- 7 months ago
KTM's 390 Enduro R is one of the newest single-cylinder motorcycles built in Indian for the Austrian company. Our editors just got back from the North American press launch and spill the beans one whether or not it is any good. This episode of The Motorcyclist Podcast is all about the 390 Enduro R.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hey, welcome back to the Motorcycles Podcast. This is where we talk about motorcycles and
00:04what makes them great. Topics on the show constantly change, but the one thing that
00:08always remains is two-wheeled fun. In this episode, we're a gang of four instead of a
00:13gang of three. So, I'm Justin Dodds, Executive Editor. We've got Editor Adam Waheed. We've
00:18got Jeff Allen, Photo Director, and we've got Associate Editor Evan Allen. Today, we
00:24are going to talk about the 2025 KTM 390 Enduro R. Both Evan and Adam just went to the press
00:33launch on this bike. It's the first time riding it. And so, we're going to get their thoughts
00:38on this new dual sport. I don't know if it's really a dual sport or not. So, we're going
00:44to find out from these guys. But we're going to talk about the 390 platform. I mean, it's
00:50it's a Swiss Army knife. It's been in the Duke, the RC, the Adventure, and now an Enduro.
00:59And it's going to be coming in a Supermoto as well. So, they're starting to throw that
01:04engine and everything. And we've always kind of liked that engine. So, when we get to the
01:11390 Enduro R, it's like a touring-friendly EXE or 690 Enduro R with approachability, I guess.
01:21We're going to find out. It's built in India by Baja. But it's a KTM through and through.
01:28So, let's get into the specs. And Adam's going to fill us in on the specs. And then we'll talk
01:34about the bike and their riding impressions. Yeah, cool. Well, the 2025 390 Enduro R is,
01:42let's start with the price because that's the biggest thing. It retails for $5,500 in the
01:48United States, if you can even believe that. $5,500. How does that relate to like the Duke
01:54in the RC? Is that pretty comparable? Yeah. I mean, it is. It's pretty comparable in that
02:03segment. But like, think about $5,500. Like the DRZ4S is $8,000. Yeah. You know, so $9,000. Sorry,
02:12$9,000. So, that's like crazy, you know? Yeah. I think it is free. It's basically free. Go get
02:18two of them. Yeah. And it is. Take two of them small. It's cheaper than the Duke. At least last
02:24time I checked the Duke pricing by a few hundred bucks. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
02:28Yeah. So, this thing's powered by KTM's stroked 399cc water-cooled single cylinder engine. Dual
02:36red camshafts with a four-valve cylinder head. It's good for, you know, upwards of 40 horsepower,
02:40you know, probably around 43, 44. And then, you know, it's got, you know, around claimed around 30,
02:4730-foot-pound, pound-feet of torque. And it weighs 364 pounds. So, a little bit,
02:53a little bit heavy, you know, especially compared to the DRZ4S. But it's got adjustable WP suspension,
03:00front and back, though the shock doesn't have a linkage like the DRZ4S. And then we have
03:05Brembo-derived BYBRE, which is a Brembo-owned subsidiary out of India, calipers. So, with switchable
03:14ABS. And the cool thing about the ABS on this Enduro R is you can completely disable it. So,
03:20you can have ABS on, you can have front ABS on, rear ABS disabled, or you can have full ABS disabled,
03:26which is really neat. Then we've got, you know, a seat height around 35 inches, not too high,
03:32not too low. And then, of course, an off-road wheel set, 21-inch front, 18-inch rear-spoke aluminum
03:39wheels. And, of course, we have KTM's small rectangular TFT dash with ride-by-wire,
03:45track control, and those two riding modes, street and off-road. But you can customize
03:50either or to be whatever you want them to be. And that's kind of a rundown of the $5,500
03:55390 Enduro R.
03:57So, I have a question. The frame is still like a trellis frame like the other 390s, right?
04:05Yeah, correct. Yeah, it's powder-coated orange, looks real nice.
04:09So, I mean, that is probably one of the reasons why it weighs a little bit more, right? It's got
04:13this big kind of trellis frame set up on it.
04:16Yeah.
04:17But...
04:18It is redesigned over the Duke, so it's similar, but they did beef it up for off-road duty.
04:23Right on.
04:24Yeah.
04:24I do like that it has 21 and 18 wheels rather than 1917 or 21 and 17. Like, it has real dirt
04:34bike-sized wheels, which gives you a lot more leeway in tire choices.
