There’ s something satisfying about keeping the engine in its sweet spot and working through the gears on a winding road. The quickshifter adds another layer of involvement, allowing rapid upshifts while keeping your attention focused on the road. And because this is a supermoto, you’ re naturally encouraged to be active with the controls.
SUPERMOTO EXPERIENCE This is where the 390 SMC-R separates itself from other naked bikes. The wide handlebars give you tremendous steering leverage. Tip into a corner, shift your weight and the KTM responds. It feels light and exceptionally easy to change direction. Left, right, left again— the SMC-R seems to enjoy the process as much as the rider does. On a tight, technical road, this is enormous fun. You don’ t need huge horsepower when you have a motorcycle that allows you to exploit so much of its performance. As many riders come to learn, going fast on a‘ slow’ motorcycle is far more achievable, and fun, than going fast on a fast bike.
BRAKES The Bybre braking package suits the bike’ s character. The single disc front brake provides strong initial bite and enough power for aggressive braking, while the rear brake becomes an important part of the supermoto experience. That’ s because the rear brake isn’ t merely there for slowing down. It’ s another tool for controlling the motorcycle, especially when you’ re riding hard into tighter corners. The ABS also gives the rider additional flexibility, particularly when conditions become less than perfect.
ELECTRONICS Modern KTM electronics are an important
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