2023–2024 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
Light, Connected, Goes Anywhere
KTM's smallest adventure machine is built around a 373 cc liquid-cooled single making 44 hp at 9,000 rpm and 27 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm, fed through a six-speed box and a chain. The SW badge means wire-spoked wheels, 19 inches at the front and 17 at the rear, and what sits under them is unusually complete for a bike this size: adjustable suspension at both ends, cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, a slipper clutch, a TFT dash, an adjustable screen and LED lighting. Nothing here reads like a stripped-out entry machine built down to a number.
Ride it and the priorities show themselves quickly. It steers with almost no effort, stays settled at highway speed, and returns 64 mpg out of a 3.8 gal (14.5 L) tank, so the gaps between fuel stops get long and the running costs stay low. That suits a rider who wants one honest bike for the commute, for gravel forest roads, and for a three-day loop. The honest caveat is travel. My bar for a genuine adventure bike sits at 7.9 in (200 mm), and this one comes up short with 6.7 in (170 mm) up front and 7.0 in (177 mm) at the rear. Pair that with a 33.7 in seat and you get a bike that is taller to stop than it is capable to jump.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 44 hp (32 kW) @ 9,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 27 lb-ft (37 Nm) @ 7,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 373 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-19 |
| Rear tire | 130/80-17 |
| Wheelbase | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Front travel | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.0 in (177 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.7 in (855 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.8 gal (14.5 L) |
| Top speed | 99 mph (160 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 64 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
None of this is my seat time. It is what riders say at events, what owners raise when they stop me after a demo day, and what lands in my mail week after week. For this bike the talk sorts itself into two piles, and both are consistent.
Light is the word that comes back most. Riders say it turns with almost no input asked of them, and the ones still building experience say it never felt like more bike than they could handle. People using it for trips raise the range next, talking about how seldom they have to plan a day around fuel.
The front brake is where nearly every conversation ends up. Riders call it quick to bite and hard to feed in gently at walking pace, and they say it unsettles them on loose ground. Ergonomics come next. The seat gets described as hard, wide enough to splay the legs at a stop, and sore past the first hour. Riders who stand on the pegs want a riser, since the bars sit low. Others mention how little the screen keeps off them at speed, and how coarse the engine gets high in the revs.
E-throttle moisture ingress leading to engine idle
Moisture can penetrate the electronic throttle assembly, causing erratic voltage signals and forcing the ECU to revert the engine to idle. The issue triggers a recall (NHTSA 25V598) affecting 2022-2024 390 Adventure models. Dealer replacement of the e-throttle assembly is required.
Low-speed stalling
Some owners report intermittent stalling when pulling away from traffic lights or at low RPMs, possibly related to fuelling or throttle calibration.
Gear position sensor failure
A few owners noted that the gear indicator stopped working after around 12,000 mi (20,000 km), though the bike continued to ride normally.
Where this KTM 390 Adventure SW pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 390 Adventure SW is actually built for.
Light, cheap to run and easy to place on a line, so slickrock day trips work. On hard technical ground the short travel and low bars will hold you back before your skill does.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
For route logistics it is close to ideal: 64 mpg, a long fuel range, low running costs. Just plan your days around graded dirt, because the suspension runs out before your ambition does.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route
On twisty two-lane it is genuinely good fun and steady at highway speed. The firm, flat seat is the thing that decides how long your day actually gets.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this KTM 390 Adventure SW. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2025
Wired, Narrow and Rally-Ready
Competitor · 2024
Low Cost, High Ground
Roughly $1,200 cheaper used than this bike at 2 yr
Competitor · 2017–2020
The GS Badge, Featherweight
Competitor · 2019–2021
The Reliable First Adventure
Same Platform · 2017–2023
Small Orange, Maximum Attack
~$1,700 cheaper used than this bike at 3 yr