04:41Yeah, for sure.
04:42But the tires that come stock are really good, so I would get them a try if you buy it before
04:47you go.
04:47What are the tires?
04:48Metzler Carreau 4.
04:50Oh, wow.
04:51Metzler Carreau 4s at that point.
04:52Yeah.
04:52Like, we keep talking about, it's $5,500, and it's got, like, good tires on it.
04:58Premium.
04:58Yeah, it was a premium tire.
04:59Some cheap, like, you know, IRCs or seat or something like that tires. That's pretty...
05:04That's pretty cheap.
05:05Those tires come on variations of the R1300GS.
05:08Yeah.
05:09So, yeah. Amazing.
05:11Yeah, that's super cool. Right on.
05:12So, then, those are the details, which makes it sound pretty tasty.
05:18Before we get into riding impressions, I want to know, like, who's this bike, like, aimed
05:22for?
05:23So, Evan, tell me, like, who are they selling this bike to?
05:26Like, is it a hardcore dual sport rider?
05:28Is it, like, a beginning dual sport rider?
05:31Is it somewhere in between?
05:32Like, who do they want to sell this bike to?
05:36Yeah, it's tough.
05:37I feel like it could be any of those riders.
05:40Like, definitely an entry-level sort of beginner, getting your feet wet in the dual sport space.
05:46But also, I feel like a...
05:48Why would you say that?
05:50Is it, like, seat height or power delivery or...
05:52Well, I mean, affordability, yeah.
05:54Power delivery, seat height a little bit.
05:57Yeah, I mean, it's just...
05:59If you're trying to get into dual sport riding, I don't know.
06:03It's just $5,500.
06:04Yeah.
06:05It's definitely, you know, an entry-level dual sport in a sense.
06:09But I think an experienced rider will get a lot out of this bike.
06:12It's funny because we rode the DRZ 4S not that long ago.
06:16And then I actually commuted on it last night and this morning on the 4S we have at the office.
06:22And the last bike before I rode that was the 390s up in Mammoth.
06:26And it's just interesting.
06:27It seems like, yeah, this 390 is a very...
06:32It feels like a street bike that's kind of made for off-road riding, where the DRZ feels a lot more of, like, an enduro made for street riding.
06:39So it seems like they both approach this category from the opposite ends of the spectrum.
06:44Well said.
06:45Yeah.
06:45And so, like, I feel like a really experienced rider will benefit and enjoy the 390 enduro because of its road manners.
06:53Like, it kind of feels like this new school dual sport of, you know, is it a lightweight adventure bike?
06:59Is it a dual sport?
07:00Like, it almost has this, like, kind of hybrid feel.
07:03So I feel like it's going to be good for someone that is going to do dual sport riding with a lot of pavement or a good amount of pavement and just, like, fast fire roads.
07:13If you're going to do something more technical and tight riding, maybe the DRZ.
07:18But, yeah, it feels like a bike that can please the beginner rider and the expert rider.
07:24Nice.
07:24Like, a thing that always happens with these KTMs, which I've noticed, is, like, they claim it's a beginner bike or they claim it's for, you know, someone getting into the brand.
07:35But it always seems that people add it as, like, a second bike to their garage to experienced riders because they are – they've historically performed pretty darn well.
07:49And they're fun – they've been fun bikes.
07:52So people are like, oh, I'm just going to add that to my – so they may be trying to get the beginner, but they end up getting the expert because they've made it pretty decent.
08:01But, yeah, you know, so – okay.
08:06I would think, like, there's an embargo on the 390 Adventure R, so we can't really talk about it.
08:14But, like, it seems like they're kind of splitting the difference between dual sport and adventure and, like, it may be, like, four adventure bike riders that don't want to have, like, a 500-pound pig in the sand.
08:28But maybe that's the adventure and this is something different.
08:32I don't know.
08:34Adventure light?
08:35Yeah.
08:35What do you think, Adam?
08:36Is it adventure or is it something different?
08:39No, no.
08:40I mean, you can adventure on this bike.
08:42It's basically someone who wants, you know, a dual sport or an adventure bike without, you know, a typical front fairing.
08:48You know, wants that more sporty look, you know, maybe a little bit more minimalist design because, you know, it does look more sporty and more minimalist.
08:58Kind of like Ducati's, like, Hyper Motard kind of style a little bit, you know.
