Motorcycle specifications KTM390 Adventure X 2026 Small road rally

KTM's first Adventure was aptly named. A real challenge for the brand, and an aesthetic very much marked by function. In 2003, KTM took to the road with its first large-displacement model, infused with strong off-road ambitions with a touring patina. The miniature version appeared much later, in 2020. A friendly, fun motorcycle that you'd be happy to carry around in your pocket. But it's time for a new generation to take its place, one that sees the road in a different light.

Remodeled, amplified and expressive, the new version of the 390 Adventure has little in common with yesterday's model. Previously a road beetle, it now looks like a St. John's beetle. With its more advanced, wraparound bodywork, large bubble with pronounced cheeks and redesigned handguards, it promises to be far more protective.

More striking, too. Its 1390 Super Adventure-inspired face and cross mudguard give it a very distinctive look, at once a hybrid of genres and a troubled adventurer. However, its mission and its name are not intended to clear trails and adventures. That's what its R version sister is for. The 390 Adventure X, on the other hand, is more at home on the road, being less demanding and claiming mini-trail-GT status.

The pocket-sized trail-GT

You can tell this quickly from its spoked rims. But on closer inspection, there's a lot to separate them: less off-road dimensions and profile than the R, less suspension travel, a shorter wheelbase, abaltion of the Rain riding mode, an LCD display, and fewer available settings. The 41 mm WP upside-down fork will make do with the factory settings. The shock absorber allows a little more, with preload adjustment.

The 390 Adventure X gains little from its predecessor. The two riding modes Street and Offroad, the rims, the disconnectable rear ABS.... and not much else. It loses the TFT screen, the Cornering function of the ABS and Traction Control, and the suspension settings. Bis repetita? Well, these are the same elements that differentiate the current R and X. Which, as we'll see later, has a direct impact on price.

On the other hand, it does feature the latest 398cc engine from the last generation Duke. This engine gains a little more displacement, as well as a more compact cylinder head, a new injector, better gear guidance in the gearbox, an optimized airbox (to raise the block and gain ground clearance) and an exhaust reduced to a minimum. The new design eliminates the need for a muffler, saving two kilos. Equipped with this block, the Katoche approaches A2 limits, and with its 45 hp and 4.1 mkg of torque, will take to the roads with joviality and without exuberance.

A platform for all... or all?

The frame has changed too. It's shared with the SMC R and Enduro R models of the same tonnage, whose steering column and rigidity have been upgraded since the 390 Duke. On the braking front, a 2-piston Bybre caliper operates on a 320 mm disc. The rear disc measures 240 mm.

Unlike the previous 390 Adventure and SW, which differed only in terms of rims, the new model is much more distinctive. The X prefers the road, the R the trek; and the amount of equipment changes a lot.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos