SUMMER ESCAPE ON KTM 390 ADVENTURES
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Feature
tackle an exploratory excursion—
these are all things that made it
shine. The more I rode it the more
I smiled and the more I smiled, the
sillier places I imagined it going.
I think we found the limit of
the KTM 390 Adventure motor-
cycle on this trip. From silty and
steep Jeep route ridge drops to
rocky and rowdy single-track,
I wouldn't want to take it too
much deeper down the aggres-
sive off-road path and Mr. Cody
mostly agreed, even though he's
also ridden it across the dunes in
Glamis during "heat tests" trying
to get it to overheat (it didn't).
Likewise, I wouldn't want to
go in longer, straighter lines than
CA395 or I-15, etc. From frozen
mornings to sweltering desert
sand washes, the bike's function-
ality never faltered. I could have
picked better bikes for the fringes
of the terrain and conditions, but
for something down the middle,
and this accessible for so many
new bike owners, this bike really
impressed.
There's something simple
about the 390 that gives you a
nice sense of security and con-
fidence. But, it has ample tech
and performance to reinforce
the investment. With KTM's 390
Adventure you get an impressive
dash, traction control, fantastic
quick-shift tech, great suspen-
sion for an entry-level machine
and a comfortable platform very
experienced riders confidently
take into the mountains.
Our total ride was over 750
miles fully loaded. The 390's aver-
aged close to 60 mpg with 180
and 220-pound riders aboard. And
they weren't babied, that's impres-
sive for such "entry-level" bikes.
I modified very little on my test
bike for this ride. I slapped on
Giant Loop and Wolfman luggage
to hold the camping gear, food
and camera equipment. Then,
I installed a set of Dunlop Trail-
max Mission ADV tires. That's it.
Cargo, straps and tires—simple.
The Dunlop Trailmax Mission
