For the reason that 390 Duke bare bike and RC 390 sportbike debuted a decade in the past, KTM’s 390 platform has grown to incorporate the 390 Journey (launched in 2020) and, new for 2025, the KTM 390 Enduro R. All are manufactured in India in collaboration with Bajaj, and so they’re powered by a liquid-cooled 399cc LC4c Single that makes 45 hp and 28.8 lb-ft of torque.
Off-road bikes are vital to KTM and its sibling model Husqvarna. In 2025 AMA Supercross, KTM’s Chase Sexton completed 2nd, and Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart completed 4th within the 450 SX championship. Within the 250 SX East championship, KTM’s Tom Vialle completed 1st, and Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire completed third. And within the 250 SX West championship, KTM’s Julien Beaumer completed 2nd.
KTM applies its “Able to Race” philosophy to its manufacturing bikes. That doesn’t imply a motorbike just like the 2025 KTM Enduro R is a racebike; it’s a street-legal dual-sport in spite of everything. However what’s discovered on the observe trickles all the way down to the bikes at your native dealership. Elements, supplies, geometry, engine and chassis tuning – all are knowledgeable by how KTM’s racebikes carry out on the extremes.
KTM invited us to Mammoth Lakes, California, within the jap Sierra Nevada to check experience the brand new 390 Enduro R and the up to date 390 Journey R. This assessment focuses on the 390 Enduro R.
First, full disclosure: I personal two KTM off-road bikes – a 300 XC TPI 2-stroke and a 500 EXC 4-stroke – and two Husqvarna supermotos – an FS 450 and a 701 SM. I like each manufacturers, and I’m glad KTM has resolved its monetary issues and resumed manufacturing, having bought 100,000 throughout the first six months of this yr.
Circumstances had been good for testing the 390 Enduro R. We had clear, sunny skies, lovely views of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada, and a few of the driest, softest, deepest sand and dust I’ve ever trudged by means of. We rode the 390 Enduro R on rocky singletrack, groomed fireplace roads, a motocross observe, and paved backroads. Our take a look at route included stops at Mono Lake and Convict Lake and a experience up the winding street to 9,943-foot Tioga Cross on the jap entrance to Yosemite Nationwide Park. The numerous terrain was a perfect proving floor.
Each bike in KTM’s 390 lineup delivers helpful options you’d count on to see on premium bikes – throttle-by-wire, experience modes, switchable ABS and traction management, and a TFT show – but they’re priced to suit practically any price range. MSRP for the 390 Enduro R is simply $5,499.
The Enduro’s 399cc single-cylinder DOHC 4-valve engine is peppy with out being aggressive – good for the one who would purchase this as an alternative of a KTM 350 EXC-F. The engine was up to date final yr, dropping pounds however gaining 26cc of displacement (from 373cc to 399cc) and including a skosh extra energy and torque. Cooling was improved, however the engine warms up quicker, and it has longer intervals for oil/filter adjustments (6,200 miles) and valve inspection (12,400 miles). A balancer shaft helps restrict the Single’s vibration, however when wound out in excessive revs – i.e., more often than not – there’s noticeable buzziness on the bike-body contact factors.
GEAR UP
We rode the 390 Enduro R and 390 Journey R on back-to-back days, and the engine felt punchier within the Enduro, maybe as a result of it weighs much less. Moist weight is 367 lb for the Enduro (2.4-gallon tank) vs. 388 lb for the Journey (3.7-gallon tank).
The gearbox has six speeds. First gear appeared tall, however the different ratios had been nicely spaced. A slip-assist clutch with an adjustable lever made it straightforward to feather and modulate the clutch in technical terrain. Our take a look at bikes had been geared up with the optionally available up/down quickshifter, which labored extraordinarily nicely and gave me one much less factor to consider whereas negotiating trails and the MX observe.
Though that is an off-road-oriented bike with 21-inch entrance and 18-inch rear wheels which are suitable with full-on knobbies (our take a look at bikes had been shod with Metzeler Karoo 4 50/50 tires), KTM is aware of it’ll spend loads of time on pavement. Behind the plastic flyscreen is a 4.2-inch rectangular TFT show that serves because the management heart for menus and settings. The 2 experience modes – Avenue and Offroad – have completely different settings for throttle response, traction management, and ABS, and the modes are configurable. In Offroad mode, ABS intervention is diminished on the entrance and deactivated on the rear. If desired, you’ll be able to totally flip off ABS with using the devoted button on the left handlebar. Likewise, there’s an Offroad TC setting, which labored nicely in deep sand with out bogging down an excessive amount of, or it may be turned off.