09:02So – but obviously with way more off-road shops.
09:06But, I mean, they kind of are a little bit – converge a little bit, but also just really the styling and just the more minimalist design is what I think someone would want the 390 Enduro R versus the 390 Adventure R.
09:21Yeah, like maybe someone that doesn't want to worry about dropping it and screwing up the fairings and screwing up the bigger windscreen.
09:29And, like, you know, with those – any adventure bike, as you grow in size, when you drop it, more things break, right?
09:35Yeah, I mean, you could say that.
09:37But just the overall proportions, it's just – it's just the adventure bike looks a little bigger.
09:42It really isn't that much bigger in reality, but it just appears a little bit bigger.
09:47You know, and if you're not – if you're really not going on these crazy long rides, you're not really going on the highway a lot, I mean, just ride the Enduro 390 Enduro R.
09:56I mean, if you're just – you know, if you're just going on shorter rides around, you know, your cabin or just, you know, that kind of stuff, that bike would make sense to me.
10:05If you live close to the trail.
10:07Correct, correct, correct.
10:07Yeah.
10:08I kind of feel like it's almost, like, styling and what your budget is, you know?
10:14Like, if you really love that – the look of the adventure and you have an additional $1,500, I mean, yeah.
10:22I think people would just go with that.
10:24I can't say too much about the adventure.
10:25Yeah.
10:26We'll get in trouble with KTM, but –
10:29Looking at your guys', like, social media posts and things like that, I mean, it looked like you rode some pretty fun, like, even maybe challenging trail, like, single track kind of stuff on the R or the Enduro.
10:42Tell us, like, where the intro was and what you guys rode before we talk about how you guys thought about it.
10:49Like, give us some – set the scene.
10:53Yeah, because obviously KTM would bring you to a place where they thought the bike would, you know, be the most enjoyable.
11:02Yeah, we went to Mammoth.
11:03It was sweet.
11:04Yeah, I mean, to be honest, what is Mammoth?
11:07Like, 10,000 feet of elevation?
11:09We were up at elevation, so I kind of thought, oh, probably hurting the bike's engine performance a little bit.
11:16But, yeah, we rode – it was a great ride on both days.
11:19We did everything from twisty pavement, kind of highway pavement, single track, fast fire roads, bumpy two track.
11:28Like, we did kind of the whole scope of dual sport riding, I would say, with getting some good single track in there.
11:35That was fun and a little bit challenging.
11:38And I got stuck on one of the hill climbs.
11:41It was, like, super deep and sandy.
11:42Yeah, and so it was – yeah, it was just great weather, yeah.
11:49I saw they let you do some – have some time on the motocross track, Mammoth motocross.
11:54Yeah, that's right.
11:55Yeah, we got to go and do – ride a little section of Mammoth motocross track because we were there the week before the big amateur race was going down.
12:05And, yeah, so we got to hit some jumps and blow up some berms.
12:08And, yeah, it was pretty impressive.
12:09So did they say anything about the altitude and power?
12:14Like, you know, because, I mean, like, yeah, 10,000 feet, like, that saps quite a bit of power.
12:21And you're taking a small bore bike up to that altitude.
12:24Like, it seems like a – not the greatest choice to have the press evaluate the engine performance when they're, like, you know, at that altitude.
12:36Mm-hmm.
12:38Yeah.
12:39Yeah, I do – that was one thing I noticed about the engine is it doesn't have a whole lot of bottom end.
12:45It's really more of a mid to top end engine, I feel like.
12:48And we've spent time on this engine on the Duke.
12:51Even the Vitplin and Svartplin 401 from Husqvarna, it's basically the same engine.
12:55And those bikes down at sea level riding them, yeah, definitely a mid to top end engine.
13:01But I feel like they still had some pretty good bottom end, like some good – you could get out of a corner pretty good.
13:07I didn't notice that as much on this press launch.
13:09And so I think maybe the altitude had a little bit to do with that.
13:13Mm-hmm.
13:13That's understandable.
13:14Yeah.
13:15So.
13:16All right.
13:18Yeah.
13:18So let's get some – let's get some riding impressions.
13:22I'm going to let you both just kind of talk about it and bounce ideas off each other and, like – so go – tell us.
13:30Tell us what it's like.
13:33Yeah, what do you think, Waheed?
13:34Let's talk about, like, overall, and then we'll get into engine, chassis.
13:37Okay.
