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Thread: Got me a KTM 390 Adventure

  1. #1
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    30th January 2004 - 11:00
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    Got me a KTM 390 Adventure

    You might have seen me writing in the 'what mid sized adventure bike' thread that I was thinking of waiting for the KTM 390 Adv. to arrive. I did and it did. TSS Red baron rung me yesterday (24/03/20) on their last day open before lockdown to say the truck has pulled up and if I can get to the shop this arvo they will set one up to go. Talk about last minute shopping.
    Even better I could get today off work and it was a sunny perfect bike day.

    Got 500kms under it's belt today. It's a sweet bike. The smallest, weakest bike I've owned in 40 years. Fortunately 43hp is still entertaining though. Until it's run in and we re allowed out to play again I will stick to seal. Just two small plays on some gravel roads today and it seemed easy as.

    I sat on the 790 Adventure yesterday and immediately knew I didn't want anything that tall and heavy.
    So my first ride impressions are road based. It loves corners. Those Conti whatever dual purpose tyres surprised the hell out of me for lean grip. Talk about smiling ear to ear. The brakes are fantastic. To be honest I couldn't tell if the cornering ABS was kicking in or not but I sure had no worries grabbing some brakes mid corners- just for fun and the fact it doesn't upset the bike at all. Through tight twisties it was damn quick but of course exiting a corner you aren't exactly laying black lines or floating the front wheel in the air (I miss that).

    The up quickshifter didn't always work but it's not run in so give it a chance. When it did it was smooth. The downshift worked every time but now I wonder why I need either. The gearbox and clutch are supper light and sweet to use anyway.

    The specs if you don't know. 373cc single. 43 hp, 37nm, 158kg dry. 14.5 l tank. traction control (switchable on or off). Cornering ABS with an off road ABS setting.
    The rev shift light is set at 6,500rpm for the first 1,000km which became annoying as it starts flashing (very pretty though) at 118kpm. Once I've done the 1,000 I can set it higher. In saying that it cruises really nicely at 105-115 which is where I can see me riding most of the boring straights. Far more legal and stress free than my previous bikes that seem to want to cruise at warp factor xxx.
    So for now I am extremely happy with my choice. I even drew up a map (over a beer so obviously not to scale) of gravel roads to explore in the Rapa. This should keep me busy for many weekends.
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    Happiness is a means of travel, not a destination

  2. #2
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    19th January 2015 - 10:12
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    Great post MD

    400 kms is good mileage , nice & lite , abs cornering brakes on a 390 well thats pretty cool

  3. #3
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    Nice machine there. I read the launch report on it the other day and it was very complimentary. The small (Read under 500cc) adventure bike class will see an upturn in contenders over the next year or two I reckon. For many of us they represent the ideal recipe for Adventure riding. Just look at the R-E Himalayan to see that there's a market for that sort of thing.

    Enjoy and keep the photos coming. I'll be curious to see what sort of fuel consumption figures you get out of it too. The UK report mentioned 84Mpg which would suggest something close to 30Km/litre.

  4. #4
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    A sweet Ride MD

  5. #5
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    Good stuff. Look foward to more updates,

  6. #6
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    Considering adding one to the home fleet but I suspect the seat height may be too tall for the intended rider.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    but once again you proved me wrong.
    Quote Originally Posted by cassina View Post
    I was hit by one such driver while remaining in the view of their mirror.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by nzspokes View Post
    Considering adding one to the home fleet but I suspect the seat height may be too tall for the intended rider.
    I'm certainly no tall black but it's not as bad as some reviewers moaned about. It's nothing as stupid as the bigger adventure bikes. I test rode the BMW850GS, have been on the exon Vaduz 1250 GS version, the Tiger 800, KTM790 and Honda AT- no way was I going to buy anything that ridiculously high as those bikes.

    I was talked out of the Versys 300X by a KTM/Kawasaki Dealer who said the Versys motor will pale next to the KTM. Think he's right. The 390 rips along at a great pace, just remember to use the gearbox frequently and down change when reducing speed or get caught out in the weak zone below 4,000rpm.
    Happiness is a means of travel, not a destination

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    just remember to use the gearbox frequently and down change when reducing speed or get caught out in the weak zone below 4,000rpm.
    I don't want a weak zone below 4000rpm on an adventure bike and I want wire wheels, apart from that I'd have one
    "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."


    Quote Originally Posted by scracha View Post
    Even BP would shy away from cleaning up a sidecar oil spill.
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    Send Lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    I'm certainly no tall black but it's not as bad as some reviewers moaned about. It's nothing as stupid as the bigger adventure bikes. I test rode the BMW850GS, have been on the exon Vaduz 1250 GS version, the Tiger 800, KTM790 and Honda AT- no way was I going to buy anything that ridiculously high as those bikes.

