[skviknaraj]

Originally Posted by windiesel

Hang on, there's a lower seat height version coming too, check this out:
https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...ng-soon-427779

Woo hoo... This is some news!!! Looks like changing the suspension or seat height just got easier.

@Axe77 : you were right. hopefully the detailed specs come out soon or the bike gets launched soon.

[masterChief007]

Wow !! this is some exciting news. More I am deciding one way for my next purchase there comes a whammy. Himalayan 450, New 650 launches and now lowered seat height 390 Adv !! Choosing a bike is only getting tougher

[Vasuki]

I didn't know they started offering WP APEX Suspension in India. The KTM India website says so. That's great news.

[thumpmeister]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Any update on your delivery? Is it true that for the 2023 iteration they’ve actually lowered the ride height by tweaking with the suspension from the previous 855 mm? (I heard this from some dealer but not...

Hey , thank you for asking. I got my A390 delivered on 17th March. It is a 2023 manufactured machine and it's the same saddle height of 855 mm. I did try to delay the buying decision as news of spoked wheels & adjustable suspension were in circulation for the MY23 A390. However, the KTM sales guy informed me that they do not have a confirmed launch date for that version. Also, the cost would go up by some measure. Also, I would prefer to live with a tubeless alloy which is quite sturdy than live with a spoked non tubeless version.

[Rajiv0909]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

I didn't know they started offering WP APEX Suspension in India. The KTM India website says so. That's great news.

390 was always on the APEX (budget WP), made in India by endurance. I heard that even the adjustable ones are available in online stores for 28k or so

[masterChief007]

Seems like April end there will be the new version.

[texmonster]

KTM Adventure 390 X- The cheaper Adv390 with rider aids and (possibly) colour TFT dash removed!
There will be multiple variants of Adv390 this year it seems. A lower-seat height variant and a spoked wheel variant are too expected to be launched soon.

Excerpts from Autocar India Article:

KTM has launched a new, low cost variant of the 390 Adventure at an introductory price of Rs 2.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This makes it significantly cheaper than the current KTM 390 Adventure that’s priced at Rs 3.38 lakh.

The intent behind launching the KTM 390 Adventure X is to make the bike accessible to a wider audience. There is no traction control, quickshifter or cornering ABS.

Link to the full article:
https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...28-lakh-427895

[Axe77]

One KTM dealer in Pune I spoke to last week had mentioned these three variants are coming very very soon - within April / May most likely.

1. A base version with all electronics removed.
2. A shorter seat height version - most likely with alloys and with suspension travel being tinkered to achieve the shorter seat height.
3. A spoke wheel version where he is stating with a lot of surety that this will be a tubeless spoke wheel set up.

If that last bit is indeed true, this will, to the best of my knowledge, be the cheapest tubeless spoke wheel equipped adventure bike that one can buy in India, now as well as in the immediate foreseeable future. I am not optimistic on the either the new Himalayan 450 or the new Hero ~400+cc bike to be a tubeless setup.

[skviknaraj]

Originally Posted by Axe77

...
3. A spoke wheel version where he is stating with a lot of surety that this will be a tubeless spoke wheel set up.
....

The international spoked wheeled versions are also not tubeless. The tyres have the tubeless marked on the sides, but there is a tube inside them.

But then again, if they provide tubeless spoked wheel, it will surely help in KTM in selling more 390 adventures ( in significant numbers? )

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by skviknaraj

The international spoked wheeled versions are also not tubeless. The tyres have the tubeless marked on the sides, but there is a tube inside them.

Even I found this really confusing because it simply wasn’t clear from the international literature. But this is what the official KTM video on the new spoked wheel bike says in response to a question - they clarify that it is in fact tubeless out of the factory. (See image below.)

Hopefully like you said, it will indeed be tubeless. That’ll be the single biggest differentiator in the entire sub 4L ADV segment. Of course, for most kind of off-roading even the alloys hold up just fine so its not THAT much of a game changer but does help perception if nothing else. I’m really looking forward to the next all new generation of this bike, where the engine and suspension combo will hopefully do better justice to each other.

[vineeth_k]

Inception:

I enjoy travelling by road. I bought a Polo 5 years ago and clocked 1.2 Lakh kms. As I am happy travelling in the car, I never thought of owning a bike.
I did a trip from HYD to Kedarnath and felt the bike would be more enjoyable in the Himalayan ghats, particularly in the Rishikesh-Gaurikund-Badrinath - Rishikesh section. From there on, the thought process of owning a bike started.

Requirements:

- Mostly Touring machine ( A mile muncher)
- Mild Off-roader
- Handling should be top-notch.
- Rev Friendly Engine
- Should be less than 4 lacs

Selection

I test-drove the RE Himalayan, the RE 650 twins, and the KTM 390. The test drives are in the city road condition. I felt very at ease and at home with the KTM 390.

