2025 KTM 390 Adventure R and 390 Adventure X – First Look

Visually, the 2025 KTM 390 Adventure models received a complete makeover compared to the non-R 390 Adventure offered in 2024. The front end of the new design more closely resembles KTM’s Dakar racers, with a more vertical face, a beak-style fender and bodywork that rises upward from the radiator to the headlight.

The 390 Adventure R is the more off-road ready model, with 21”/18” wire-spoke wheels mounted with 60/40 road/off-road bias Mitas Enduro Trail E07+ tires, and 9.1 inches of suspension travel (front and rear). The 390 Adventure X is a more approachable package, with 7.9 inches of suspension travel, lower handlebars, 19”/17” cast wheels, and either MRF Meteor or Apollo Tramplr XR tires, both offering a 70 road and 30 off-road bias.

Both Adventure versions join the other 390 models in getting the KTM’s latest LC4c 399cc liquid-cooled Single-cylinder engine. Claimed performance figures are the same 44 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 28.8 lb-ft. at 7,000 rpm peaks as the rest of the range. The gearbox has also been updated to reduce overall shifting effort, with special focus on easier shifting between fifth and sixth gears. A new power-assist slipper clutch further makes shifting a little easier, but if that’s not enough, a bidirectional quickshifter is available.

The 390 Adventure R is equipped with a 43mm WP APEX open cartridge fork with compression and rebound adjustable in 30-click steps. The APEX Separate Piston rear shock is fully adjustable, though a tool is required for adjusting preload. This level of adjustability is rare for the small-displacement ADV segment, with the only direct competitor offering being the 390’s Chinese cousin, the CFMoto Ibex 450. The Adventure X model uses a non-adjustable WP APEX fork, while the WP APEX Emulsion rear shock is only preload adjustable.

Both the X and R models are equipped with Bybre brakes, with a single two-piston caliper up front and a single-piston rear caliper. Both use a 240mm rear rotor and 320mm front rotor. An antilock braking system comes standard on both models, with a selectable off-road mode that allows the rear wheel to lock. The R model also comes with lean-sensitive ABS, as well as cornering traction control, thanks to its inertial measurement unit, something we don’t typically see on sub-400cc motorcycles.

The Adventure X comes with two ride modes, off-road and street, while the Adventure R adds a rain mode. For 2025, whichever ride mode was last in use is retained when the motorcycle is restarted. The Adventure X uses an LCD screen while the Adventure R is equipped with a TFT display. Both versions offer smartphone connectivity, though only the R will offer turn-by-turn navigation.

The 2025 KTM Adventure R will be available in white with an orange powder-coated frame. The Adventure X is available in either white or orange, both with a black frame.