A KTM is polarising. It's flawed but still great to ride. It is fun to live with and you never have a dull moment when you’re on one. I had a first-generation RC 390 and its brakes didn’t have enough feel but they did their job, its rear shock absorber didn’t allow me to enjoy it much around corners, and its engine wasn’t long-lasting. The seats were not comfortable enough either. But… it was awesome and I felt that every time I stretched the legs of that 373cc single-cylinder engine. It sounded great, looked great, and went through traffic and highways like it was on business. That was in 2015…

10 years later today and the story is more or less the same, the difference is that the bikes have become strikingly better now. Some legacy problems remain though… But first, the good things!

One of the clearest differences between the new 390 Adventure X and the previous one is how good the new suspension is, even when it’s non-adjustable on the X. In a matter of a few kilometres, you’re going to know that the ride quality has an upmarket feel to it (if I may use that word to describe the feeling). The new WP Apex suspension, although non-adjustable on the X, is noticeably better and has fantastic road-holding mannerisms. The compression and rebound actions combined have a noticeably controlled, more precise, and plush feel without feeling harsh or unsettled. You’re going to feel that the ride quality is higher and improved.

The new suspension, along with the new chassis, further deliver equally impressive handling. The new chassis is based on the new 390 Duke’s but it’s not exactly the same, especially the sub-frame which is of steel on the 390 Adventure X compared to the aluminium on the 390 Duke.

The entire chassis and suspension package is extremely responsive that makes the motorcycle handle dynamically - agile in traffic and confident in long and short corners, and quite precise overall. The X is a very nice handling motorcycle - it is never not fun. Even when riding two-up, it didn’t feel unsettled going through corners and it’s the same while carving through traffic.

However, the rear shock absorber (preload adjustable only) bottomed out a couple of times over speed breakers with a pillion. Otherwise, it remained compliant and didn’t feel harsh while going over regular potholes or bad patches on the road.

All this is enough to say that the handling, due to its new chassis and suspension, is one of the highlights of the 2025 KTM 390 Adventure X. I got to ride this motorcycle extensively with and without pillion, and I was highly impressed in both scenarios. The X is completely-satisfyingly agile, precise, and confident inspiring in city traffic and on highways. The suspension is plush and hard enough that keeps the handling stable in maximum situations. As a non-adjustable front and only pre-load adjustable rear, the suspension is extremely well-tuned. When riding solo, everything becomes even better.

The design is another thing that has been vastly improved in the new 390 Adventure X. I could never like the previous 390 Adventure - I tried, I really did by saying to myself that it’s an adventure bike and it is allowed to look quirky, but I could never truly like the way it looked.

The new model is vastly better-looking. It has better proportions and the overall styling is much improved. Now I don’t have to convince myself into believing that it is a good looking motorcycle, because it is. Especially when seeing it in motion, the bike looks great from the front and from the sides. The sleek tail section is still long enough to balance out the larger front end. That said, I think it’s just passable from the back. The rear is a bit too slim for my liking.

And that brings us to possibly the only reason why I will not consider buying this motorcycle - seats. I don’t know how others feel about it but I’m quite shocked about how terrible the seating comfort is. Actually there is no comfort at all! At 5 feet 7 inches and with an average built, I fit comfortably on maximum motorcycles, but the new 390 Adventure X’s seats are just plain terrible (both for the rider and the pillion).

It is clear that in order to make the motorcycle thin between the legs, the seating comfort has been hugely compromised. I’m not suggesting that this sacrifice by KTM is intentional, but that’s irrelevant. It’s not only that the width is reduced, the seat is also thinner than before and not to a good effect. It’s a single piece unit for the rider and the pillion and from the sides, the seat looks rather good as it is flat and long enough (at least for me). I prefer flat seats because they give me freedom of moving back and forth. But it is too thin and too hard.

The seats make my hips sore if I have to ride the motorcycle for more than 30-40 minutes nonstop. And this duration is nothing when commuting in a city like Delhi. And it’s not just me, my pillion felt the same and when we switched places, our opinions remained unchanged. The seating is saddeningly uncomfortable. This is even more frustrating because the riding position, otherwise, is quite spot-on.

Other irritating problems are the invisible things that work around the engine, but you feel them consistently - fueling and vibrations - and that’s what I meant by “legacy problems” I mentioned earlier. The low speed/RPM fueling remains inconsistent and jerky even on the new 390s. Riders regularly keep the throttle half close/open (whichever way you want to call it) especially in heavy traffic situations. With the throttle in this position, the fueling isn’t smooth and it would make you either use the clutch or increase the throttle to get smooth. Which obviously gets frustrating quickly.

However, the throttle at moderate to higher RPMs is generally smooth and provides brisk acceleration. So, let’s talk about the new engine!

The single-cylinder 398.63cc liquid-cooled engine has a more compact head (remains DOHC with 4 valves) and looks visibly smaller than the previous 373cc engine. Being more compact means better concentration of weight, which means allowing the chassis and suspension to perform even better.

The new engine makes 46 PS of power @ 8,500 RPM and 39 NM of torque @ 6,500 RPM. It is said to be smoother and more linear in nature compared to the previous generation. However, it isn’t really linear as such and the low RPM fueling remains a problem. And the vibrations make things even worse at times. The biggest problem is around the mid-range (4,500 - 5,500 RPM) where vibrations are felt the most, and those are not gentle, they are quite intense and you can’t ignore them.

The tractability (ability to be ridden at low speeds in higher gears) has improved but it’s not something to garner praise in particular. The engine still likes to be ridden at higher RPMs, that’s where it’s the happiest. Overall, it is a better engine than the one before. The performance is better and remains utterly-utterly satisfying. Mid to high RPMs is where the actual juice is and the acceleration in this range is absolutely intoxicating for a single-cylinder. The first time I twisted the throttle hard in traffic, I was somewhere in the mid-range, and the engine responded beautifully. The X surged ahead with absolute forcefulness. What’s even more interesting is that I was riding two-up. On bigger motorcycles, this is not a big deal, but on a smaller motorcycle like the Duke, I think it is, even if it’s the most powerful single-cylinder in its class.

If I am going to buy this motorcycle, it would be for its engine performance and chassis and suspension, and of course that it looks so much better than before. I can even live with and compromise with the vibrations (and not all 390s vibrate equally, so maybe the one for me won’t vibrate as much), but I can’t compromise with the seating comfort. That’s nonnegotiable, that too on an adventure tourer! A comfortable seat is supposed to be among its strongest points.

The 390 Adventure X is predominantly a road-focused adventure-tourer. It is good on bad roads and for some very light off-road sections, but it will not be comfortable mainly due to its road-oriented block-pattern tyres. They do not have enough traction for such surfaces. Things get even riskier if there is wet or slushy sections off the road. But of course, for that purpose there’s the full-blown 390 Adventure with spoke wheels, 21-inch front wheel, and adjustable suspension.

But for anyone who doesn’t fancy going off the tarmac, the 390 Adventure X is an extremely suitable motorcycle that costs nearly INR 80,000 less at INR 2,91,140 (compared to 390 Adventure's INR 3,67,699).