13:38Suspension, brakes type ergonomics.
13:40So let's just start overall.
13:42Tell me, overall, what you thought.
13:45Yeah, I thought it was nice, like a cool bike, like a worthy competitor to the DRZ4S.
13:52Really?
13:53You know, a little bit different, you know, but still, you know, it does the same kind of thing.
13:59So, yeah, I liked it.
14:01You know, it's – the craziest thing is just that the engine, like, it just – it's crazy how fast it revs.
14:06And just – I mean, it just revs.
14:09It has, like, no flywheel weight.
14:10So it just revs extremely quickly.
14:12And, I mean, a lot of the time, I mean, the joke was like, oh, Hayden Deegan, Hayden Deegan.
14:19It's, like, literally the entire time we were riding that thing, it's just literally bouncing off the rev limiter.
14:24And it's got an optional electronic quick shifter, so it's easy to keep the engine on the boil.
14:30And that's how you have to ride the thing.
14:32You literally just ride it in the rev limiter area.
14:34It's actually pretty fun.
14:36Yeah, and it's impressive that it doesn't fall on its face.
14:39Like, you can just kind of keep it on the rev limiter or close to it, and you don't feel like it just – yeah, like, the power drops off.
14:47Yeah, and the gearing is – the gearing is solid.
14:50Like, the ratios between each gear, like, they make sense.
14:53And, again, that engine has such little flywheel on it that it just – it wants to always just be at redline, be at redline, be at redline.
15:02And when you ride the bike like that, it actually – it handles really good, and it goes really good, too.
15:07You know, it just – for whatever reason, it kind of rewards that riding style for some reason.
15:13So, honestly, it was a hoot.
15:15You know, or the DRZ4S, that thing has decent top-end power, no doubt, but it definitely has a lot more, you know, low RPM performance.
15:25So, two different riding styles, but still very fun.
15:30Yeah.
15:31So, that's the engine.
15:34What about, like, the handling of the bike?
15:36Because, I mean, that's probably going to answer a lot of questions for a lot of people which one they should get is, like, the handling and suspension aspect, like, on-road and off-road.
15:48So, start with on-road handling.
15:50So, yeah, I think –
15:52Go ahead, Evan.
15:53Yeah, the on-road handling with those crew – the Messler Crew 4 tires, I was super impressed.
15:59I think, like, when we got on some twisty pavement, I feel like you could feel that 390 Duke DNA.
16:06Like, it just feels so planted and hunkered to the ground.
16:09It's got a little bit less suspension travel.
16:11I think two inches less than the DRZ.
16:13I think it's nine inches front and back on the KTM.
16:15I think it's 11, 11 plus on the DRZ.
16:18And so, yeah, it just – it's – on the pavement, it just feels like – kind of feels like a supermoto.
16:24Like, I can imagine it doesn't feel too much different than the SMCR once we get to ride it.
16:29Like, it felt like, oh, wow, this thing is just hunkered to the ground, planted.
16:33Like, it does have a little bit heavier steering, I would say, than the DRZ.
16:37But it feels more – yeah, like the mid-corner performance feels a little bit better on the KTM.
16:44And, again, that's kind of where I noticed riding both of those bikes is it feels like, okay, you can feel that Duke DNA in the KTM both on and off-road for better or worse, I would say.
16:56And the wheels are – the tires are a little wider too, a little more street bike-y.
17:00Yeah, it's a 140 at the rear where the Suzuki is a 120.
17:03Like, you can see – you look at the wheels and they look big.
17:06On the KTM, it looks like a big, wide sort of adventure bike wheel.
17:09It's the same wheels that go on the 390 Adventure R.
17:12So there are some things like that that you notice.
17:15But, yeah, and then in the dirt, I was impressed, especially for fire roads and stuff.
17:21Again, it feels lower to the ground.
17:22The suspension, they use the WP Apex suspension, like an open cartridge stuff that's derived off of their street stuff.
17:30Off street stuff, yeah.
17:31Because the Apex is their street line and Explore is their dirt line, right?
17:37Yeah, and then they have the X-Act, which is like for their motocross.
17:41Yeah, but – yeah, so I noticed the – it feels a little bit wide between your legs, the KTM, like just the ergonomics standing up off-road.
17:52But – and you feel the weight.
17:54I felt the weight in the tight single track.
17:56Like if you kind of hit a rock or you get a little bit off balance, you could feel the weight.
