[nutcracker]

Bought the KTM 390 Adventure on July, 2020. Have ridden it close to 3200 kms now. 70% of my riding has been commute, and the rest has been either on the highway or just late night rides around the streets. My commute rides are mostly with a pillion, an aged man who works with me.

I love the 390 Adventure, dont get me wrong. It's a fun bike and really fun to throw around. Cornering on it is confidence inspiring, the bike looks extra-terrestrial, a beautiful display, brakes well; BUT:

I have some issues with it, the main one being its performance at the low-end. This really impacts its smoothness in bumper to bumper traffic, and many times almost throws off my senior-citizen pillion. My other big issue is the squeaking front brakes, it annoys the hell out of me, really.

A minor gripe would its seat height. I'm 5'10" and there are spots where I find it difficult to find footing. Also, the suspension is a little too stiff for my tastes and gets bumpy for the pillion. I've also realised that I'm more comfortable with linear and refined engines rather than high revving engines. I'm mostly speaking from a commute perspective. For touring, this bike is amazing. It's tall means you have a commanding presence and view of the road ahead. Just, I dont think it is the right bike for me.

I'm thinking now would be a good time to sell it, before we hit 2021, as I'll get a good price for it, since the bike is as good as new. My plan is to replace it with a twin-parallel, of the same price range. I dont mind spending upto a maximum of 50k more on this exchange. Also, I want a nimble bike that offers decent pillion comfort, a bike that I can use around the streets and for touring. Versatility is key here. My desire for a twin-parallel is non-negotiable.

The options I have considered are:
1. Kawasaki Ninja 300
2. Pre-worshipped Ninja 400
3. Pre-worshipped Ninja 650 (if i'm able to find one)
4. Yamaha R3
5. RE Interceptor 650/Continental GT - (although they are quite heavy for my tastes and have terrible pillion comfort).

Which bike should solve my purpose? Also, am I missing any options?

[IshaanIan]

KTMs are best sampled with sportiness in mind. For ease of travel, comfort and versatility I'd look towards the new Honda CB350 or something like that. A Benelli might offer up a bit more x-factor however. A large chunk of the motorcycling community likes bashing Benelli for not participating in spec sheet wars but the truth is that if you aren't bothered about the numbers, they are bikes that come from a proverbial generation behind and thus feel more comfy, allow more tweaking on the suspension front, have a less intimidating riding triangle overall and also sound good. They may not seem like value for money as such but if all you care about is riding, then it should not matter. I don't know about Delhi, but here in Hyderabad they come with a 5 year warranty which I feel is icing on the cake.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

For ease of travel, comfort and versatility I'd look towards the new Honda CB350

Absolutely, no brainer. OP can do extended test ride if he has any doubt about the performance. If budget is not a major concern and he is open to pre-owned, can consider Bonneville range, but a brand new CB350 will be my pick too.

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

My plan is to replace it with a twin-parallel, of the same price range. I dont mind spending upto a maximum of 50k more on this exchange. Also, I want a nimble bike that offers decent pillion comfort, a bike that I can use around the streets and for touring. Versatility is key here. My desire for a twin-parallel is non-negotiable.

The options I have considered are:
1. Kawasaki Ninja 300
2. Pre-worshipped Ninja 400
3. Pre-worshipped Ninja 650 (if i'm able to find one)
4. Yamaha R3
5. RE Interceptor 650/Continental GT - (although they are quite heavy for my tastes and have terrible pillion comfort).

Which bike should solve my purpose? Also, am I missing any options?

None from 1 to 4 will give you pillion comfort especially since (and I'm assuming 80% of the time) the pillion is senior citizen. Neither in commutes or highway touring. Option 5 - Interceptor is the only one that kind of fits the bill and ticks your 'twin cylinder non-negotiable' clause

An out of the box suggestion would be to try and get your hands on a pre-owned Kawasaki Versys X300. It ticks all the boxes - ideal for your height, twin cylinder, nimble (well, almost), great touring/pillion comfort and a reliable engine giving you decent power and good low-end torque for city commutes.