The 390 Enduro R has a two-piece body that features a tubular-steel trellis primary body and a bolt-on diecast aluminum subframe. Just like the 390 Duke, the laydown rear shock attaches to the body and cast-aluminum swingarm on the proper aspect. WP Apex suspension presents 9 inches of journey at each ends, which permits for 10.7 inches of floor clearance and a 35-inch seat peak. Up entrance, the 43mm inverted open-cartridge fork is adjustable for compression and rebound damping with handy clicks on prime of the fork tubes. There are 30 clicks of adjustment, which looks as if overkill in comparison with the 390 Duke’s 5 clicks of adjustment. The split-piston shock presents 20 clicks of rebound adjustment, and preload could be modified by way of locking prime ring.
On the street, the suspension did an sufficient job of smoothing out pavement irregularities and delivering a snug experience. Off-road, the 390 Enduro R maintained its composure, however its value level grew to become extra evident. Though KTM reps on the launch described the 390 as a smaller model of the 690 Enduro R, at lower than half the value, the 390 will get WP’s extra pedestrian Apex suspension as an alternative of the 690’s primo WP Xplor setup. The 390’s fork did an admirable job of dealing with the rocky, sandy terrain, however the rear shock felt too smooth and bounced an excessive amount of. Admittedly, I rode the bike with customary settings and didn’t make changes which will have improved management and response.
Slowing down the 390 are brakes made by Bybre, a Brembo subsidiary in India, with a 2-piston radial entrance caliper squeezing a 285mm floating disc and a 1-piston rear caliper squeezing a 240mm disc with steel-braided strains and an adjustable entrance lever. The brakes supplied a great steadiness of energy and really feel each on-road and off-road.
The 390 Enduro R has a wise, comfy ergonomic format that works nicely for each sit-down and stand-up using. A large, upright handlebar offers good steering leverage and an intuitive sense of management regardless of the floor. The bike is slender between the knees, and the flat, rally-style seat presents good grip and permits the rider to maneuver fore and aft as wanted. Extensive, cleated enduro-style pegs supplied a grippy, assured perch for my Alpinestars Tech 7 motocross boots, and I had no points reaching the brake pedal or working the shifter.
Different helpful options embody customary handguards, a skid pan, full LED lighting, self-canceling turnsignals, and the KTMconnect Bluetooth system that pairs together with your smartphone for turn-by-turn navigation and different capabilities. As somebody who wrenches by myself bikes, I recognize the 390’s easy-to-access coolant filler on the proper aspect and the flexibility to entry the air filter behind the left aspect panel.
The KTM 390 Enduro R is a welcome addition to the small-displacement dual-sport section. It’s enjoyable, extremely succesful, and totally featured, but is aggressively priced. Potential opponents embody the new-for-2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S ($8,999), the Honda CRF300L ($5,749), and the Kawasaki KLX300 ($5,449). The KTM is a heavier, extra street-oriented machine, nevertheless it comes closest to the Suzuki when it comes to tech choices, and it makes extra energy and torque than all of them. Irrespective of the way you slice it, the 390 Enduro R is a winner!
2025 KTM 390 Enduro R Specs
- Base Value: $5,499
- Web site: KTM.com
- Guarantee: 2 yrs., unltd. miles
- Engine Sort: Liquid-cooled, transverse Single, DOHC w/ 4 valves
- Displacement: 399Cc
- Bore x Stroke: 89.0 x 64.0mm
- Horsepower: 45 hp @ 8,500 rpm (manufacturing facility declare)
- Torque: 28.8 lb-ft @ 7,000 rpm (manufacturing facility declare)
- Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/help moist clutch
- Ultimate Drive: Chain
- Wheelbase: 58.1 in.
- Rake/Path: 27.1 levels/4.2 in.
- Seat Top: 35.0 in.
- Moist Weight: 364 lb (manufacturing facility declare)
- Gasoline Capability: 2.4 gal.