18:01Right, but then you get on a fire road and it just feels so planted.
18:05Again, with that top-end performance or engine performance, it feels like a bike that you could just, you know, like rally.
18:13Like you're just sliding corners, using the quick shifter.
18:15I remember that a couple of times, like mid-slide, you could just upshift mid-slide and just keep the slide going.
18:20Where the Suzuki, it has good top-end power, but that bike feels more suitable and tight technical off-road terrain where the KTM feels like a more – it performs better when the – more open, flowy, and faster.
18:37Adam, what about you?
18:38What do you think about the on-road or the off-road prowess of this thing?
18:43Yeah, I liked it a lot.
18:44You know, like to Evan's point, it definitely rewards like fast, flowy, open kind of terrain, but I didn't – despite it being 30-plus pounds more than the DRZ4S, it definitely did not feel like it was heavier than the DRZ4S.
19:02The entire time I was riding, I'm like, God, this thing feels so light.
19:05And, you know, even in the tighter stuff, it felt light.
19:08Like, it's – they did a really good job with the packaging somehow because it's 30 pounds more, but it certainly does not feel 30 pounds more in motion.
19:18So, yeah, it's a nice bike.
19:21Must carry that weight a little lower.
19:24Yeah, maybe.
19:25The extra weight is a little down low.
19:27Yeah, yeah, just very maneuverable, just very playful.
19:30Yeah, it's a little bit, you know, thicker through the midsection, but I don't know.
19:33I don't really necessarily think that's a bad thing, you know.
19:36Their ergonomics were spot on.
19:37It felt really good in the standing position, you know.
19:41Yeah, and that seat.
19:42That seat is so comfortable.
19:43The seat's really comfortable.
19:44A very comfortable seat.
19:45Yeah, much more comfortable in the DRZ4S for sure.
19:49So, it's interesting.
19:50We keep – you guys keep referencing the DRZ4S, which makes it seem like maybe these are the two competitors for each other.
20:01But then Evan said, like, they come at the question from different ends.
20:07What about, like, a CRF300L?
20:10Where does that fit in the hierarchy?
20:13You know, like, is it – is the 390 more like a 390 – or a Honda CRF300L than a DRZ?
20:23Or is it more like a DRZ?
20:25Like, where does it fit in the spectrum?
20:27Yeah.
20:28I don't really think the CRF300L is in the conversation between these two bikes.
20:32Oh, wow.
20:32Okay.
20:33It's a lower category.
20:37Okay.
20:37It does feel like that a little bit, but it's funny because now this KTM, I think for the longest time, the 300L was the most affordable dual sport or lightweight dual sport, maybe other than, like, an XR150L.
20:49But in that 300 plus CC or category, it's always been the most affordable.
20:55And now this KTM is the most affordable.
20:58Yeah.
20:58What's a 300L way?
21:00I can't –
21:00It went up in price a little bit.
21:02But it used to be, like, 55, and now I think last time I checked, it's 5, 7, 4, 9.
21:07Okay.
21:08And then –
21:09So in the same price range.
21:10Yeah.
21:10But this has –
21:11Adjustable system.
21:12This has more performance potential than –
21:16Yeah.
21:18I mean, again, the last time I rode the CRF300L was before they did the suspension update.
21:23They updated the suspension for 25, and I know that was one thing with the 300Ls.
21:27It was so soft.
21:28And even me, at 125 pounds, like, it takes very little to bottom out that suspension.
21:34And so I feel like the chassis in the 300L has good off-road capability, but it just was always held back by that super soft suspension.
21:44But, yeah, I think, again, to me that the CRF feels more like the Suzuki in a sense, where it just feels more dirt bike-y.
21:53And then the KTM feels just, again, a little bit more – it feels like this new school dual sport, where it's, like, you always hear about people taking their dual sports, whether it's an old DRZ400 or whatever, and turning it into a lightweight adventure bike.
22:07Kind of feels like that's what KTM did here, minus the windscreen on the Enduro, is it just feels like it's got good off-road chops, but it really has a lot of on-road performance, too.
22:18Whether it's – you know, this thing will go well over 90 comfortably, the Enduro R.
22:22That's good.
22:23Yeah.
22:24And then the Suzuki will maybe barely meet 90, you know.
22:28And this – I got this – the KTM to go over 100, and it still is pretty comfortable.
