2025-on KTM 390 Enduro R review: A serious dirt contender

KTM 390 Enduro R expert review

4 out of 5 (4/5)

The small capacity trail and adventure bike category is one of the most competitive and buoyant classes in the market. Dominated by the Honda CRF300, Royal Enfield Himalayan and CFMoto MT450, KTM’s previous 390 Adventure offering was good on the road but simply couldn’t cut it off-road.

It was bizarre that the most off-road focussed company launched such a lacklustre off-road bike, making the new 390 Enduro R both highly anticipated, and given KTM’s ongoing financial predicament…incredibly important.

Is the KTM 390 Enduro R right for you?

Reasons to buy:
+ Vastly improved off-road ergonomics
+ Advanced electronics and features
+ Competitive price, you get a lot of bike for the money

Reasons to avoid:
– Soft suspension for real aggressive riders, but few will find its limits
– Lack of steering lock may hamper more tackling more technical terrain
– Seat can be a little firm, but it is a shared low point on most small enduro machines

Well, the good news is that the brains behind KTM’s benchmark off-road focused adventure bikes like the 890 Adventure and 1290 Super Adventure R have clearly been involved in the design process. Instead of a 390 that felt like a road bike with nobly tyres, the new 390R is finally fit for purpose.

Gone is the 19” front wheel, replaced with the larger 21” which is so much better suited to off-road use in terms of tyre choice, and it’s rolling circumference which enables it to ride over obstacles far easier.

The chassis has also undergone key changes and although it’s still based on the road going Duke model it gets revised head angle, higher bars, new triple clamps and with an all new subframe.

The result is a vastly improved riding position which feels right when stood up off-road, with the relationship with bars and foot pegs making it easy to navigate off-road terrain.

Large footrests underline the bike’s off-road intent and the controls are super light which should make long days easier to manage. The seat is quite narrow and definitely on the firm side, which is ideal for off-road use, but it might become a sore point on road rides where you’re sat down for long periods of time.

There’s practically no wind protection, but on the plus side the air is clean with no buffeting at speed even with an off-road helmet. Another plus of this is that the visibility is great off-road, as there is literally nothing obstructing your view to the front mudguard and beyond.

In fact, the biggest gripe on the chassis is the acute lack of steering lock, which feels like a big miss for what should be a super agile and user-friendly off-road machine.

There’s never been anything wrong with the 390 power plant in terms of bhp. With a claimed 44.3bhp it’s got plenty of go – especially compared to the relatively gutless CRF300L with its claimed 26.9bhp.

On the road it delivers everything you’d expect and more with the ability to make easy and safe overtakes even at motorway speeds as long as you don’t mind the revs.

It comes with a quickshifter for up and down changes as well as a slipper clutch which is super slick, given the bike’s price point, and a lot of fun to use. It really is a very capable engine and on the road there are zero concerns about keeping up with traffic whatever road you’re on.

It’s on road strength is down to the 398.7cc motors willingness to rev, but that’s not always what you want in an off-road environment. Ideally, it would have a bit more low down grunt, which would give you the option to tractor up climbs at low revs when the going got tough.

The power is smooth and linear and the super light clutch means keeping the revs where you want them is easy. It’s also got enough go for easy clutch up wheelies to clear obstacles in first, second or even third gear with a bit of added body English.

KTM know a lot about suspension. They own WP, and it’s often one of the components that set their bikes apart – especially in standard trim. Boasting 230mm of travel and using WP Apex 43mm open cartridge forks, the suspension is progressive but surprisingly soft. Even with the front fork compression damping wound up to maximum, it was easy to bottom out when jumping.

On the plus side, it feels compliant and user-friendly, but still seriously under sprung for harder, more demanding off-road use.

On the road though, it seems to work well. There’s still a fair bit of dive under heavy braking, but overall it feels plush and well-supported wherever you are in the stroke of the forks or shock.

New 4.2” TFT dash is crystal clear and gives a wide range of information without ever being too overwhelming. Controlled via the tough looking and feeling four way joystick on the left hand bar it feels like a step ahead for the class.

Well there is no mistaking it being a KTM, which is a good thing…right. It’s purposeful and functional and boast LED headlights and a neat front end. The raised fuel tank looks clunky but the super clean back end is a win.

When the bike was launched, there were a lot of questions about the low slung exhaust. Would the bike drown during river crossings? Will it get smashed on rocks? However, in the flesh it looks well-designed, super neat and well protected.

Verdict

In a class defined by its price point, the new 390R has the potential to be a winner. With vastly improved ergonomics and an increased off-road focus, it has all the ingredients to surpass its rivals off-road, while being superior on-road.

It’s willing motor, good quality (although too soft) suspension and impressive electronics move the class on significantly, which is exactly what KTM had to do.  

It feels well thought through with decent off-road ABS and traction control that can be turned of easily and the fact that it has a ‘memory’ so it remembers your settings each time you ride the bike. It has a USB-C charging point and phone connectivity, and it all comes in at a seriously impressive price tag of £5699 making it hundreds of pounds cheaper than its main, arguably lower specification, rivals.

Welcome back KTM….