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-   -   Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/256060-ownership-review-ktm-adventure-250-a.html)

Hi BHPians. Here's a quick review of my ADV 250 which may help you with your purchase decisions if you're looking for a multi-purpose vehicle under 3 lakhs on-road



Purchase analysis - team-bhp.com -

What I like

• The engine screams in the top end, cruises sweetly in the mid-range
• Quality of parts especially the plastics are way better than many other motorcycles. Compared to the R15, the plastics feel 2x thicker with the tank having absolutely no flex.
• High speed ride quality is amazing with the suspension absorbing most of the road undulations and bigger obstructions at ease
• The practicality this motorcycle offers is mind-blowing. It's one of the very few motorcycles above 2.5 lakhs to have a proper and usable pillion seat.

What I dislike

• Quality check/control is not great (more on this in the Problems faced section)
• Low end power is lacking. Engine knocks under 4000rpm if given full throttle
• Can really feel the weight when sitting and trying to push the motorcycle due to it's high stance and handlebars

Some neutral opinions

• My old R15v3 bs4 had modest specs on paper(apart from the engine ofcourse), but it over delivered in reality. However, the same cannot be said for KTM
• Service centers irrespective of brands are a hit or a miss. Stuck with a wierd unique issue? Mostly will be a miss
• NVH is still a step lower than the Japanese
• Though the heat is very much bearable even in Chennai heat, it still gets hotter than other high compression motorcycles(comparing my R15 again here)
• Tyres though it offers sufficient grip, it feels very hard compared to the Metzelers in the 390 or even the MRF Zapper series

Buying and D'day experience

• Mostly positive. Paid a token amount and once the motorcycle is shipped from Chakan, paid the remaining. A short note was that the dealer was trying to charge 1.5% premium if paid via credit card. Had to talk that down. Absolutely no discounts, got the mandatory helmet as freebies.(Also, the insurance mentions the motorcycle as a KTM Duke 250, not sure why and the dealer assured it won't cause any issues and if it did, they'll take care of it)
• Once the motorcycle reached the showroom, went to do a PDI check(More on this in the Quality check and issues section) and moved on with RTO registeration
• Once the RTO registeration is complete, got the motorcycle delivered the next day and took it to the nearest Shell for a tank full. Once the tiny woman released the nozzle, all the fuel gushed out instead of into the tank and spilt out all over the tank and engine and petrol was leaking through the overflow pipe. Immediately took back to the svc and did a check, but everything seemed fine. So, again went to the pump and this time made sure another experienced adult filled the petrol and also made sure that the nozzle is perfectly vertical and started filling. This time, the fill-up was properly done. Apparently, KTM has designed the tank mouth with a deep neck(probably to avoid the fuel from spilling out during deep offroad sessions I guess) which backfired the first time. Most petrol station attendants will place the nozzle at a 60-70 degree angle(lazyness?), so I had to inform everytime to fill-up with the nozzle being vertical and sometimes have to assist them in placing the nozzle.
• Took the motorcycle for a good 80km ride in the beautiful stretch of ECR, Chennai and enjoyed every moment of how it performed

Price as of 23/12/2021 - 271141 (team-bhp -)

Design, Styling and some distinguishing factors over it's sibling duke

The engineering idea of the motorcycle is very simple 3 point story.

1. Take a duke 250 for a point of reference
2. List out the practical flaws of the duke
3. Fix them and that's how the Adventure is born!

Dark galvano vs Electronic orange

• It has a very unique style in the Indian market and a huge attention grabber due to it's looks and sheer size over other motorcycles
• The motorcycle is built with practicality in mind. Function over form
• Starting from the front-end, the headlights, though halogen, it is very bright and sufficient. Aux lights were never needed. I would've preferred the LEDs of the adv 390, I'm happy with the halogens especially after the disappointing LEDs of the older R15v3. The unique factor of LEDs is not much nowadays as almost every motorcycle comes with them currently. Looks like halogens will be the unique ones in the near future :p
  
