Many adventure riders dream of a shiny, new enduro next to their ADV bike in the garage — ready for singletrack escapes. With the launch of the 390 Enduro R dual sport, KTM is aiming to offer a budget-conscious option to help make that goal all the more attainable. Known for high-performance bikes with premium price tags, the Austrian brand turned heads earlier this year when it unveiled its specs with a $5,499 MSRP. For that price, you might expect a pretty bare-bones machine with low-end components and limited capability. But this all-new enduro comes packed with quality parts, the latest tech and real horsepower to match. 

What You Get

For starters, KTM took the water-cooled, fuel-injected powerplant from the 390 Adventure and stroked it out for another 25cc of displacement. The new 399cc DOHC single is the brand’s latest generation LC4c engine featuring an optimized cylinder head, repositioned fuel injectors and other refinements. Output remains similar at around 44 horsepower and 29 ft-lbs of torque, but the revised tuning delivers power earlier in the rev range. KTM mentioned they could have produced even more power but as this is a world bike, the power-to-weight ratio needed to be capped for regulations overseas. As with the 390 Adventure, the engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a standard slipper clutch and a quickshifter is optional.

Boosting its versatility, the budget-friendly 390 Enduro R brings a surprising amount of tech to the trail — especially for an enduro-style machine. A full color 4.2” TFT unit does more than show speed and temp. It also lets riders control Ride Modes and ABS settings, plus you can pair your phone via KTMConnect and you’re all set for music, calls, and turn-by-turn navigation. A USB-C port keeps devices charged, and full LED lighting—headlight, brake light, and turn signals—rounds out the modern package.

KTM kept things simple with two ride modes—Street and Offroad—that let you tailor the bike’s behavior, adjusting throttle response, traction control, and ABS to suit the terrain. In Offroad mode, throttle response is a little softer, traction control is less intrusive, and rear ABS is disengaged for extra feel in the dirt. Better yet, the 390 Enduro R lets you turn both systems off completely—and, as a first for any bike we’ve tested, your custom settings don’t vanish when you turn the key off—at least for a while.

As for the chassis, it’s a 2-piece steel-trellis design with a bolt-on steel subframe. The frame and aluminum swingarm have been optimized to place the rear shock offset center to enable a lower seat height and make space for the tucked-in exhaust. Speaking of the exhaust, it exits underneath the swing arm rather than coming up along the side of the bike. According to KTM, this design has two benefits: it offers plenty of room for side bags and it helps protect the muffler from damage in a tip over. 

Suspension is WP Apex with a 43mm USD open-cartridge fork that offers full adjustability. Compression and rebound clickers sit right on top of the fork tubes for convenient adjustment. The shock is a separate piston design that keeps oil and gas from mixing inside the shock body for improved performance. The shock also has a new bottoming damper and features preload and rebound adjustment, plus you get 9 inches of suspension travel at both ends, riding on a classic 21″/18″ wheel combo. This setup translates into a 35.0-inch seat height and 10.7 inches of ground clearance. 

Braking is provided by a BYBRE (Indian-built Brembos) system featuring switchable ABS with three settings (Street, Offroad, Off). The front rotor is 285mm with a dual-piston caliper while the rear uses a 240mm rotor and single-piston caliper. Standard rubber on the 390 Enduro R is a set of 90/90-21 and 140/80-18 Metzeler Karoo 4 dual sport tires and with the 2.4-gallon fuel tank filled, the bike weighs in at 363.7 pounds.

On paper, that’s a decent list of features and specs for a budget machine. It is worth noting though, that KTM has been touting the new 390 Enduro R as a ‘true’ dual sport to differentiate it from its hardcore, dirtbike-with-a-plate EXC enduro line that cost roughly twice as much. That had us a little concerned about the trail performance and whether this might be a street model dressed in dirt bike clothing. We’d finally get answers to all our questions during the press launch in the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. 

First Impressions

Typically, we like to get at least two days of testing on an all-new model but the launch for the 390 Enduro R was shared with its sibling, the 390 Adventure R, so we only had one day of testing on each bike. Still, with routes created by ex-Baja champ and Dakar top-10 finisher Quinn Cody, we were definitely in for some challenging terrain for both rider and bike. Getting an early start, we spent the day exploring the numerous trails around the Mammoth Lakes area — everything from dusty dirt roads to tight single track. We even got to rip around a section of the historic Mammoth Motocross track. Twisty asphalt and highway were also on the menu, and by the end of the day, we got in a good amount of testing to get a solid understanding of the machine.

