Early Impressions
I turned 33 this year, and motorcycles have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have always admired them and the whole idea of motorcycling. My own two-wheeler journey has been fairly humble compared to some of the BikeWale boys. I learnt to ride on my dad’s OG Hero Honda CBZ, which happened to be one of the first CBZs to be delivered in Mumbai. That motorcycle was my gateway to riding, and it was followed by an original Karizma R and a Bajaj 200NS that I tried to turn into an AS200 and, in the process, made a complete hash of it.
The last motorcycle I owned was the gen-1 KTM Duke 390 – a proper hooligan of a motorcycle that people continue to talk about even today, and I completely understand why; there was something raw and unadulterated about its existence. I sold it last year, and while I still miss it, I don’t think I would want that particular motorcycle back in my life. I am 33, after all, and if there is one thing I am sure of, it is that my back is going to hate me in a few years if I get such a demanding machine. And that brings me rather nicely to the motorcycle you see here – the latest-gen KTM 390 Adventure S, which also happens to be BikeWale’s newest long-termer. Rishabh was kind enough to hand over the keys, so I could scratch that ever-persistent riding itch without breaking my back.
The timing of getting the 390 Adventure couldn’t have worked out better, because it arrived right in the thick of the Mumbai monsoon. This is the time traffic slows to a crawl, potholes multiply overnight, and roads that are bad in the dry months turn genuinely treacherous once the water starts pooling. The 390 Adventure, though, has quite honestly been a blessing through all of this. Its long-travel suspension soaks up the craters that we like to call roads, and the upright, commanding riding position makes it far easier to spot trouble well before it becomes a problem.
My daily commute has become more entertaining, but also quicker than it normally is when I make the same journey in a car. There is, obviously, no comparison between the two in terms of weather protection or comfort, but the 390 ADV’s ability to make its way through congested roads has made a noticeable difference to my routine. More importantly, it has made the journey to and from work something I actually look forward to rather than something I simply have to endure.
More importantly, it has slowly won over my wife. When I first brought it home, she wasn’t particularly impressed by the bright orange and white colour scheme. I can’t entirely blame her. This thing is visually loud, and it’s very, very KTM. But over the past few weeks, she’s come around to it and has grown to appreciate the commanding seating position the 390 Adventure offers, towering as it does over most other two-wheelers and even giving her a better vantage point than she would get in a car.
That’s pretty much where things stand for now. With the monsoon winding down, I’m already planning a road trip to Goa on the 390 Adventure before the rains fully clear out. Of course, there will also be plenty more everyday riding in and around Mumbai. How this thing holds up over those longer distances, and what living with it day-to-day continues to reveal, will all be covered in the next report, so stay tuned.
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
Product Details
Make: KTM
Model: 390 Adventure S
Km this month: 814km
Price when tested: Rs 4.61 lakh, on-road Delhi