  
  Halogen performance on a completely dark unlit road
  
• The stock wind visor gives good wind protection till 100kmph. After 100, wind starts blasting over your head
• The mirrors have a very very small concavity which helps in good rear view visibility especically over your shoulders. Missed the fairing mounted mirros of the R15 though as since they were much further,
  you don't have to take your eyes off the front road much
• The instrument console is another improvement over the older console of the duke. Much larger and easy to read. Also raised than the duke and inclined towards the rider so that the rider doesn't have to move their focus much (one downside is that the trip meter caps at 999.9km)
  Funky startup animation
• The handlebars are very wide and raised which helps in a comfortable riding position in the highways and offroads. In the city though, it's at a disadvantage during filtering the traffic
• The tank is huge at close to 15 litres and for my riding style, a full tank of fuel including reserve can take you ~500kms. However, to protect the fuel injector, low fuel alerts pops up
  in the console after 300-350kms of riding. Also, the quality of plastics used for the outer tank shell and sides are of very much higher quality than Yamaha or Suzuki. Feels very sturdy and doesn't even flex much
  
  
  Tank has a nice sheen to it and very soft to touch. Love the orange tank of 2021 adv 390 and 2022 adv 250
  
• The radiator is protected by a plastic guard that comes as stock and the front mudguard also extends such that debris from the front wheel won't affect the radiator
• The USD is very chunky, but is hidden behind a plastic protector to protect the inner fork seal from debris. Dukes are notorious for broken seals which frequently takes 2k out of your wallet The stock frame/engine/leg guard is also very robust and much larger eliminating the need for additional guards
• The stock frame/engine/leg guard is also very robust and much larger eliminating the need for additional guards
• the engine sump guard(half plastic with metal for the exhaust pipe) is also very huge and covers the entire under body along with the exhaust pipe. The actual exhaust itself is very slim and goes well with the looks of the motorcycle and also does not protrude much from the side
  
  
  Engine, Radiator, exhaust pipe and inner front forks are protected nicely
  
• The seats are very wide and decently cushioned. Added an additional nylon breathable cover for ventilated seats :D and surprisingly it works unlike the gimmicky ones like air seats which bursts or gel seats which flattens
  
  
  
• the under seat storage area is big enough for add-on modules, documentations, first air kit, toolbox and probably more
• The aluminium swingarm is painted in a much darker hue and has few screw holes for maybe accessories?(fitted duke's tyre hugger in one of the screw holes)
• The brake lights are very very bright, but the actual tail lamp is a bit small. Would've preferred a size up.
  
  
  
• The electronic orange paint shade though increases the visibility of the motorcycle to others very much
  
  
  Also to notice the size comparision with a last gen duke 125 in the background
  
• The alloy design is very good and different from the usual design(19" front and 17" at the back)(newer model comes with 10 spoke front wheels instead of the symmetric 12 you see here). Tyres are 50-50 MRF meteors

My Experience

Engine

• The heart of the motorcycle is still a KTM. The engine is a screamer and punches way higher than it's quarter litre tag.
• Top end feels a segment above
• It can reach 100kmph in no time and climb very quickly till 130kmph and slowly post that. The acceleration post 145kmph is tortoise like (KTM speedos are almost precise compared to yamaha/TVS)
• The motorcycle cruises very comfortably in 6th gear at speeds of around 83kmph@5000rpm, ~100kmph@6000rpm, ~115kmph@7000rpm
• Aside from the single cylinder buzz, vibrations are felt only at the footpegs post 7000rpm
• No stalling issues unlike 390. KTM programmed the motorcycle to idle higher(>2000rpm) during cold starts to avoid stalling. As the engine reaches optimum temperature, idle rpm settles down
• Heat management is very good with the curved radiator deflecting the hot air from the fan on either sides instead of your thighs but overall, it is still warmer compared to the competition(but in acceptable range)
• Unsurprisingly, refinement levels is still a step down compared to the Japanese as it produces as much power as a 300cc Honda
• In gear acceleration though good is not as great as flat out 0-100. Needs downshifting often for good acceleration
• Engine has decent torque to propel without the use of accelerator in traffic in 1st and 2nd gear and can pull cleanly from a speedbreaker in 2nd gear with a light foot but struggles a bit under hard accelerations
• As much as I love the top end, the bottom end of the motorcycle is rubbish. Engine struggles under 4000rpm with absolutely no power under 3000rpm and knocks heavily if full throttle is given.
• Engine needs to be spinning at atleast 4500/5000rpm for decent amount of power and lug-free acceleration

