2023 KTM Adventure 390 SW Review | A brand I never thought I would buy

vishal.jayakuma · 21st December 2023, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho

I guess it boils down to how you ride. Ride both hard and see which leaves you smiling more.

To be honest, the Duke leaves me smiling, more than the ADV. I'm entering my 30s in 2024 and I felt like I needed to make a more mature decision rather than pander to my college fantasies of the Duke. Hence, the ADV. I'm looking for a mature riding style with everyday comfort in city traffic and great for highway touring as well. Not sure if the pillion will be traveling with me always, but comfort and versatility are essential.

Quote:

Originally Posted by siddhant

Get the 390 ADV. It'll be comfortable for touring with ample real estate for pillion & luggage. The Duke feels a little small to me and I am 5'8" too. When you want to have some fun, there is nothing like the 390s in the segment. Puts a wide grin on my face everytime I wring open the throttle! Downshift rapidly from 6th to 2nd just for a speedbreaker at 5500+ rpm, you'd feel like you are riding a race bike and slowing down for a corner! I especially love doing this from time to time.

You simply can't do this without a quickshifter.

I felt that the Duke was compact and fits my build perfectly. I did feel more vibrations on the new Duke, but I suppose that was because it's a test ride bike that was due for first service. The quickshifter was also smoother on the Duke as compared to the ADV390 SW, which was a spanking new showroom bike. Overall, the ADV felt smoother and more sure-footed in any kind of road. I love the TFT display on the Duke! It feels more modern and has better graphics as compared to the ADV390, which felt a bit dated.

Also, there is the Spoke Wheel conundrum. I will have to consider Outex or Way2Speed kits down the line. Does anyone know if the Metzelers on the SW are tubeless tyres with a tube inside or is it a different kind of tyre? I don't want to change tyres for at least a year or more. When I do, it will be to the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs, although the front tyre spec will change from 100/90 to 110/80.

praruaaa4 · 21st December 2023, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by vishal.jayakuma

the Spoke Wheel conundrum. I will have to consider Outex or Way2Speed kits down the line. Does anyone know if the Metzelers on the SW are tubeless tyres with a tube inside or is it a different kind of tyre?

The Metzelers are tubeless tyres with tubes in them so you need not change the tyres when converting it to tubeless