Then came the challenge of choosing a variant. As a Tech geek, I prefer to have more electronics. The news of the Spoked version release came over, and I immediately booked it. The delivery date is not promised; it is just in the queue at the dealer. I thought of cancelling or changing the variant later if needed.

Parallelly, there is a trip planned to Leh, Ladakh, after booking with my cousin. We flew to Leh and rented bikes in Leh. I rented a KTM 250 Adv to get the feel of the bike on all terrains before making the purchase. My cousin took RE Scram 411 because it is low-height. We did a 1500 KMS Leh circuit, and these are my observations on the KTM 250 ADV.

Handling:

It's very light, agile, and stable at the same time. It’s enjoyable on ghats and passes with this bike. We swapped bikes, and I immediately felt the difference in handling, particularly on the downhill ghat section, it has to be more controlled than the KTM. We immediately switched back. However, my cousin complained about KTM’s hard seat compared to RE Scram.

Engine:

This is a DOHC engine; I own a POLO 1.0 TSI, which is a DOHC as well. The characteristics of DOHC engines are rev-friendly, with torque from the Mid and Top ends. They lack Low-end torque; I am accustomed to these engine characteristics. I only faced stalling issues when we are dual riders, and there is an uphill with sand. I didn’t drive fast enough and eventually stalled the engine. For solo riders, it should be adequate, given that we should be handy with throttle response. Here, it is more about doing it right, which might not always be easy.

Gear Box:

Initial gear shifts are very hard; later, I started matching the revs, and then they became very smooth. However, the clutch is very light compared to the RE.

Suspension:

Street: Given the terrain of Leh, the roads are not smooth; they have small, uneven surfaces. Since the suspension is stiff, there is continuous juddering throughout the body on the roads.

Offroad: On Sand surfaces, the bike felt very smooth, but on rock surfaces, the juddering is very significant. It kind of irritates me sometimes.

Offroad:

I'd never gone off-roading on a bike before. I had a mountain bicycle, and I used to do mild off-roading on it. Offroading on a bike is an entirely different experience, and I had a small taste of it on this trip. I am now leaning towards doing more offloading as well.

Electronic Features:

Most of the time, I prefer to enjoy the landscape rather than 100% focus on the road. In many places, I see the ABS getting kicked in, and I feel the electronics are very much needed for me. The quick shifter will be a boon for this engine's characteristics.

Mileage:

The MID display showed an overall mileage of around 40 kmpl; however, I didn’t calculate the real mileage. One observation is that we filled more petrol on RE than KTM.

Purchasing:

Before heading to the trip, I thought of cancelling it or changing the variant based on my observations from the trip. Once I am back home, I feel happy with my decision to go with 390 ADV SW, I continue with the booking that was done earlier.

After a few weeks, the sales executive called and mentioned vehicle availability. I completed the PDI and formalities, and finally took delivery. The Purchasing experience was not great, as the sales executive kept making false promises on delivery dates.

First drive impressions:

I bought the bike without doing a test ride with this variant. As driving a 250 ADV is still in my memory, one big change is in the suspension; the settings are stock at 15, 15, for Rebound and Compression. The bike felt much softer; I didn’t feel the bumps and juddering that I felt earlier. I will be posting more detailed observations once I complete Running-in period and do some short trips to any ghat road section.

Thus, I became part of Orange Family Now.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Even I found this really confusing because it simply wasn’t clear from the international literature. But this is what the official KTM video on the new spoked wheel bike says in response to a question - they clarify that it is in fact tubeless out of the factory. (See image below.)

Hopefully like you said, it will indeed be tubeless. That’ll be the single biggest differentiator in the entire sub 4L ADV segment. Of course, for most kind of off-roading even the alloys hold up just fine so its not THAT much of a game changer but does help perception if nothing else. I’m really looking forward to the next all new generation of this bike, where the engine and suspension combo will hopefully do better justice to each other.

Attachment 2441192

They are all tubes inside using tubeless tyres. The spokes are angled inwards into the rim and not to the sides.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Even I found this really confusing because it simply wasn’t clear from the international literature. But this is what the official KTM video on the new spoked wheel bike says in response to a question - they clarify that it is in fact tubeless out of the factory. (See image below.)

There's a misunderstanding among the gamut. The tires by themselves are tubeless, Metz Tourance which does duty on the alloy-wheeled cousin. What KTM have done with the spoked setup is they've used the same tubeless tire of the alloy counterpart to the SW-one using a tube, simply to keep costs down.

100% of all the spoke wheeled ADVs sold in India are tubed setup, unless one can try his hands on the plethora of TL conversion kit for spokes. On expensive ADV motorcycles that have spoked tubeless, the spoke nipple will be terminated at the circumference of the rim independent of the rim as opposed to the center of the rim on budget bikes.

So next time you see a KTM 390 with spoked wheel with adjustable suspension, be sure to know it's a tubed-tubeless tire with spoke wheel. If it gets punctured, you will have to remove the tire, no other way around.

Cheers!
VJ