Suspension performance is
both impressive and somewhat
disappointing. If you look at the
specs, this isn't a huge surprise.
The 43mm Apex fork is very ca-
pable. It moved consistently all
day without
a standard-setting
snafu to be found. I tried, but it
didn't bottom out uncontrollably
or excessively. It also wasn't
harsh. Good work on that, KTM.
The easy-access hand-adjust
clickers on top of each fork
tube are great at making on-ride
adjustments, another kudos. I
added two clicks of compres-
sion and opened rebound two
clicks during my ride and was
happy. I don't know why, but
these units come with 30 clicks
of adjustments. That's a lot. And
I think it's a lot that isn't going
to be used. Maybe make two
clicks one click and have 15
total clicks? Just an idea.
The rear suspension is a
disappointment, but only in the
rowdier end of off-road use.
The poor WP monotube shock
with rebound-only adjustment
doesn't stand a chance once
you get on the pegs off-road af-
ter being brainwashed by KTM
for
20 years that all their bikes
should be raced off-road (Fac-
tory KTM EnduroGP absolute
badass Josep Garcia
is their
model for marketing this bike).
The shock is comfortable
and fine around town, cruising
on dirt roads and handling light-
to-medium bumps at off-road
speeds. But once you get your
elbows up and your head down,
the shock will bottom abruptly
to the bump stop, then rebound
quickly. Staying light on the
pegs and keeping your butt out
of the seat's rebound range is
a quick fix to avoid suffering in
whoops and repeated hits, but
the real solution is a new shock,
which WP has on the menu via
its Pro Components line. They
also have fork cartridge inserts,
but pricing information isn't yet
available. So, you can probably
make this bike much racier
than it is, if you feel you must.
As a dual-sport option in the
market at this price, the sus
-
pension is certainly adequate.
THE 390 BRAIN
Ride modes are the headline
here, with Street and Off-Road
options available after a couple
of button pushes. Selecting
these triggers traction control
and ABS in appropriate direc
-
tions and adjusts power output/
throttle
response
accordingly. Rid-
ers can disengage
ABS
completely
as well. An impor-
tant note is that
the 390
Enduro
R does not have
an internal IMU
measuring bike
attitude or lean
angles; therefore,
the traction con-
trol and ABS are
calculated based
on wheel, vehicle, and engine
speed. They are not lean-angle
sensitive/specific. All of this is
manipulated through some left-
hand buttons and a very nice
4.2-inch, full-color, rectangular
TFT display. This easily displays
your speed and gear position
while also providing at-a-glance
With an "R" in your
name, you better
have some high-
performance chops.
This little KTM can
party with ample
suspension damping
performance up
front. Out back, the
shock needs an
upgrade to get really
rowdy. Both ends
feature nine inches
of travel.
VOLUME 62 ISSUE 28 JULY 15, 2025 P123
