also employs WP upside-down forks up front and a monoshock at the rear, although the suspension travel has been increased to tackle those undulations while off-roading. Anchoring the bike are discs on both ends with the front featuring a steel braided line.

Notably, the front spindle has an offset position - it has been moved slightly ahead of the fork’s centreline, which decreases trail and in turn, increases the wheelbase of the bike, typical of an adventure tourer. The footpegs have also been moved slightly lower and closer to the front for better off-road ergonomics and riding dynamics. 

The instrument console seems to be the same LCD unit carried over from the 390 Duke. Do expect the bike to have switchable ABS and the Supermoto mode which lets you slide the tail out. Now, who wouldn’t want to do that (under a controlled environment though). 

Image credit: Bike Social & Motorrad