Braking

• Contradictory to reviewers, I felt the braking to be very adequate and motorcycle stops just how I want (even emergency stops are good enough). Will try the famous 390 brake pads ones these are worn off
• ABS is tuned very well and kicks in just at the right moment.
• Rear ABS can be turned off via the console keys

Clutch and Gearbox

• Super light and progressive slip and assist clutch
• Gear lever feels hard sometimes but is clicky and slots the gears perfectly. If R15 is a 9/10, this one is a 8.5
• Fingers needs to be stretched completely to reach the clutch and brake levers which tires out if ridden without gloves. Planning for the adjustable levers of the 390 soon

Efficiency

• Mileage varies depending on your style of riding. city rides give me 28-30kmpl. Highway cruises at 70kmph gives 38kmpl, 85kmph gives 36kmpl, 100kmph gives 32-33kmpl and post that, it reduces
• drastically as the engine nears it's top end
• Average mileage stands close to 33kmpl. Pretty accurate as I've recorded everything since delivery through Fuelio

some fuelio logs for reference

Suspension & GC

A boon or a bain on how you see it. Can tackle indian roads at ease at the expense of very high seating position.

• Long travel suspension absorbs 100% of the bumps at speed. Feels like a german car once you're over 70kmph. Ride quality at high speeds feels very good, so much that you never realize you went over a rough patch of road
• Never bottomed out and ground clearance is ample that you can ride over speed breakers like some rumble strips
• However, at lower speeds, the ride quality is very stiff and every bump and pothole can be felt. This is exaggerated by the MRF tyres which feels more like plastic wheels (probably due to PSI? KTM recommends 28.5psi whereas I vaguely remember the Suzuki V-storm suggests 22psi). Also, the Adv 390's ride quality felt significantly better(the only difference between the two is the tyres)

Riding Posture & Comfort

• The riding posture is upright, with center set foot-pegs, wide and reachable handlebars, adequately padded seats.
• This is one of the motorcycle which considers rear seat comfort with an equally large rear seat, slightly front/center set footpegs, and huge grab handles on either sides.
• Due to this riding posture and the weight shift, the ride quality is extremely good in highway speeds, but inside the city, due to the stiffer suspension, it just feels like a duke

Riding Dynamics

• An imposter in the Adventure category of motorcycles.
  
  
  
• Retains most of the characteristics of Duke. Agile, nimble and extremely sharp
• The motorcycle loves the twisties as well as comfy sedated highway cruises.
  
  
  Happy cruise on the beatiful scenic ECR, Chennai
  
• The motorcycle is capable of slight off-roads that I have done and never came across any roads where the motorcycle felt incapable. To be honest, the offroad capabilities of the motorcycle is higher than what I can achieve (or) I wish to take it to. One gripe is that the entire frontend shakes heavily under bad roads, so in long term probably i may need some duct tapes and seals to avoid any future rattling issues if any
• City rides is fine but this motorcycle is not built for the traffic prone roads. It occupies almost the space of an auto! With such wide handlebars, and high seating posture, filtering through traffic is not it's cup of tea, not that it can handle the task but you can see youself struggling while other scooters and commuters filter the traffic making you look like a newbie
  
  
  squad. The motorcycle dwarfs most non-adventure motorcycles, hence difficult to maneuver in traffic
  
• Due to the raised handlebar, relaxed riding posture and longer travel suspension, front end feel may not be as much as a Duke/RC, but for the streets, you'll never be left wanting.
• The MRF rubber handles everything absolutely fine and never lost traction till date. Just that it would've been better if it's just a tad bit softer
• Overall, a multi-purpose utility machine that can chug all day and night on-road, off-road, post rain slippery roads, on a sunny scorching thar road

