The adventure motorcycle that turns every commute into a journey

Over the past decade, adventure enthusiasts from all walks of life have learned that bigger isn’t always better. While larger ADVs are great for longer trips where you cover hundreds of highway miles, things take a rather dramatic turn once you leave the highway. It makes sense to split the difference with a middleweight bike, but the rise of the entry-level segment offers us an even more interesting alternative.

For those looking for a bike suitable for commuting and weekend exploration, there is now a wide choice of lightweight dual-sport and adventure bikes to choose from. The need for A2 compliant motorcycles across Europe has forced manufacturers to answer the call for more entry-level adventure motorcycles as this is such a popular segment. Of all these great options available to us now, we think the one in orange is the best.

In order to provide you with the most current and accurate information, the data used to compile this article was sourced from KTM. While the opinions are ours.

The KTM 390 Adventure R turns every commute into a journey

MSRP: $7,699

The latest 390 Adventure R is a great little bike, but before we can even get into the competition it faces from other brands, it’s worth mentioning that there are actually three other KTM 390s worth checking out. The previous generation still exists, and like the 390 Adventure If you want something more off-road focused, the 390 Enduro R is also worth a look. All three bikes are also cheaper.

There are several great options popping up from China in this area, but CFMoto’s Ibex 450 certainly stands out. By all accounts it offers superior build quality, and thanks to the KTM’s recent price increase it is now significantly cheaper. However, it doesn’t get the same level of sophistication. KTM’s off-road electronics are a real point of difference and should never be taken for granted.

Kawasaki has just launched the KLE500, and while the base model may seem a lot cheaper, the SE version is more comparable to the Adventure R. It’s much closer in price, but still worth a look. If you’re willing to wait and have a little more room in the budget, the BMW F 450 GS will essentially be the premium offering in this space. We have no doubt it will offer the best build quality and highest level of specification (depending on which options you choose), but you will have to pay for it.

The 390 Adventure R runs on a proven platform

Power: 44 hp

KTM’s little 390 has been around for quite some time, and while it has weathered its fair share of issues in the past, virtually every kink imaginable has been worked out. Engine capacity went up from 373cc to 399cc in a recent update, but this had more to do with Euro5+ emissions than performance. The overall power remained the same and still has the same character that we have come to know and love.

Off-road DNA is quite prominent

Single-cylinder engines have never gone out of fashion. While other engine configurations have all faded in and out of the industry, singles are still the backbone, and for good reason. They are easy to manufacture, have fewer moving parts and offer a fantastic power-to-weight ratio. This is especially attractive for any off-road platform.

KTM has also been building off-road-oriented machines for decades, so it was no surprise that even as a street bike, the performance delivery always felt more like a dirt bike. Like any configuration, there is a downside. It’s virtually impossible to get one perfectly balanced – no matter how much some manufacturers have tried – so vibration is only part of the deal. While this isn’t really a problem off-road, long highway rides are far from ideal.

The 390 Adventure R is feature-rich

Small bikes come with a lot these days, but KTM takes it to another level with the 390 Adventure R. As previously mentioned, KTM’s off-road electronics are a key point of difference in this space, and what you get here is very hard to ignore. It has off-road ABS, lean-sensing traction control, cruise control and a large TFT dashboard with smartphone connectivity. Both the ABS and traction control are switchable if you want full control off-road.

But the off-road electronics are so good that most riders won’t even feel the need to turn them off. The steel trellis chassis and fully adjustable WP Apex suspension offer solid performance off-road, but it will shine more than you might expect on a nice twisty bit of tarmac. Even with its street bike chassis and all the extra features, it still weighs just 388 pounds.

KTM’s bold design language won’t appeal to everyone

Regardless of the reason we have for buying a bicycle, the vast majority of us would love to at least make our prized possession look nice. Unfortunately, the current KTM design language is objectively ugly. This may seem like a bad reason to overlook what is still objectively a great little bike, but we’re all human after all, and if you can’t find a redeeming feature, it will eventually wear on you.

The build quality also leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you dare to look at such a copy next to a 2024 model, which was clearly put together with a larger budget. But at this price you just can’t have everything, and this offers so much value in other areas that it’s really possible to overlook its flaws, as long as you don’t hate the way it looks.