350cc KTM 390 Duke and 390 Adventure Ridden: Sensible But Do You Want That?

  • Published May 3, 2026
  • Views : 3658
  • 5 min read
  • bookmark
Have the 390s lost their mentalness with their 350 update?

KTM 390 Duke And 390 Adventure

50cc… 4.5PS… 5.5Nm… and Rs 60,000 less… Context setting of the changes made to the KTM 390s to the 350s? Done. But this isn’t as simple as it sounds on paper… or on the internet… or on social media… or as Bajaj would have you believe. At least not for both bikes. Let me take you through the 350cc KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Duke with the help of the 390 Adventure X and the 390 Duke R. For the sanity of this review, I will refer to the former as the 350s and the OGs as the 390s.

KTM 390 Duke And 390 Adventure

390 Adventure v 390 Adventure X

On the Adventure… the 350cc engine makes a lot of sense. Firstly, the touring capabilities aren’t hampered at all. It still sits on the highway at 100-110kmph, the revs still hovering around 6000rpm or so. 

KTM 390 Adventure

And at those speeds, the engine refinement is leagues better than the 399cc engine. It doesn’t have the low-speed buzz or the strong drrrr at 5000rpm as the 390. Yes, 5000-5500rpm you will still feel a prominent zzzz… at the pegs… but they are far more controlled.

KTM 390 Adventure

The smaller engine is likely to return marginally better fuel efficiency as well. During our mega ADV comparison, the 390 Adventure X returned 25kmpl in the highway fuel efficiency test run. Hence, expect somewhere closer to the 30kmpl mark if ridden well.

 

KTM 390 Adventure (350cc)

KTM 390 Adventure X (399cc)

Difference

0-60kmph

3.64s

3.18s

+0.42s

0-80kmph

5.48s

4.82s

+0.66s

0-100kmph

8.14s

6.95s

+1.19s

30-70kmph in 3rd gear

5.16s

4.88s

+0.28s

40-80kmph in 4th gear

7.53s

7.08s

+0.45s

The performance loss, while significant, doesn’t really dishearten you. You will have to work a bit more to extract the performance because the motor doesn’t have the strong mid-range surge. It has become rather peaky. So, while it remains tractable, it will not give you major thrills and overtakes will have to be planned in advance or necessitate downshifts. All of which is okay considering that you are buying an adventure bike.

KTM 390 Adventure

390 Duke v 390 Duke R

KTM 390 Duke

But the same feelings don’t hold true for the Duke. The 390 Duke is a motorcycle that needs to scare you, demand utmost respect and reward patience. Now, with the 350cc engine, it feels neutered. It is fast but not fast enough. 1.2 seconds slower to a hundred. 1.2 seconds… Imagine that.

 

KTM 390 Duke (350cc)

KTM 390 Duke R (399cc)

Difference

0-60kmph

3.40s

2.80s

0.6s

0-80kmph

5.23s

4.37s

0.86s

0-100kmph

7.73s

6.51s

1.22s

30-70kmph in 3rd gear

5.30s

4.31s

0.99s

40-80kmph in 4th gear

7.98s

5.75s

2.23s

And it isn’t just pure numbers… the feel of tempering the throttle so as to not get on the bike’s wrong side that is what is absent. The Gen 3’s explosiveness has been softened… it is no longer a Bhoot Jholokia… rather a habanero chilli… something that is palatable to a lot more audiences. 

KTM 390 Duke

Then there is the way these two bikes attack the bends. With the 390, I can take corners in a gear higher and still have that strong driving force to help me shoot away during corner exits. But on the 350, you can’t do that if you are chasing thrills. You have to be a bit more precise with your gear selection, keep the motor on the boil and work with the gearbox to even be within viewing distance of the 390 you intend to chase. 

KTM 390 Duke

Yes, the 350 here is the most refined of the lot, the quickshifter works better here and the marginal fuel efficiency gains make more sense. But the 390 Duke is an illogical and extremely sensorial motorcycle. Hence, thankfully the R still remains.

Balancing Emotions

Before I end… I want to tell you a story about a time a traffic cop caught me on the KTM 200 Duke when it first came out in 2012. I was 19 at the time. It was near my home. I was being the idiotic teenager who had just begun his riding journey on a pretty fast bike that could do some serious damage. And before I did, the traffic cop stopped me on the orange and black 200 Duke. KTM was not quite as well known as it is now, and hence explaining to the cop that this was not an imported bike but rather Bajaj-chi navin gaadi (Bajaj’s new bike) took some time.

KTM 390 Duke And 390 Adventure

 

350cc

399cc

Price Difference

Duke

Rs 2,77,268

Rs 3,39,001

Rs 61,733

Adventure

Rs 2,80,905

Rs 3,96,744

Rs 1,15,839

But I think describing the KTM 390 Duke as Bajaj-chi navin gaadi is the most apt way to do so. I get that there is no way that it made monetary sense for Bajaj to keep offering the 390s, both the Duke and Adventure, at attractive prices after the GST revisions. And now, the prices have gone up beyond recognition. 

KTM 390 Duke And 390 Adventure

Hence, I would anyday recommend getting the 390 Adventure with the 350cc engine than the 390 Adventure X. The package is almost the same and the cost benefits are a no brainer. For the asking price, it becomes a very solid package. Certainly still a very great sub-500cc ADV.

If you want the 399cc engine in Adventure guise, it is wiser to opt for the Adventure R or maybe even take a look at the Enduro R, fantastic, fast and more capable motorcycles than the X.

KTM 390 Duke And 390 Adventure

With the Duke, what you are getting is a rather polished and calmer bike. This feels more like a polished generation 2 Duke or a slightly more powerful and better kitted out 250 Duke. 

But I still maintain that while I cannot for the life of me justify the extra asking price for the R, I will still put my money down for it. Purely for the fact that the 399cc engine is a gem… one that you keep for a lifetime. Something that I did a few years ago and I am glad that I did.

KTM 390 Duke R Video Review

Was this article helpful
Yes No

Add Your Comments

Add your comment here
KTM 390 Duke R
Images | Colours
KTM 390 Duke R
4.6 144 user reviews
Starts at ₹ 3,45,294
View August Offers
Review and Win Banner

You May Also Like

KTM 390 Duke R Alternatives

See what our community has to say! NEW

India's largest automotive community

Explore Now
comminity image

KTM Bikes in India

KTM Bikes in India

Upcoming Cars in India

Upcoming Cars
KTM 390 Duke R STD Price in India
City On Road Price
Delhi Rs. 3,95,787
Kolkata Rs. 4,02,739
Bangalore Rs. 4,36,885
Hyderabad Rs. 4,29,819
Mumbai Rs. 4,09,073
Ahmedabad Rs. 4,02,959
Pune Rs. 4,09,073
Chennai Rs. 4,09,735
Patna Rs. 4,01,791
Jaipur Rs. 4,20,306
  • Latest
  • Popular

Top Bike Brands

Which one do you like more?
390 Adventure S
390 Adventure S
390 Duke R
390 Duke R
  1. Home ›
  2. News ›
  3. 350cc KTM 390 Duke and 390 Adventure Ridden: Sensible But Do You Want That?
×