A twin with a camel hump seat for better cushion and other with a diaper to not hit me back with all the slush from the rear tyres

Some unique features

• Just the right amount of tech you need => ABS only(rear switchable)!. No riding modes, no traction control, no bluetooth and absolutely no other distractions. It's just you, your motorcyle and the beautiful path ahead
• Has a 12V socket right below the console which can be used to charge, vacuum, fill-up air etc
• Has a GPS mount above the console
• Has auxiliary ports for additional lights, or any other electronic device that you may wish to attach seperately

Problems faced

• Not specific to KTM, but Quality check/control and knowledge levels of service technicians of every brand needs to be improved
• The front brake was not connected to the brake light during delivery. During PDI, i noted the rear brake, but left out the front as I couldn't reach the front lever and the light was working for the rear. Noticed it after 2 days when a good samaritan asked me to check the brake light.
• My friend who bought a KTM Duke 250 just a week before me, got his rear suspension oil all leaked out during a ride (it was replaced later for free under warranty)
• Another friend of mine who got the KTM Adventure 250 got his fuel pump kaput in the middle of the highway after 9 months/9000kms on the ODO. Also, I remember the technician saying the fuel pump of the test ride ADV 390 has gone kaput while I was there for my motorcycle's second service. It is a part that needs to be monitored closely. RSA helped my friend and it was replaced freely under warranty
• My motorcycle is veering very very slightly to the right when I let my hands go off the handlebar. Forks, axle, all seems fine, cleaned cone set, replaced the T-stem under my own money just for mind satisfaction(3 service centers around my house never acknowledged the issue, however every other friend of mine acknowledges). Yet to find it's root cause, but recently I have stopped looking for a solution as the svc technicians are in no way helpful, even after multiple open threads all over the internet, there's no concrete solution except for a lucky few, also this is a common issue with even litre class motorcycles(based on some internet search) and most importantly, the motorcycle is perfectly alright when your hands are where it's supposed to be (on the handlebars :p) and when speed is over 80kmph.

Toyota Fortuner of motorcycles!


Favourite Angle showing it's butch looks

Need an offroader? himalayan 450
Need a cruiser? Royal enfield J350/Interceptor 650
Need a power cruiser? Dominar 400
Need a street sport motorcycle? Duke 250
Need a commuter? CB300F/pulsar F250

But need a simple no-nonsense street sport motorcycle that is agile, nimble for your fun filled daily commute and weekend mountain twisties but can also handle our great Indian roads and it's gigantic speed breakers, potholes and what not with its jacked up suspensions and high ground clearance and also cruise the butter smooth National Highways at 100kmph all day along with your better half enjoying our scenic beauties while comfortably seated in the huge pillion seat? Probably a KTM Adventure 250/390 will fit the bill just fine!!

The famous quote 'Jack of all trades, master of none!' suits this KTM perfectly! It may not be as adventurous as a Himalayan off-road, but it sure is better on-road. Likewise, it sure can't cruise like a meteor/Interceptor on-road, but sure it can tacke speedbrakers and potholes at speeds and take you to places where an Interceptor may not.

P.S. For people who say why not save some money and get the duke 250 instead of the adventure 250 as it has much better styling, LED headlights, fatter tyres etc, I'd say the premium over the duke with it's tradeoffs are worth it if you're looking for function over form.
My first bike was a KTM Duke 200, and this KTM Adventure 250 felt just the right updates wherever I wanted

1. A little longer suspension that does not bottom out often and thuds - check
2. A relaxed riding posture for your legs and knees - check
3. A usable pillion seat - check
4. Additional usable features like 12v socket, larger console, wind visor, gps mount, under seat storage, bigger fuel tank etc - check
5. A better heat management - check (the way the 2 fans on either ends deflect heat is much better than the one big fan that deflects the heat right on your legs)

Who should not consider this motorcycle

If you're looking for city usage primarily
If you want nice cushiony/bouncy super soft suspension at city speeds
If you're on the shorter side and average built, you may want to check the height and weight

Finally, the riding gear - RE Streetwind v1 jacket, RE Rambler gloves and a MT helmet for optimum protection while maintaining the air flow and comfort



Please comment your thoughts and let me know if there's anything to clarify with respect to the motorcycle and I will be more than happy to assist (if I am aware of it) :)

Congratulations on your purchase. Adventure motorcycles make sense considering the city roads we're made available.

