2026 KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Duke first ride review: Is the compromise between performance and price justified?

Last year, the government introduced a policy that made it more difficult to get your hands on performance motorcycles. In the sub-500cc class especially. No, I’m not talking about the dearth of products. GST 2.0 and 350cc+ bikes being placed in the sin tax segment mean that they’re getting taxed at 40 per cent rather than the 18 per cent that you would pay for smaller displacement bikes. KTM was kind enough to absorb the costs of its entire 390 range, but that’s hardly a viable solution. Enter the new KTM 350s. Like the Triumphs and the Pulsar NS400Z, KTM has fitted the 390 Duke and the 390 Adventure with a 349cc engine to pass on the benefit of the new GST norms to the consumer. But unlike Triumph and Bajaj, KTM has not replaced its existing models with the 350cc engined bikes but instead added them as entry models to the lineup. The new 350cc Duke 390 now serves as the base model while the 398cc-engined hooligan that we knew as the Duke 390 now gets the R moniker. In the case of the Adventure range, the 350 is just called the 390 Adventure and it sits below the 390 Adventure X on which it is based; the Adventure X, along with the Adventure S and R, remains untouched. And when it comes to still being called a 390, KTM says that the 390 is more of a brand than an indication of displacement. And KTM is not the only brand that does that.

2026 KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Duke engine and performance

The engineers at Bajaj/KTM have taken the 398cc mill and reduced the bore from 64mm to 56.15mm. The result? The 390 (350) Duke and Adventure are powered by a government pleasing 349.32cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that makes 41bhp of peak power at 8600rpm and 33.5Nm of torque at 7000rpm. That’s 4.3bhp and 5.5Nm less than the 398cc models. More importantly, peak power and torque are made 100rpm and 500rpm later in the rev range. While it might sound insignificant, there is a notable difference, especially in the low-end and mid-range of the motorcycle. 41bhp is still a lot and both the Adventure and the Duke do feel quick. Neither of them feel as punchy as the 398cc bikes. Unlike the Triumph 350-400, the difference is more apparent here. To get that surge of power from both bikes you now need to rev them out all the way and the effect it has on the Adventure versus the Duke is different.

2026 KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Duke chassis and equipment

The chassis setup remains identical on both bikes. For the sake of easy understanding, let us call the new bikes the 350s. The 350 Adventure is based on the 390 Adventure X+. Which means that it gets the same 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel. The same WP suspension and all of the same electronics as well. Getting on the 350 Adventure, the smaller engine doesn’t seem like a crutch at all. In fact it feels right at home. If you remember the reviews of the KTM 390 Adventure S, we said that while it is quick, it doesn’t have that hallmark sense of snappiness that you’d associate with a KTM. So barring having to rev it out a little more, it still retains the same Adventure feeling. Refinement levels feel a little nicer too. And you still have access to all the electronics.

It’s not all smooth sailing for the Duke 350 though. You get a Duke because you want a machine that will scare you silly. One that has the sole agenda of bringing out the hooligan in you. The 398cc Duke does this really well. It has oodles of mid-range torque and a surprisingly potent low-end as well. The kind that comes in handy when you want to prevent the wear of your front tyre. Don’t get me wrong, the 350 Duke is still plenty fast. But it lacks the sense that it wants to kill you and that’s disappointing. Again, in terms of equipment, it gets everything that the 390 Duke R gets. To be able to tell the bikes apart, you have new graphics and paint schemes and in the case of the Duke, the R gets the orange frame while the 350 doesn’t.

2026 KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Duke verdict and price

But does all of this matter to someone who hasn’t experienced the bike and wants to get one? Armchair warriors are going to scream blue bloody murder irrespective of what the pros and cons are. But when you take a step back, you realise that at ₹2.82 lakh for the 350 Adventure and ₹2.79 lakh for the 350 Duke, both bikes cost around ₹60,000 less than their 398cc counterparts; that is the difference that will matter to most people. Rightly so. Unlike Triumph, KTM has retained the 398cc engined Duke and Adventure in all variants so you have the choice to pick what you like based on how much you want to spend. With the entry-level 390 Adventure and Duke you’re still getting over 40bhp, all the electronics and a great overall bike. Yes they might not be as explosive in terms of performance but it isn’t as aggressive on your wallet either.