KTM 390 Enduro R review: compromised but still capable enough?

Let’s begin with this bike’s name. While it is called the 390 Enduro R, KTM lists this bike under the Dual Sport section on its website and not the actual Enduro category. And that’s rightfully so because this motorcycle doesn’t have a dedicated Enduro chassis or engine like you’ll find on the wild 350 or 450 EXC-F motorcycles. Instead, it is based on the 390 Adventure, which itself uses a derivation of the trellis frame from the 390 Duke, as well as the same 399cc engine. The result is a 177kg kerb weight that’s almost the same as the 390 Adventure and about 60-70 kilos heavier than a competition-spec enduro from KTM. Those are the facts; now let’s lend them some perspective. 

The big benefit here is that KTM is trying to offer an approachable package at an affordable price. If you want a true enduro weapon, KTM India now sells the mighty 350 EXC-F Six Days, but it’ll cost you Rs 13 lakh and can’t be registered for road use. This motorcycle, on the other hand, is priced at about a quarter of that, and it comes with number plates. So, let’s get over what it’s not and focus on what it is.

KTM 390 Enduro R changes for India

India-spec bike has less suspension travel than the international model

The 390 Enduro R is closely related to the 390 Adventure, with the same engine and chassis. The core visual difference is that it comes with much slimmer bodywork and is missing the large ADV-style headlamp and wind protection. From a mechanical standpoint, it gets a bigger 18-inch rear wheel and runs on chunky 50/50 Mitas E-07 tyres. Unlike the 390 Adventure, these tyres have inner tubes.

The riding position is also a little different thanks to a new handlebar that has a taller riser and can be adjusted in three positions on the steering triple clamp. Standing and seating ergos feel more off-road appropriate than the 390 ADV, although very tall riders will still want an even higher handlebar riser. The 46hp/39Nm engine is in the same state of tune as the 390 Adventure, but the rear sprocket is two teeth larger to account for the bigger diameter of the rear wheel – KTM tells us that the overall gearing is similar to the Adventure.

The international-spec 390 Enduro R comes with 230mm of suspension travel. However, Bajaj pulled a surprise at the launch event by revealing that the bike for India would get the same reduced suspension travel as the domestic 390 Adventure, resulting in a lower 860mm seat height instead of 890mm. To say that this dampened the mood would be putting it lightly because the India-spec 390 Adventure’s suspension, while adjustable, is too soft for what that bike is supposed to be. 

KTM 390 Enduro R ride and handling

Despite the suspension change, the bike is well-behaved and capable off-road

Thankfully, this is one of those cases where the motorcycle tells a better story than its spec sheet does. Only a few minutes into the trail ride, I could feel that this suspension was behaving noticeably better than on the 390 Adventure, without the same tendency of bottoming out over medium-sized jumps. Sure enough, after the ride, I confirmed with the engineers that the Enduro has revised damping settings as well as more spring preload compared to the 390 Adventure. 

The trail we rode on had plenty of rocks to jump and quite a few steep drops and climbs, where the Mitas tyres proved to be very nice, both in terms of grip and rider feedback. The terrain was quite varied, and it included a fairly deep water crossing as well as a stretch of loose rocks where the chassis and steering had an opportunity to showcase good stability. The entire time, the Enduro felt noticeably lighter and more compact than the 390 ADV, which I had ridden just a couple of days earlier, even though the bike is actually only about 5 kilos lighter. Part of this is surely down to the fact that the Enduro is slimmer and less top-heavy with its smaller 9-litre fuel tank, but there’s also the psychological factor of not having all that big and tall bodywork right in front of you.  

Through most of the trail ride, with my weight (about 80kg in full gear), I was happy to leave the suspension in its middle settings, although a few of my colleagues did want to firm up the front. It was only on one particularly fast, rutted section where we were flirting with triple-digit speeds in 3rd and 4th gears that I felt the need to add some compression damping because the bike did bottom out on a couple of bigger hits.

KTM 390 Enduro R off-road capability

It is a properly capable machine and only pro-level riders will want something more focused

After a thoroughly enjoyable trail ride, we moved to two different short tracks that were more MX in nature, with banked corners and a few big jumps. This was where the Enduro did run into the limits of its suspension travel more often, especially on the bigger jumps. But even when the bike bottomed out, it handled the situation well and encouraged the rider to keep going. However, this was a clear indication that the 390 Enduro is not for serious competition-style riding and is more about going out and having fun with your friends on the trails. That said, it’s only very experienced and/or pro riders who are going to plough through the limits of this bike, and for someone like myself, there’s plenty of room for personal skill improvement before I start to ask for more from the motorcycle.

To go with the Enduro’s friendly nature is a very well-judged electronics package. Power delivery is not too aggressive, but it is exciting enough in Off-Road mode, which also deactivates the rear ABS. Unique to this motorcycle is a separate button that turns off the front ABS if you feel the need to. I also really enjoyed the traction control in off-road mode, which allowed plenty of sideways slip and never felt intrusive, even on steep uphill climbs.  

Turning the traction control off actually created more for me to manage because, with the peaky nature of this road-oriented engine, it was easy to over-spin the tyre on some of the looser, gravelly surfaces. On that note, this 399cc liquid-cooled single doesn’t have the same meaty bottom end you’d expect from a purpose-built off-road bike, and I stalled it a few times while easing out the clutch from a standstill – slipping some revs in is something this engine appreciates.  

KTM 390 Enduro R features

Feature-rich machine has a TFT display, riding modes, switchable ABS and TC

One of the nice aspects of the Enduro’s road-bike roots is that it has far more features than you’d usually get on a bike like this. This includes a small but well-designed 4.2-inch TFT display that is easily controlled by a joystick on the left switch cube. In addition to traction control and ABS, you get two riding modes, Bluetooth connectivity and navigation assists. However, there is one important feature you’ll miss having, and that’s a fuel gauge, which means you’ll have to rely on a low-fuel warning lamp.

This launch event was purely about off-road riding, and we still need to see what the on-road comfort is like. On that topic, the flat seat is wider than the usual slim and hard bench you get on a proper enduro bike. For now, I suspect comfort should be reasonably manageable on a daily commute. However, the seat is still quite slim and firm, as it should be on a bike like this. 

KTM 390 Enduro R price and verdict

This is a properly capable machine despite what the spec sheet may suggest

Priced at Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the 390 Enduro R finds itself almost midway between the 390 Adventure X and the 390 Adventure, and just Rs 7,000 more than the much lighter but much slower Kawasaki KLX230. On the one hand, this is easily one of the most fun bikes I’ve ridden in 2025, and I can assure you that it’s not the disappointment that it appears to be on paper. On the other hand, there’s no doubt that Bajaj has watered down this KTM for India, although I can understand their intentions of making it more accessible to a wider range of people. 

What would be ideal is if the R is removed from the name of this version and Bajaj also sells the international spec bike alongside it for those who want the full experience. At the very least, the company should make the longer travel suspension available at a reasonable price. Nevertheless, I will conclude this with the acknowledgement that I enjoyed the 390 Enduro R far more than I expected to after hearing the product briefing, and I’d love to spend a lot more time with it. 

Also See: KTM 390 Enduro R video revIew