    I was talked out of the Versys 300X by a KTM/Kawasaki Dealer who said the Versys motor will pale next to the KTM. Think he's right. The 390 rips along at a great pace, just remember to use the gearbox frequently and down change when reducing speed or get caught out in the weak zone below 4,000rpm.
    It needs to be under 800mm. She is good on her xt225 but its no much fun on the open road.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    but once again you proved me wrong.
    Quote Originally Posted by cassina View Post
    I was hit by one such driver while remaining in the view of their mirror.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    I'll be curious to see what sort of fuel consumption figures you get out of it too. The UK report mentioned 84Mpg which would suggest something close to 30Km/litre.
    Around town (sub 70kph zones) it was doing 3.3 l/100km = 30km/l = 83mpg. I did see 3.1 at one point.
    thrashing it to Ngawi (still within the running in revs) 3.9l/100 = 25 km/l = 71mpg
    So tank range at say average of 3.7l/100 would be 391km. Enough to explore most on NZ

    The dash is a beauty. Can't say I've had a coloured dash before. Maybe too distracting. Easy to follow menu and for techno addicts you can pair it to your phone for GPS and other stuff I don't care for.

    I have to say I'm bloody impressed with the brakes, suspenders and handling. Can't see me bothering to tweak any settings although it looks so easy. They have a quick reference under the seat on how many clicks for common settings. Nice touch that.

    Might put the Akropovic pipe on if I hear reports that it does give a hp increase.
    Happiness is a means of travel, not a destination

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    Around town (sub 70kph zones) it was doing 3.3 l/100km = 30km/l = 83mpg. I did see 3.1 at one point.
    thrashing it to Ngawi (still within the running in revs) 3.9l/100 = 25 km/l = 71mpg
    So tank range at say average of 3.7l/100 would be 391km. Enough to explore most on NZ

    The dash is a beauty. Can't say I've had a coloured dash before. Maybe too distracting. Easy to follow menu and for techno addicts you can pair it to your phone for GPS and other stuff I don't care for.

    I have to say I'm bloody impressed with the brakes, suspenders and handling. Can't see me bothering to tweak any settings although it looks so easy. They have a quick reference under the seat on how many clicks for common settings. Nice touch that.

    Might put the Akropovic pipe on if I hear reports that it does give a hp increase.
    Yep - That sounds pretty good. Nice range too.

    The under seat sticker with the suspension settings is a nice touch too. Triumph have suggested suspension settings in their handbooks but under seat sounds like an even better idea.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    I'm certainly no tall black but it's not as bad as some reviewers moaned about. It's nothing as stupid as the bigger adventure bikes. I test rode the BMW850GS, have been on the exon Vaduz 1250 GS version, the Tiger 800, KTM790 and Honda AT- no way was I going to buy anything that ridiculously high as those bikes
    Yeah, and I'm shorter than you so have always faced that same problem, the seat height. All up weight is also a bug-bear of mine, I can't see any point in riding on a gravel road or anywhere more adventurous on a behemouth of 200kg+. I've spent too many years on lightweight trail bikes to even feel right looking at something too big for the job. I keep looking but so far not buying as they just wouldn't make me happy.

    Your 390 is starting to sound more like ideal. I see the dry weight is just above that of a DR650 but is the 390 engine a whole lot less in the vibration department?

    That is the killer I find with our DR650, is the droning along on highway parts of a ride with vibration getting to my backside, it is way more comfortable to take my XR250L as it is much smoother though shorter in the power department, and better on the gravel roads anyway than the DR650.
    Cheers

    Merv

  13. #13
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    Just get the set repadded Merv. My FX650 basicly has the same engine as the DR650 and is 350lbs dry. No issues at all on the open roads. Did 100kms of gravel on it a week or so ago with no prpblems at all. First big single I've ever owned as well. Does have a 19" front wheel as opposed to a 21" one though. Wish I'd gone this route 15 years ago.

  14. #14
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    Hi Merv. I'm happy to report no vibes in the range I'm using, up to 7,500 rpm. Very smooth little machine. Once I had clocked up 400km running in I started taking it gently higher to see what it's like a few times. No top end power rush that's for sure, just pulls steady from 4k upwards, but like most motors at the very top end the vibes do appear but nothing to complain about and that would be cruising above 140kpm, so not really a problem. Redline is 10k

    I see some youtubers have been topping the 390 out at 174kph! Slow by most road bike standards but amazing for a 373cc single cylinder.

    Would be good to have a chat with you sometime when this virus is behind us about the local journeys worth exploring.
    Happiness is a means of travel, not a destination

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    Hi Merv. I'm happy to report no vibes in the range I'm using, up to 7,500 rpm. Very smooth little machine. Once I had clocked up 400km running in I started taking it gently higher to see what it's like a few times. No top end power rush that's for sure, just pulls steady from 4k upwards, but like most motors at the very top end the vibes do appear but nothing to complain about and that would be cruising above 140kpm, so not really a problem. Redline is 10k

    I see some youtubers have been topping the 390 out at 174kph! Slow by most road bike standards but amazing for a 373cc single cylinder.

    Would be good to have a chat with you sometime when this virus is behind us about the local journeys worth exploring.
    Yeah will do, and there are alot of good places to ride in the Wairarapa though the seal has been pushing ever further slowly to the coast over the years.

    Looking at your pics there seems to be quite a gap between the top of the forks and the handlebars so could a short arse like me drop a bit of seat height by slipping the fork tubes up in the triple clamps or are they tapered as that detail couldn't be seen? Even if you can take 25mm out of the height it makes a huge difference.
    Cheers

    Merv

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