I don't think I ever connected the dots between the street bikes and their dirt twins. Do you really think a 390 would pack enough heat to move that heavy of a bike around? Even a 390 duke just sounds anti-climatic
Next time you're at a KTM dealer, check out the engine and frame of a street bike, then the same engine-sized Adventure bike. It'll blow your mind... then you'll want a 1190 Adventure! :freak:
I think a 390 that makes 45 HP would be fun, a DR650 makes around 35 HP and people ride them all over the place and even with a measly 35 HP they can still be plenty of fun. IMO the 390 is an entry level bike, you don't need a 2 second 0-60 time. Same idea with a weekday commuter and weekend adventure bike, I think a 390 would do the job well. The 390 Duke still has a top speed of 105 MPH... I think that would work! The 390 Adventure may be geared a little lower, but I'd bet it would still top out around 100. It may not have legs long enough for a week or more of freeway riding, but that's yet to be determined.
I think the world needs a modern 350-450cc dual sport / adventure bike. You're pretty much stuck with 250cc and less or 650cc and higher. Aside from the DRZ400S and the elusive CCM450 adventure there isn't much in the middle. I think the new 390 could bridge that gap and become quite popular
Totally agree... there are a couple sizes needed to fill the gaps and this is a good start.
Honda has a 450 based dual sport coming out that has made a little intrigued.
It'll just be another Honda, boring and what everyone expects...
I was looking at the 390 duke the other day thinking I could get one of those just for putting around town instead of one of our scooters. For those of us that won't use it as much or go on as long of trips I think it would fit the bill. But I also don't know what the power of a 390 would feel like.
I think it would be plenty of fun, sure it may not have 100 HP but could you imagine how much fun you would have pushing that thing around, over the Alpine Loop? 45 HP is still respectable, IMO. This 390 Adventure sounds like a great all-around bike for someone that wants to ride on the street and in the dirt.
The idea is neat; it would make a great overnight bike that you could take not too far from home or ride it to work. I'm concerned about the longevity of the engine based on what tuning it might come with since the numbers show it to be pretty potent.
I never knew the 690 Adventure existed till a couple days ago, and looks MUCH more appealing to me with the exception of being a single. Personally, I would like to see another bike fit between the 390 and the 1190, around 700 for displacement, be a 2cyl. The Wee-Strom doesn't do it for me though.
I think that' what they're going for, get people into adventure riding without having to step onto a massive 1200cc bike. I hear ya and agree about a 390 being tuned hot, but all you have to do is look at how well the 390 Duke is doing. It's been out a few years, released in 2013 I think? They're knocking down 60+ MPG, too. And it seems that most KTM's are tuned for more power than comparable brands and they're doing fine. Some bikes have their issues, but KTM seems to turn out high-performance machines that just plain work.
I don't think there is a 690 Adventure, but people have been making a 690 Adventure starting with the Enduro and adding a KTM LC8-looking fairing, headlight and additional tanks, ala Rally Raid. That's where I was heading with my 690 Enduro, but decided I wanted something bigger. Here's a Rally Raid outfitted Enduro... it's badass!!
I would love to see KTM come out with a 700-800cc twin bike that was like a scaled-down 990 Adventure with less weight, a little more dirt oriented but still equipped with a full fairing, dirt-worthy suspension, etc, etc. If it were comfortable on the street and capable in the dirt, weighed around 400-450#'s I'd own one all day long!