22:34Like, you're cruising at 75 miles per hour, and you're just, like, in the middle – still in the mid-range of the RPM.
22:39And so, again, yeah, I don't know.
22:42This – yeah.
22:45I feel like the 300L will probably – I think will probably be hurt by the KTM in sales just because you get so much with the KTM.
22:54You get adjustable suspension.
22:56You get adjustable electronics.
22:57You get a lot of good performance on and off-road.
23:00Killer styling.
23:01You know, like, you have Bluetooth connectivity.
23:03Like, it offers a lot, you know.
23:05So, you guys touched on, like, the seat being super comfortable and that, but Adam, tell me more about the ergonomics because you're six foot.
23:16Yeah.
23:16Yeah, I'm six foot tall.
23:18How tall are you, Evan?
23:195'7", 5'8".
23:21Okay.
23:22So, let's go to Adam first for tall riders, then we'll go to Evan with shorter riders.
23:28So, what do you think, Adam?
23:29Ergonomics.
23:30Yeah, I like the ergonomics on this motorcycle.
23:32Well, you know, the bar bend is, you know, real off-roady.
23:36The seat is crazy comfortable.
23:38The foot pegs, oddly enough, on the 390 Adventure R, I thought the foot pegs were really high.
23:44But on the 390 Enduro R, they felt normal to me.
23:48Is there some difference?
23:49Is there a difference in seat or foot peg placement or anything?
23:52Yeah, the 390 Adventure R has a lower seat.
23:55So, maybe it was bad.
23:57Just barely, yeah, like half an inch or maybe less than an inch, I think.
24:00But, yeah.
24:01I didn't notice that, but I remember one of the other taller riders on the trip noticing that, too, feeling a little bit more cramped.
24:09So, yeah.
24:09No, it's just real comfortable to ride in the seated or standing position.
24:13You know, it's funny how all the, they're not all, but they're all, Suzuki and KTM are using, like, the same type of handlebar bend.
24:21You know, the handlebar bend is very similar between the Enduro R and the DRC-4S.
24:26It's flat and low.
24:27Flat and straight.
24:27Flat and low.
24:28Yeah.
24:29Yeah.
24:29And wide.
24:31Yeah.
24:31You'd think a handlebar like that wouldn't be good in the standing position, but it is somehow.
24:35It's kind of odd.
24:36But it's interesting how they're all just using a flat, low bar now.
24:40But, yeah, it's good.
24:41I liked it a lot.
24:42So, speaking of foot pegs, the previous off-road 390, so we'll call that the 2023 or 24, Adventure R, the foot pegs had this little bit of a kick forward to them because they used the chassis.
25:00Oh, like dude ones?
25:02Right?
25:02So, it had, like, the foot pegs weren't totally flat.
25:04Are the foot pegs on the Enduro R, are they flat?
25:08Yeah.
25:09You know, they're not canted forward.
25:11No.
25:11They're flat.
25:12They're decently wide and, like, pretty aggressively grippy.
25:15They come with rubber inserts.
25:17We had them pulled for the trip.
25:19But, yeah, it's funny saying that because, again, just thinking about this and riding the DRZ last night and this morning now and just kind of looking at it.
25:27Like, the DRZ, they widened the foot pegs for the 4S over the previous generation.
25:33And on that trip, I was like, oh, they definitely improved it.
25:36But the KTM has even wider foot pegs, more grippy foot pegs.
25:40So, I was pretty impressed with the foot pegs on the Enduro R.
25:43They're flat.
25:44They're decently wide and grippy.
25:45I think they have the foot pegs on the 390 are better than the DRZ 4S, I would say.
25:51Right on.
25:53Okay, cool.
25:53And then, overall, Evan, for a shorter rider, how was it for you?
25:58Yeah, it was interesting hearing Adam because, for me, it was comfortable.
26:02But, to me, it felt just – I wondered that riding at, you know, 5'7", 5'8", standing up.
26:08I felt comfortable, but I wondered if – I felt like if I was a little bit taller, I might feel like I had to bend down and reach the bars, kind of a reach to the bars while standing up.
26:18It didn't bother me, but it was something I wondered.
26:21If I was 3 inches taller, it might be too low.
26:24But it didn't bother walking.
26:26So, yeah, for me, it was really nice, both standing up and sitting down.
26:30Cool.
26:32And that wide handlebar, it gives a lot of leverage, like the ergos, yeah.
26:36Cool.