Heading out on pavement towards our first trail, the first thing that caught my attention was the need to keep the revs up. On top, there is no lack of power and it accelerates with gusto. Down low however, it doesn’t have that braaapy bottom end you expect to get on a typical enduro thumper. It definitely has more of a street-bike vibe with its power characteristic. It reminds me of the 690 Enduro R with its over-rev capability but without the torque off idle to match. 

Exacerbating the lack of low-end power was the fact that we were starting our ride at 9,000 feet elevation and we’d soon be climbing to well over 10,000 feet to check out stunning mountain top views of the Eastern Sierras. Later in the day, as we descended down to lower elevations, the low-end power definitely became more lively.

Another street bike-like characteristic that caught my attention was the fact that this new engine is super smooth. KTM definitely did some work eliminating vibrations either internally in the engine or in how it’s mounted in the frame. For a single cylinder, this thing is not viby at all. Besides that, everything else about the bike felt enduro-like in a good way — no strange seating position, no forward-angled foot pegs or stretched out chassis, just a standard dirtbike with a 58” wheelbase and 27.5° rake.

On The Street

While the look and feel of the 390 Enduro R is very dirtbike-like, it has a few features that make it more friendly for the street. For starters, the seat height is 35”, which may seem high but that’s about 3 inches lower than a KTM 500 EXC-F. Moreover, the saddle drops significantly when you sit on it and it’s also a fair bit wider in the rear seating area than a typical enduro providing a more-roomy perch for you and possibly a passenger or luggage.

Despite the relatively low seat, the knee bend is comfortable without feeling cramped. The tapered aluminum handlebar has a nice bend that isn’t aggressively straight and the height is just right in the seated position. For a compact bike, everything felt open and roomy—even for a taller rider like myself at 6’2”.

As far as electronics, just keep it in the default Street mode and you get a crisp, snappy throttle response along with front and rear ABS, plus Traction Control, all tuned specifically for the street. Of course, there’s really not enough torque to break the rear tire loose on the street, even with TC off, but it’s nice to have it on as a safety net in case you hit a soft patch or when riding in the rain.

As previously mentioned, the power characteristic of the 390 Enduro is oriented more towards the street with a lot of the meat focused in the upper RPMs. This translates well to twisty roads where you can easily keep the bike in the powerband and scream through canyon corners.The optional quick shifter installed on our test bike makes accelerating out of turns all the more thrilling too. Overall, the suspension feels stable during aggressive street riding, without any extra dive or squat.

The bike likes to lean way over and the Supermoto vibes are definitely on tap. There’s no premature scraping of pegs and the Karoo 4’s don’t mind being pushed on pavement. Braking was more than adequate with excellent feel and power from the BYBRE system. A big 285 mm front rotor brings this relatively light bike to a halt quickly in an emergency braking scenario, while the ABS maintains maximum grip better than your hand can.

And what about the highway? It was quite a surprise when I looked down at the speedo and we were doing 75 mph without any noticeable vibes in the handlebars or pegs. As far as single-cylinder machines, this is about as glass smooth as it gets. The only thing holding you back on a highway ride is the lack of a windscreen. 

There’s enough power there to casually overtake slow moving vehicles but downshifting a gear or two makes quick work of it. Acceleration slows noticeably on a steep grade but on flat ground this bike has no problem taking you all the way into the triple digits, without having to wait an eternity.” KLR650 and CB500X owners beware if you see a 390 in your rear view!

In The Dirt

We barely had time to digest breakfast before jumping right into some pretty aggressive trails. Standing up on the 390 Enduro R, I felt comfortable right off the bat. It comes standard with about a 1” bar riser, so I didn’t feel hunched over, nor did I feel crowded toward the front of the bike. Serrated pegs were nicely placed central to the bike and offered plenty of grip. 

Sitting down felt equally comfortable on the trail. The flat seat-to-tank junction made it easy to slide your weight forward up on the tank and get a leg out for those bermed turns. I felt connected to the bike right away and transitioning my weight backward or forward was effortless. 

