KTM 390 Adventure S

KTM's answer to what an adventure-tourer should feel like, at Rs 4.07 lakh. The 390 Adventure S is the road-focused half of KTM's small adventure-bike range in India, sold as a single, well-equipped variant in Ceramic White or Electronic Orange, with nothing held back for a higher trim. Where the Enduro R leans toward trail riding, the Adventure S is built for the rider who wants a taller, more comfortable bike for highway runs and the occasional dirt road, not for someone planning to compete in off-road events. It shares its 398.63cc single-cylinder motor with the rest of KTM's 390 range, making the same 46 PS at 8,500 rpm and 39 Nm at 6,500 rpm, with a quoted top speed near 155 kmph and real-world mileage close to 30 kmpl. At 182kg kerb weight it carries more mass than the Duke R, mostly in the form of a bigger 14.5-litre tank, plus a 2.9-litre reserve, and the taller bodywork, screen and crash protection that make it comfortable over a 400km highway day rather than just a 40km city one. Suspension is WP Apex throughout, a 43mm open-cartridge upside-down fork with 200mm of travel up front and an adjustable monoshock with 205mm travel at the rear, enough to smooth out the broken edges of Indian highways and absorb a reasonable gravel or dirt-track detour without feeling out of its depth. Braking uses a 320mm front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 240mm rear disc, with switchable ABS that can be turned off for loose surfaces. The seat sits at 830mm, noticeably taller than most commuter-adjacent bikes, so this is not the easiest bike for a shorter rider to flat-foot at a signal, though the riding position is upright enough that it does not feel intimidating once moving. Equipment is where the Adventure S justifies its price against cheaper commuter-adjacent machines: a 5-inch TFT dash with Bluetooth connectivity, Quickshifter+ with an assisted clutch, traction control, selectable riding modes, cruise control for long stretches of highway, and USB charging for keeping a phone alive on a long ride. Against the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 (40 PS, 40 Nm, 196kg kerb, 825mm seat) and the BMW G 310 GS (34 PS, 28 Nm, 169.5kg kerb, 835mm seat), the Adventure S lands in between on weight and ahead on outright power and electronics, while giving up some of the Himalayan's long-travel off-road focus and the G 310 GS's badge and service pedigree. It suits a buyer who wants one bike for both the expressway and a Sunday ride up a ghat, without needing to go as far off-road as the Himalayan or Enduro R are built to go. KTM's dealer and service network, now reasonably spread across Indian cities, keeps running costs and parts availability from being the gamble they once were with this brand.