26:36So, seat, handlebar, foot pegs, all knocked it out of the park.
26:40So, give me – give us, like, the one standout characteristic, both of you, on this bike.
26:50Yeah.
26:51For me, it's probably – yeah, the engine, especially that top-end performance.
26:55It does – I wish it had more bottom end and that tighter stuff.
26:58I feel like altitude, that's maybe – I struggled.
27:02Maybe that was where I felt the weight.
27:03It just felt like in some of the tight single track, and it was loose.
27:06I just couldn't get the bike to get out of the hole as quickly as I'd like.
27:10But once you did, like, that engine, just with the quick shifter, it just has that ready-to-race character of just, like, spinning it up, banging it off the rev limiter, sliding corners.
27:20So, I would say that's kind of the standout feature for me and just what you get for $5,500, I think, is – for me, looking at the whole package, the performance, the adjustability, you know, the tech features.
27:33Like, to me, it just – it really just – it gives you so much for $5,500.
27:39Yeah, I agree that just the engine performance, yeah, just a very, very playful, fast revving engine, you know, kind of – I mean, honestly, it's almost kind of a strange, you know, power output in that category that you have an engine that just is all high revving and high RPM, high RPM, high RPM.
28:02You know, you'd think you'd want an engine that maybe has a little bit more low RPM performance.
28:07But whatever, it's different and it's cool.
28:10It's cool that, you know, KTM's doing something different and following their ready-to-race ethos with that type of power delivery.
28:18Yeah, so you guys – it was $5,500, and you keep saying ready-to-race.
28:22Did – I mean, at $5,500, you would have some money left in your budget for, you know, power parts.
28:29Did KTM show you any, like, power part accessories or anything that are – will be available for this thing?
28:39Yeah.
28:39They had some suspension stuff, right, Evan?
28:41Yeah, so they had a bike with all their, like, accessories and stuff.
28:44We don't have prices on that stuff right now.
28:47Yeah.
28:47They have the quick shifter as an add-on accessory.
28:50We don't know the price on that, but we got to use it, and I thought it was really good.
28:54Even though it was, like, the beta version, they said, the final version, I thought it was really impressive.
28:59And then they have all the, you know, anodized parts you can throw on it and stuff like that.
29:04They have an exhaust.
29:05I think it's an acro exhaust that's an accessory.
29:09But, yeah, like, the big news was the suspension.
29:11They're going to offer WP Pro components is what it's called.
29:15So you can completely replace the shock.
29:18It'll be a whole new unit with an external reservoir, high and low-speed compression, like a really nice unit.
29:25And then the fork is a drop-in cartridge fork.
29:28Like, yeah.
29:29So, and it's called WP Pro components.
29:31And so I think that they said really the reason they wanted to do that was going to adventure rallies, whether it's theirs or other adventure rallies,
29:38and seeing how in the adventure dual sport segment, it's really popular to, you know, take your suspension in to a tuner and do some aftermarket stuff to it.
29:49So they thought, oh, we'll just offer it as an accessory.
29:53So I thought that was pretty cool.
29:55Cool.
29:55So what was the letdown?
29:59What was the one thing you didn't like?
30:01I think it's criticism.
30:06I have, like, I have two.
30:07Again, I wish it had more bottom-end performance, but I also understand this is, they didn't really do much with this engine pulling it from the Duke.
30:15The mapping's a little bit different, but other than that, I'm pretty sure they said the gear ratio is all that stays the same.
30:21So it uses a 48.2.3 or sprocket, which seems pretty, like, a lot, where the Suzuki, the DRZ, I think is a, what is it, 40?
30:32It used to be a 47.
30:33I think they went to 43.
30:34I don't remember.
30:35Sorry.
30:35I'm just, can't remember exactly.
30:38But, yeah, to me, I wish it had more bottom-end performance.
30:41And I think the suspension for riding super aggressive, fast off-road riding just was a little bit of a letdown.
30:50It just didn't seem like it, I bottomed the suspension out quite a bit, and just, like, the damping control just didn't seem quite up to par for, like, charging hard off-road like you could with the Suzuki.
31:02That was something I noticed with the Suzuki is pushing the pace on the press launches.
31:06You never, it was, you didn't feel like you were overriding the bike.
31:10You would push it hard and be like, okay, I can handle this, where it seemed like every time I tried to push the pace on the 390, it was telling me, hey, hey, hey, you're at the limit.
