KTM 390 Adventure R 2026 — Specifications

Facing the large Super Adventure and seeking a bit more sunshine in the shadow of the 890, the 390 Adventure SW had to defend itself with a jovial and playful engine, complemented by a compact and gentle trail silhouette. But there, KTM let it soak in a large bath of testosterone, with Dakar imagery intravenously injected to make it a much more expressive machine.

A page turns with the 390 Adventure R. The look of a little scrub hare is gone. Make way for a rally-raid progeny! Its enduro front fender, headlight inspired by the 1390 Super Adv, enveloping shoulders, and especially its large windscreen announce a completely new physique and capabilities of another scale. A real teenager pretending to be Nicolas Hulot.

With its 5-inch color TFT screen mounted high up, large handguards, an engine guard, and Mitas Enduro Trail E07+ tires in 21” and 18”, it seems ready to camp on the edge of the desert. Its WP Apex suspensions are already ready to absorb bumps of all kinds. The 43 mm inverted fork allows you to adjust compression and rebound; the rear shock offers adjustment of preload and rebound. As a true adventurer ready for complicated trails, the Katoche has 272 mm of ground clearance (that's more than an 890 Adventure R), largely thanks to the 230 mm suspension travel, front and rear. Advantage: the crossing possibilities are there / Problem: this raises the seat to 870 mm high.

Compared to the previous 390 Adventure SW, the newcomer presents a very different frame. It is common to almost the entire 390 family (Duke, SMC R, Enduro R) but stands out with a different steering angle and rigidity profile, more suited to off-road. Its aluminum swingarm is also shared with the supermotard and enduro models. As are the brakes. Bybre, whose 2-piston front caliper will bite down on a 320 mm disc. The rear relies on its single piston to calm the 240 mm disc.

The engine is also made up of a single piston. This LC4c didn’t wait for the Adventure to overhaul its internals. The Duke opened the dance of its 45 horsepower, motivated since 2024 by a new cylinder head and an optimized gearbox. In the dusty trail, it is positioned to improve ground clearance. Consequently, the airbox changes shape.

The distributed torque reaches 4.1 mkg. A value consistent with the displacement and which can be fun, even a little cheeky but not enough to uproot a mystery wild boar sleeping on the side. However, the 390 Adventure R believes that a good dose of electronics must be there to supervise it; like the rest of the motorcycle. This does not prevent being able to bypass some safeguards to restore all its legitimacy to the off-road. That’s why Cornering ABS has an Offroad mode, to put the rear wheel at peace. Other road companions, three Riding Modes (Street / Rain / Offroad), a quickshifter, a traction control sensitive to the angle, and smartphone connectivity to manage calls, music, and turn-by-turn navigation.

You will be able to test it for a good while: The tank carries 14.5 liters of fuel. The manufacturer announces 400 km of autonomy. Enough to cover some serious stages in the pampas. However, for a 400, the Adventure R is not really light. 165 kilos on the scale, before filling up. To which you must add a good 10 kilos of gasoline. This remains more than correct for a machine of the expedition segment, dirt clods and potatoes by the fire but... There is still mass. And price. Certainly, the machine carries significant equipment and interesting capabilities. But with a check of almost 8,000 euros to withdraw, the clientele will have to be motivated.

The little Adventure also thinks of lovers of more road-oriented models. That’s why it is available in an X version, with spoked wheels, less sophisticated suspensions, less electronics, and a lighter price.

M.B - Photos manufacturer