[adwaith]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Bought the KTM 390 Adventure on July, 2020. Have ridden it close to 3200 kms now. 70% of my riding has been commute, and the rest has been either on the highway or just late night rides around the streets. My commute rides are mostly with a pillion, an aged man who works with me.

Which bike should solve my purpose? Also, am I missing any options?

I own an Interceptor and absolutely love it and she's great fun, but she's impractical to carry pillions. I don't like carrying pillions as it is, because they complain about the bike jerking as it is and the bike at low speeds especially in traffic becomes heavier. I have also ridden pillion on her a couple of times and I'm 5'9" and it's rather uncomfortable, especially with the placement of the foot pegs. The seat also is rather inadequate and considering all that I've mentioned above, I would advise against it.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

For ease of travel, comfort and versatility I'd look towards the new Honda CB350 or something like that. A Benelli might offer up a bit more x-factor however.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Absolutely, no brainer. OP can do extended test ride if he has any doubt about the performance. If budget is not a major concern and he is open to pre-owned, can consider Bonneville range, but a brand new CB350 will be my pick too.

I test rode the CB350, albeit for just 5 minutes last weekend. I really liked the build of the bike, but again, its a single cylinder so not a consideration. Like I said, twin-parallel is a non-negotiable need for me.

Originally Posted by adwaith

I own an Interceptor and absolutely love it and she's great fun, but she's impractical to carry pillions. I don't like carrying pillions as it is, because they complain about the bike jerking as it is and the bike at low speeds especially in traffic becomes heavier. I have also ridden pillion on her a couple of times and I'm 5'9" and it's rather uncomfortable, especially with the placement of the foot pegs. The seat also is rather inadequate and considering all that I've mentioned above, I would advise against it.

Yes, on the outset, the Interceptor seems to be the perfect bike. But it's too darn heavy, and it will be a pain to move around parking spaces, which I don't want to go through.

[iron]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Bought the KTM 390 Adventure on July, 2020. ...................

........
Which bike should solve my purpose? Also, am I missing any options?

Based on what you have mentioned Suzuki Gw250(Inazuma) would be a perfect fit for your requirements.
The bike was a dud in the Indian market because of Suzuki's step motherly treatment towards its product positioning, Marketing & Promotions.
Bike is extremely well engineered and the build quality, ride quality is top notch and the parallel twin is relatively vib free, it has a strong low end a strong mid range and decent top end for a 250cc mill
The bike is still sold in many countries with good success and availability of spares is not an issue.
Since the bike was discontinued in 2015 you will have to search hard for a well maintained one.
Do check out the reviews online as there are literally tons of real time owner reviews which will give you an idea first hand on what to expect.

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

The options I have considered are:
1. Kawasaki Ninja 300
2. Pre-worshipped Ninja 400
3. Pre-worshipped Ninja 650 (if i'm able to find one)
4. Yamaha R3
5. RE Interceptor 650/Continental GT - (although they are quite heavy for my tastes and have terrible pillion comfort).

Which bike should solve my purpose? Also, am I missing any options?

I would suggest you look around for a pre-worshiped Triumph Street Twin. Great parallel twin with oodles of torque at the low end to keep you happy in any kind of traffic

[Red Liner]

Buying a big motorcycle for commute in india is s terrible mistake. You will be burning through the motorcycle in no time.

Sell your KTM.
Buy a nice multi cylinder performance bike to tour. Save money with a used Japanese honda.
Buy a simple commuter like an xpulse to thrash around where you live.
Be happy.

Dont buy a bike to do everything. It does not exist. Instead carve your budget out into two bikes that do one or two things out of 5 really well. That way you don't take an xpulse to go touring or a ninja 1k to commute to work.

[neil.jericho]

Your decision should probably also depend on the length of your daily commute and the nature of the traffic that you face. However, some of your considerations do not seem completely compatible with the others, so there might have to be some flexibility from your side on one or the other.