I got myself a KTM 390 Adventure 2 weeks back and can relate to your observations regarding the quality of parts. The ones around the fuel tank are great and leave no room for complaint, but things like the keyhole to remove the rear seat is of questionable quality. I feel as if it's going to come out.

The windscreen that comes as standard is definitely not at all usable above 80kmph and needs an upgrade. Are you searching for any aftermarket ones in this regard? Do let me know the brand and how you procured the rear tyre hugger aka diaper as per your words.

My ride below, Just like the 250 ADV, 390 ADV too suffers from bad low-end grunt.

Not sure about the keyhole as mine feels sturdy enough.

I looked up initially for an bigger and functional aftermarket visor but the pricing turned me off. Later on, I stopped looking for it as I felt the stock visor with the newer helmet that I own now is good enough

The rear tyre hugger is straight from the Duke/RC series. You can get the hugger along with the adventure specific bolts(Adventure needs bigger bolts) directly from the KTM service center. The bolt holes of the hugger needs be widened, which the svc mechanic did it on my behalf during his off-work hours.

The dark shade of your 390 with the orange stickering looks amazing though! Cheers to the happy miles ahead :)

Congratulations Shravan on the purchase. Wish you many happy miles with it clap:

Totally agreed with this observation. Had mentioned this a year ago in KTM 250 adventure thread(link). Being vertically challenged at 5'7" and lean(65kgs), this was a little too heavy & tall for me to consider, else I was pretty interested in this. :disappointed

Congrats for your new ride and it was a great review :). Are you able to comfortably place your foot on the ground with the extra ventilated seat mesh? Me being 5'7 was able to just touch the ground but I found the stock seats very hard and any extra padding would have made the seat height even more. Sadly had to reject adv250 for this reason. :disappointed

I'm 5'8"/175cm and medium built. Yes, I found the height a bit challenging initially as I was tip-toeing most of the time. But, after a week of usage, I have gotten very much used to it and now, it feels very normal and I don't see it as a con except for a few tricky situations where you have to be extra careful while you keep your leg on the floor which I instinctively check.

The weight didn't bother me much as I was able to handle it without much effort(but a lean/lightly built person may find it difficult to push it around or while getting it out of a parking space which is further compounded by the height)

The width of the handlebar and mirrors took sometime to get used to while ridding in traffic as my previous bike was very narrow and mirrors were so low that it can filter anywhere

With respect to the seats, I've felt the firmness to be just as expected(I would've preffered a little softer seat cover though which got resolved by the nylon mesh which brings in a springy action of few mm).
It has decent padding to absorb some light-medium jolts from the suspension but hard enough that it won't cave in.

When spending long time in the seat, a softer seat gives very less ventilation(you'll start feeling the heat) and after it caves in, the seat is just as firm as a hard seat. Also, it makes the rider difficult to move around compared to a harder seat. However, softer seats gives a better sensation during very very short rides

Adding the ventilated seat mesh didn't increase the height much(probably few negligible millimeters). I added them mainly for better ventilation as I'm a very sweaty person(this reduced my sweatiness from 100% to 0%) while also being little springy when running over bumps and potholes.

I have ridden close to 500km recently on a one day trip to Jawadhu hills and felt the seat+the ventilated mesh to be perfect enough. Didn't feel any bum nor back pain after the ride.

Glad I was able to help in the decision making process all those months ago (on your other thread).

I’ve noticed one thing though - you seem to want to wring out the throttle in a higher gear every time and expect instant judder-free acceleration. That’s really not possible with a KTM. You might want something more torquey for that, like an INT 650 or something. A high revving single cylinder is the wrong place to have such expectations. Treat it right, and the 250s are brilliant machines!