The 390 Enduro R corners great and transitions easily from turn to turn. It’s a very stable bike that cuts a clean line through crud, without getting knocked around. However, when you start to get aggressive, it has a tendency to start drifting out of its line — a side effect of its weight. There’s no denying it’s a bigger machine for technical riding. It would be a handful on loose steep climbs or sketchy, cliffy singletrack trails. But as far as your standard woods riding, it’s a maneuverable machine that inspires confidence.

I remember the first time I rode the first 390 Adventure with WP Apex suspension and it was well sprung but had a budget feel to it. This latest Apex suspension is a major improvement that offers a higher-quality experience. No clunks from the fork on sharp-edged hits and no hard-bottoming on bumpstops. You also have the clickers on top of the forks, so it’s easy to dial in your damping settings perfectly. 

With 9.0 inches of travel, it’s in-line with other casual dual sports but a few inches down on performance models like the EXC line or even the new DR-Z4S. When you start hammering it on bigger bumps, you notice the rear shock start to bottom. This occurred primarily during high-speed bumps hinting that it could use some additional high-speed compression damping. Unfortunately, the shock does not have any compression damping adjustment, only rebound. Although, when it does bottom, it’s a nice soft, progressive bottom, rather than a sharp hit. It wasn’t a frequent occurrence and setting preload to my weight of 208 pounds, plus gear, would probably have reduced the likelihood even further. 

The fork on the other hand performed flawlessly and I never hit anything that caused it to bottom. Both front and rear suspension were plush on the small stuff and there was good firmness mid-stroke to keep the handling sharp and responsive. It’s more than adequate for exploring trails at reasonably fast speeds, but if your aspirations are to pound big whoops in the desert at high-speed, it’s not meant for that.

While I was quite pleased with the handling and suspension you get for this price, I was a little put off by the power delivery in the slower-speed technical sections. Riding around on the trails in first gear felt pretty good. There’s good clutch feel and it’s easily modulated with one finger. The front tire can be popped off the ground with a little effort and you can even get some small power slides going with the TC off. But the jump to second gear was large. 

Quite often, I’d find myself trying to power out of a turn in second gear and basically getting nothing. Fueling is spot-on and it won’t necessarily stall or bog, it just doesn’t accelerate with any urgency. The low-end grunt you are used to getting on a typical enduro is just not there. Compared to even a KTM 350 EXC-F, it feels weak on the bottom end.

If you’re just cruising trails, it’s not a big deal. You can also adapt your riding style to the machine. Making sure I downshifted before the turn was one adjustment I made. However, KTM could have made one small change to give it more grunt — simply changing the countershaft sprocket. Currently, the 390 Enduro R shares the same final drive gearing as the 390 Adventure R. There’s no reason the enduro model needs to be geared to do 100mph, and it’s smooth enough that if you geared it down it would still be a great highway cruiser at 65-70 mph. Perhaps that wouldn’t solve the problem completely, but it would make a significant difference. I’d recommend this as a cheap first mod for anyone who buys the 390 Enduro R.

As far as modes, the off-road setting works well as a base for exploring trails at a casual pace. The smooth throttle response and non-intrusive traction control make quick work of most terrain. It gives you just enough tire spin to steer with the rear without getting too out of shape. It’s a fairly basic system compared to the advanced TC control you have on KTM adventure bikes like the 890 Adventure R but it’s great for just cruising trails or for those just getting their feet wet off-roading.

On any deep sand or super loose rocks I felt the need to turn Traction Control off. This bike doesn’t really have enough power off-road to need TC, so I left it off most of the time. You can also change the fuel map to Street mode for a snappier throttle response but it didn’t make a big difference in the feel.

A left-hand joystick controls all the modes and settings. There are no other shortcut buttons to turn TC or ABS off, so you have to go through several menu levels to sort things out before hitting the trail. Luckily, the bike saves your settings if you turn the key off. So if you were in off-road mode before with TC and ABS off, it will remain in the mode when you turn the bike back on. However, I did notice that if you leave the bike off for longer than 10 minutes or so, your TC and ABS off settings get reset. That’s usually fine though for the quick chat on the trail with your buds.