An older gentleman as a pillion is not going to enjoy any of your listed faired options. Realistically, the Benelli is your best choice on paper. For something more mainstream, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 with an upgraded seat sounds like your next best option, but as others have pointed out, your pillion's ergos may not be the most comfortable as compared to other single cylinder options out there. Which brings into question, how long is the commute and how long does the pillion have to sit on your bike? If it is short distances, he should be able to manage. Nothing like taking a test ride with him on board and checking.

The Inazuma is a logical option but ready access to spares might be a challenge, if you have a good FNG who can get you parts easily, that may also be worth considering.

If you can go with a multi bike garage option including a single for commuting, Red Liner's suggestion is excellent.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

I have some issues with it, the main one being its performance at the low-end.

Get the plug upgraded to the NGK one instead of the crappy Bosch one that bike comes with ~350 INR. If you want more cripsy low end, replace the stock filter with a free flow after market filter from K&N, Cotton or BMC ~4.5-6k INR. Fileter is same as Duke 390. I have made these two changes and the bike has improved by leaps on the low end front as well as the rolling acceleration. I had a first gen Duke 390, remapped one so I am otherwise used to the choppy throttle.

If not.

5. RE Interceptor 650/Continental GT - (although they are quite heavy for my tastes and have terrible pillion comfort).

Is the best bang for the buck if buying new, if not look at used Bonnieville or Street Twin both are excellent and known for the big fat torque Vs the KTM engines.

[Mafia]

You can probably retain your KTM 390 Adv if you find an easy commuter with performance.

There are a plethora of 200cc street bikes in the market with reasonable pillion comfort.

I looked around for a couple of years for that one bike that does all. The end result for me will be a 125cc scooter for city rides and a large capacity motorcycle for out of city commutes.

[surjaonwheelz]

Just one simple question, have you updated the front sprocket to Duke 250? Most have shared that it solves the low end jerks!

Nothing to loose here it's affordable and reversible if you don't like it.

You can shave off some height from the stock seat if you want.
You're in Delhi it seems and Karol Bagh is at your disposal. No bike is perfect for everyone in stock form!

Test ride the new bikes in your list.

[karanddd]

The Himalayan has a great low end, its brakes don't squeal, and its rider seat is quite low. Even the pillion seat is pretty comfortable. But the bike is bound to feel slow at the top end in comparison to the 390. If out and out performance does not matter to you, the Himalayan is a near perfect option for you. It's a great commuter and a great tourer both.

I see a lot of people suggesting 2 bikes. If you can do it, great. But maintaining and parking and keeping clean two bikes can be a true pain in the neck. I personally wouldn't be able to do it.

I wouldn't look at the Ninjas or the R3 but that's only because I find them backbreaking to ride. I've never been pillion on a sportsbike but I cannot imagine it's too comfortable. If the Interceptor's weight is your only concern, I'd go ahead with it and shift to a lighter exhaust system and change the seats for more comfort. It won't be as agile as a 390 or even a Himalayan, but it's the best you can do in that budget.

I'd give the Bonnevilles a pass because they're also very heavy and the Interceptor offers 80% of what they offer at a far more reasonable price. Also what about the Dominar? Same engine as the 390 but I believe better tuned for low end performance, and possibly more comfortable for both rider and pillion.

[bf1983]

Originally Posted by karanddd

I see a lot of people suggesting 2 bikes. If you can do it, great. But maintaining and parking and keeping clean two bikes can be a true pain in the neck. I personally wouldn't be able to do it.

Ditto here. First off space is a problem in cities for more than one vehicle and if you buy a bike just for the one off breakfast ride then you might not use it much at all which can lead to issues. And if you buy a high performance bike it needs even more care and maintance which may not happen if you hardly use it.

@nutcracker - I don't think there is truly anything better at this price range for 2 up riding than what you currently have. My suggestion is to try and follow what some people have suggested to improve the low end torque of your bike. So try the sprocket change that was suggested and or the k&n filter. Another option is to use an ecu but that's a more complex solution not without some flaws.