The 14.5 litre fuel tank offers a great range
when ridden carefully, you should get 400km
or more. But... the engine’s happy, eager nature
encourages large throttle openings which aren’t
that conducive to fuel saving.
So, all up the KTM 390 Adventure is a fantastic
bike. If I was a young fella or lady who lived in
town, I’d buy this bike in a heartbeat. It just
covers the bases so well. It’s comfortable,
practical, it’s perfect to ride to work on and
then when the weekend hits it will take you
anywhere you want to go. From the beach to
the mountains and all in between the 390 will
get you there. But more than that, you’ll have
so much fun doing it.
SECOND OPINION – JO BUCKNER
I BOUGHT ONE!
I’ve been looking for my next motorcycle for
almost two years, and now I’ve decided on
the KTM 390 Adventure a few people have
asked me why.
First reason is I wanted an adventure
motorcycle that sat in the capability gap
which I found between my Yamaha XL250 and
BMW F700GS. My 250 was a little tractor with
its 21-inch front wheel, and I would have a go at
taking it anywhere and could pick it up if my
enthusiasm exceeded my skill. Yet it was too
small and uncomfortable on long rides. On the
other hand, I could ride my F700GS all day –
including fully loaded up through the
Molesworth. But when things started to get
tight and technical, the size and weight
quickly made itself known. Added to that, my
development as an adventure rider had stalled.
Slow recovery from injury, on top of a
demanding job, cramped my riding for a
time. With another year close to clicking
over, it was time to face the facts and
make a change.
Early on I thought I would find something
in the 500cc range, but soon realised that is a
dead zone for adventure bikes. If I let go of the
need to carry lots of stuff, there were some
options in the 300cc range but nothing on
the market was calling my name.
102 KIWI RIDER