Braking in the dirt was exceptional for a budget-oriented machine. Both front and rear brakes had good modulation and I could perform emergency stops with one finger on the lever. The ABS gets automatically disengaged on the rear wheel as a default in Offroad mode. It worked as expected most of the time, but I did have a couple of pucker moments when I grabbed the brake and the front ABS just freewheeled for a second. This seemed to happen if the front tire was airborne when I pulled hard on it. It seems like it needs a second to understand the traction situation once on the ground.. Luckily, TC can be turned off completely for more aggressive off-road riding situations.

Bottom Line

As a general-purpose dual sport, the new 390 Enduro R hits the bullseye. It’s a smooth, refined street-friendly machine that can be pushed fairly hard in the dirt. And while it is not meant to be a performance enduro, it can still hold its own on the trail, mainly showing limitations in the more extreme, technical situations. A lack of low-end power is the biggest downside. However, a simple gearing change could significantly improve its performance on slow-speed, technical terrain.

It’s a great choice for those who want a bike for cruising around town or their weekly commute, that can also handle some aggressive trails on the weekend. It doesn’t mind getting on the freeway either. If you live an hour or so from the trail, you could easily ride there without throwing this bike on a truck or trailer. With its comfortable seat and smooth power, you won’t feel worn out when you get there either. Throw a small windscreen on the 390 Enduro R and it would make an excellent ADVLite bike.

At 363 pounds wet the 390 Enduro R is on the heavy side for sure — roughly in the same ballpark as the current 690 Enduro R. But let’s put that in perspective: The 390 has a stout steel frame and subframe which gives it stability in the handling and better support for luggage. As a EURO 5+ compliant bike, it also houses a catalytic converter in the header—something not all dual sports have. Some parts could also be removed for weight savings if you don’t need them, like the large set of passenger peg mounts for instance. Also, keep in mind that the 390’s wet weight specs include protective parts like hand guards and a skid plate.

The hand guards and skid plate aren’t the toughest units, but at least they are there. Turn signals have floppy stalks, so they’ll bend out of the way in a fall. Overall, the quality and ruggedness seemed good and the bike is ready to take some abuse. Plus it has generous 6,000-mile oil change and 12,000-mile valve check intervals. Most likely, you’ll no longer own the bike by the time it ever needs the valves checked.

One of the issues I witnessed during the test was a few loose mirrors. That happens on almost every launch, but the mirrors did seem a little cheap compared to what I’ve seen on other KTMs. Throw a proper set of aftermarket dual sport mirrors on it and never worry about it again. On one bike, some of the front fender screws came loose as well. Luckily, this was discovered before they came out completely. 

Beyond that, KTM did mention a couple of known issues. They warned us we might experience some glitches in the Quick Shifter, which was a pre-production version. However, I never had any problems with it during the ride. Another glitch is with the kickstand safety switch. Those with bigger feet like myself might inadvertently push down the kickstand with their heel, activating the engine cut off switch. I had this happen to me two or three times. KTM is in the process of developing a solution to eliminate this issue for all new and retailed 390s.

Looking at how this bike matches up in the marketplace, you’re getting a lot for $5.5k. Especially compared to similarly-priced dual sports like the Kawasaki KLX300 or Honda CRF300L. Of those two, I’d say only the KLX is a close match on the trail, but doesn’t have the highway cruising capability. The new DR-Z4S is a better trail bike that’s Japanese built, and it has better low-end grunt. It’s just as refined on the street as well, but it lacks the highway cruising capability without the 6th gear. Oh and it costs $3,500 more!

While KTM won’t be offering Cruise Control on the 390 Enduro R (only the 390 Adventure R), one enticing mod that will be available is a WP Pro suspension upgrade. This will include a fully-adjustable replacement shock with high/low speed compression damping and a drop-in cartridge fork kit. Either standard height or increased suspension travel versions (+20mm) will be available. This could be a game changer for performance improvements, helping make that gap to the performance dual sport category smaller. It’s in the final stages of development, so we’ll get more details on pricing and availability soon.

Overall, the 390 Enduro R marks a solid first effort by KTM at delivering a street-friendly dual sport that won’t break the bank. Add a few mods, strip down some unnecessary components, and it has the potential to be a real ripper on the trail. Or throw on a bigger tank and small windscreen and it could be an excellent lightweight ADV bike. With its approachable seat height and noob-friendly electronics, it has great potential for new off-road riders as well. It’s not without a few rough edges but at this price point, it’s a flexible platform you can polish into whatever you want.

2025 KTM 390 Enduro R

Photos by Simon Cudby

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.