I found the 250 to be much better to ride than the 390 in low speed traffic scenarios. Do a sprocket change if the relatively lower grunt still affects you.

[My motorcycle is veering very very slightly to the right when I let my hands go off the handlebar.]
I'm not an expert on motorcycles, heck ive only ridden a bike on my own twice, but a friend of mine had a similar issue. Granted it was a completely different bike, a Bajaj Avenger to be precise, but his bike would also veer very slightly to the left when not holding on to the bars. He tried everything you mentioned, but nothing really worked. He just learnt to live with it until he changed his tires. Not quite sure if it was the new tire or the spoke adjustment done by the tire guy but the bike stayed straight from then on.

Haha Yes! Thank you!

Actually, I agree with you on the torquey interceptor and a high revving motor like this 250 cannot accelerate as easily as an int650 at lower rpms.

But, what I'm trying to say is the comfort zone of the engine. If you consider the duke 200 or the R15v3, even at 25kmph @4th gear(mt 15 can even handle 5th gear as low as 30kmph), the engine definitely doesn't pick up pace when you wring the throttle(let's say 40% throttle), but it doesn't judder/knock as much either. Whereas, if you consider the KTM 250s, even at 35kmph @4th gear, if you wring the throttle by 40%, the engine judders and cries to be downshifted. I agree the engine is not meant for low end power, but juddering and struggling at 4000rpm is a little on the higher side and must be noted for people considering a motorcycle with this engine for city-oriented usage

And yes, with respect to traffic, in stock form, the 250 feels much better than the 390

Spoked rims cause this issue alot(I noticed tonnes of Royal Enfield owners with the same issue and spoke adjustment corrected for most).
With respect to tyres, my mechanic too suggested the same, but the probability of the tyres being the cause is on the lower side. This is because, during my voluntary T-stem change, they disassembled and re-assembled the frontend and it reduced the veering issue to an extent(to a live-able limit where it no longer veers post 80kmph)!. If it was the tyres, the reassembly shouldn't have any effect ideally(this was an assumption made by my local mechanic and myself - we may be wrong).
But thank you very much for your inputs! I will further research into the tyres and will see if I could make a possible change of tyre

Hey Shravan, it's a nice review you have put out.
I can agree on most of the points, you mentioned as i have ridden the 1st gen 390 and the ADV 390 the ADV soaks up rough patches much better than the Duke. Plus it can be capable off-roader. The area where Duke excels is braking stability and throttle response.All in all its a nice all rounder bike. I have a 1st gen 390.

Anyways congratulations on the purchase of the ADV250 and happy Kilometres ahead.

Cheers,
Dhruv shetty

Very true! I too owned a first gen Duke 200(2015), the throttle response was instantaneous and the motorcycle was eager and #ReadyToRace always!

Thanks for taking the time to pen down your experience with this baby ADV from KTM. I am planning to buy a ~3lac bike by the end of this year and currently torn between VStrom-250SX & Adventure 250. Was searching for ownership reports of the KTM when the TBHP newsletter popped up in my inbox, and there it was, exactly what I was looking for!
Please keep the thread alive with updates on servicing experience, spare parts costs etc, I will be keeping a close eye on this one :-)

The use of Fuelx pro has reduced the jerking/low rpm issue to a great extent which has made city ride/ slow ride in bad roads/offroad enjoyable. Even I could feel a little bit more smoothness and moreover radiator fan is not starting as much as before. The riding experience has improved a lot. I would say, atleast try it. They have a return policy if you don't like it but can't say how it will work out.

I also face the same issue on my 250 ADV every time I need to fuel up. So it looks like the neck has rod in the center which cause the fuel to strike it and gush outside the tank unless the operator makes sure the nozzle is placed perfectly.


Also have you used XP95 fuel? Apart from the slight improvement in NVH it feels like to me it helps the bike not stall in lower speeds. I will love to hear your experience of the same.