31:19So, I would say a little more bottom-end, a little bit better suspension.
31:23Adam?
31:25Yeah, like, that was a, for me, it was just the engine note, like, the engine sounds, it sounds like an Indian engine.
31:33I know that sounds like a strange thing to say, but it just, they have this, like, this just not really awesome sound to them.
31:40They just sound really plain and just bleh.
31:42And there's a lot of mechanical noise, it seems.
31:46Like, from the Dukes from before, like, it seems like you can hear the piston going up inside, up and down inside the cylinder, and you can hear the valves and the, you know, the camshafts doing their thing.
31:57Like, there's, it seems like there's just a lot of mechanical noise in the old 90s.
32:02That's a good point, you know, it's a good point.
32:05It just, it just, when it's idling, it just has, like, a, it just doesn't sound, it doesn't sound awesome to me.
32:12You know, it, it, that's kind of a gripe, you know, and I, some of that mechanical noise, I think, is, plays tune, but just the tone of the muffler, just, it just sounds like, it just doesn't sound awesome.
32:22And then, again, the suspension, like, it glides over, you know, little stuff, it glides right over it, but, you know, medium stuff, you definitely, when you hit stuff, you feel it.
32:32It's like, bam, ba-bam, and that was kind of annoying to me, but on the, all the little stuff, it glides right over it.
32:37But, you know, that's really my only critique, is just the engine sound, you know, at idle, and then, you know, just when you hit, like, medium things, just, you feel them through the controls.
32:47Yeah, you overwhelm it.
32:48Yeah, you're riding a KTM, so sometimes you forget that it's a $5,500 KTM, right?
32:54Mm-hmm.
32:55Well, yeah, because with that engine, you get up, you can get going quick, you get going fast very quickly, and then you're like, whoa, whoa, there's a bump, and then you're, bah, bah, and you're all.
33:05Yeah, the bike didn't really get out of control, it just hurt, that's, I would, bam, it always, like, hurt my body, and, ow, ow.
33:12You feel like, I felt like I was beating up on it, just, like, bottoming it out a lot, but, yeah.
33:16Yeah.
33:17And I pumped a bunch of compression into the fork, too, and just still dealt with that a little bit.
33:22The shock, really, more so than the fork, I would say.
33:25Okay.
33:25So then, there's going to be people that ask, which is, to us, is an obviously question that doesn't make a lot of sense, but they're like, well, they already have a dual sport, they have a 350 EXCF, like, why wouldn't you, like, why would they do this, you know, like, but those are obviously two very different types of motorcycles, right?
33:50Like, the person that's looking at this and looking at the 350 EXCF, not the same person, right?
33:57Yeah, I agree.
33:58Totally different customers, regardless of your skill level, I think, yeah, what you're going to do with the EXCF is a lot different than what you would want to do with the Enduro R.
34:09Well, the purchase price is pretty different as well.
34:12Like, if we rode that same route on a 350 EXCF, you'd be fine, you would do it, but you would be totally more comfortable on the Enduro R, especially on that pavement stuff.
34:27So people aren't going to be getting a discount EXC by buying the Enduro R?
34:34No, I would say no.
34:35Okay.
34:37Cool.
34:37Well, I think we've hit our time here.
34:40Any other quick insights before we wrap this one up?
34:48Yeah, when do we get one at the office?
34:49I'd like to ride that thing.
34:51Yeah, there you go.
34:52We got one coming soon.
34:53Yeah.
34:54Yeah, good.
34:55I think there's a, you keep saying DRZ a lot in this conversation, which means that there is definitely a shootout in order.
35:03Yeah.
35:04Right.
35:05Okay.
35:06Well, we'll get the two and see which one shakes out better, I guess.
35:10So with that, it seems to me that the 390 is like this middle ground between a gnarly dual sport and some of the softer machines with a lot of ability on the street and some pretty decent off-road ability.
35:27Do you agree?
35:28Do you agree?
35:28Yeah.
35:29Okay.
35:30It's $5,500, which is rad.
35:32So that's awesome.
35:33So with that, we're going to wrap it up.
35:35It seems like both the guys enjoyed it for the most part and had mostly positive things to say, which is awesome to see another inexpensive dual sport jump into the segment.
35:47So if you like what we're doing, hit the like button, subscribe, leave comments down below, let us know what you think of this new 390 Enduro R, and we'll catch you in the next episode.
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