KTM 390 Enduro R

Not an adventure bike in the way most of KTM's rivals use that word. It is often grouped with adventure bikes, but what you are actually buying is a proper enduro machine, a dirt bike with number plates and lights bolted on, built around 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels (tyres 90/90-21 front, 140/80-18 rear) rather than the smaller, road-biased wheels KTM fits to the Adventure S. It is sold in two variants in India, Global-Spec and STD, priced at Rs 3.62 lakh and Rs 3.64 lakh ex-showroom respectively, a gap of roughly Rs 1,600, and from what dealer listings show, the hardware on both is essentially the same, with the difference coming down to a basic accessories kit and on-road paperwork rather than any real change to the motorcycle itself. Both are sold only in Orange. The engine is KTM's familiar 399cc single, liquid-cooled with a DOHC head, tuned for 46 PS at 8,500 rpm and 39 Nm at 6,500 rpm and run through a six-speed gearbox with a quickshifter. That is the same output as the 390 Duke R, but everything around it is set up for a different job. Suspension travel jumps to 230mm at both ends on fully adjustable WP Apex components, ground clearance climbs to 253mm, and the seat sits at 860mm, tall enough that shorter riders will want to stand on the pegs at a signal rather than flat-foot it. Kerb weight comes in at 177kg, light for a bike this capable off road, helped by a small 9-litre fuel tank, with 1.8 litres in reserve, that keeps mass low and central rather than prioritising range. Braking is a 285mm front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 240mm rear disc, backed by dual-channel ABS and LED lighting throughout, and the bike gets riding modes tuned for Street and Offroad use, switching the ABS and traction intervention to suit loose surfaces. None of this is meant for daily Mumbai traffic, though it will do that job if asked, fuel range and a 29.4 kmpl claimed mileage permitting. It is meant for the rider who wants to ride to a trail on tarmac and then actually use the bike once the tarmac runs out, something most adventure-tourer buyers in India only do on brochure covers. Cross-shopped against the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 (40 PS, 40 Nm, 196 kg kerb, 825mm seat) and the BMW G 310 GS (34 PS, 28 Nm, 169.5 kg kerb, 835mm seat), the Enduro R sits in an odd spot. It has more ground clearance and a far more serious off-road stance than either, at the cost of a smaller tank and less wind protection on the highway. It is less a Himalayan rival than a machine for buyers who already know they want to attempt actual enduro trails and are not interested in a bike that merely looks like it could.