390 ADVENTURE v RIVALS
Xpulse 200 and Himalayan go mud slinging with the new KTM
The last three months have felt like an eternity. The world, and even more so our country, has come to a complete stop as we experience the wrath of Covid-19. The streets are empty, racetracks are shut and gone are the days when you could simply swing a leg over the saddle and ride down to the hills for that cup of chai. I even read in the (digital) papers that two bikers were booked for riding in the hills and violating lockdown orders. But restrictions will eventually ease, and we will finally be able to experience the simple things that we took for granted.
Heading back to racetracks is still a distant dream but what you will be able to find are trails carved out by cattle grazing on the hills outside your city. And of course there’s always that abandoned quarry like the one we found just outside our Pune HQ, complete with trails, filled with slush and rocks — perfect for something light, easy to ride and, relevant in today’s times; light on the wallet too. So here are three of the most affordable ADVs in the country: The Hero Xpulse 200, Royal Enfield Himalayan and KTM 390 Adventure.
Now before you question our intentions, no, this is not a comparison test. There’s a substantial price difference between the three, and significant differences in abilities. The whole point is to re-discover the joy of riding a motorcycle and exploring trails in the first rains of the season.
THE XPULSE 200 FEELS LIKE THE BICYCLE WITH TRAINING WHEELS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD
Training wheels The Xpulse won the IMOTY last year and with good reason. When we first rode it at C S Santosh’s BigRock Dirtpark in Bangalore, we knew there was something special about it and the USP is definitely its rallying genes. C S told us that he was a part of the development team and that clearly shows in the way the Xpulse tackles the trails. But that’s not the reason why Aatish chose the Xpulse for this ride.
You see, Aatish has turned into a ‘car guy’ and spotting him on a motorcycle is as rare as seeing the Halley’s comet. The Xpulse 200 feels like a bicycle from your childhood days and, yes, it does come with training wheels — in the form of the featherweight and extremely well-balanced chassis that allows you to tackle any kind of track. Whether enduro, MX or a regular trail, the Xpulse tackles it with utmost ease. It’s extremely noob-friendly (read Aatish-friendly), both in the way it rides and also when it comes to the bulge in your wallet. What if you crash it, which is inevitable on a trail? The build quality is solid as we experienced on the ride when Aatish managed to jump a few boulders, gassing it accidentally. The bike fell on top of him but thanks to its kerb weight of just 154kg, Mr Mishra, despite his lanky frame, managed not to snap any of his twigs.
And what happens when you know that you’ve conquered your fears and are ready to take the next step? Just buy yourself the official Hero Rally Kit for `38 grand and you’ll be sorted for years of
THE HIMALAYAN HAS A DISTINCT OLDSCHOOL CHARM IN THE WAY IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS
hardcore off-roading and some rally riding too. Hero deploys the same bike in rallies! But what if you’re not a rally nut and want something that’s good to go touring with?
Level up
Stretch your budget a bit, get yourself a gym membership and then you’ll be happy to wag the tail on the Himalayan. The Himalayan has a distinct old-school charm in the way it looks and sounds even. I’m not really fond of it but when our in-house stunt guru Hrishi said he hadn’t ridden the 390 Adventure, I had to oblige and get astride the Royal Enfield.
In the latest BS6 guise, the Himalayan has gotten more refined but there’s also a new party trick, switchable ABS. This new Himalayan is so good I would recommend it to my friends and it brings the best of both worlds together — off-road riding and weekend getaways. Heck, when the 390 Adventure was struggling with its low IQ traction control, the Himalayan snuck up and went ahead on a really hard climb. Its case is further helped by the low 800mm seat. The ergos are so good that not even BMW manages to get close with the G 310 GS, despite its off-road pedigree. The long stroke engine again is a gem when you’re heading out on the trails as I discovered, packing in much required low-down grunt. The suspension travel is excellent and so is the ground clearance. Of course, it does bottom out when carrying my 85kg frame around, but doesn’t feel as fragile as it used to when it was first launched.
The Himalayan then is probably the next big thing if you can stretch your budget by an extra 80,000 rupees. But what if you want more?
SUV for the road
The 390 Adventure was always meant to be a soft-roader. Think of it more like a shrunken version of the Ducati Multistrada 950, our favourite ADV for the tarmac. The engine is straight out of a racetrack, which means it can get you to Goa from Mumbai in the quickest way possible. In fact, it’s so much quicker that Aatish and I couldn’t keep up with Hrishi even in the city. There’s the brilliant quickshifter which allows you to rest your left wrist and simply pass that oversized truck with ease. The instrument cluster even gets you navigation like Google Maps and that’s what brought us to this secluded trail. “It is the ideal motorcycle for our country”, I told Hrishi before handing over the keys. But is it really?
Well, if you want to sprint to Ladakh and back, then the KTM is your best bet. But on a technical trail like this one, the 390 cannot really keep up with the rest. The traction control has a mind of its own and hasn’t been patched as KTM had told us they would at the first ride back in January. The suspension bottoms out for obvious reasons (170mm travel) and the bash plate keeps scrubbing over tiny boulders. But if you’re in the
THE 390 ADVENTURE FEELS LIKE A SHRUNKEN VERSION OF THE
DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950
mood for hoonery, the 390 Adventure is always game. We were in awe after seeing Hrishi pull wheelies on the KTM. “It is so easy to pull wheelies on this one,” said Hrishi but with a caveat. “If only it had better tyres”. We did tell you it is a soft-roader.
To each his own
I know why Aatish chose the Xpulse. It’s so light, you don’t need any assistance picking it up when you drop it on the trail, and it is so well-built you never have to worry about anything breaking or bending. The off-road ability is like no other. Want to replace your MXer with a road-legal bike? Get yourself one of these. It doesn’t have long legs but on a day like this, when you’re out in the mud just having fun, the Xpulse is the closest thing to take you back to your teenage days.
That said, the long ride back will be more comfortable on the Himalayan. That engine is a gem and with its tractability, you can relax and enjoy the wind in your hair experience. Of course, I’m talking metaphorically, but fact is the Himalayan is the most balanced package of them all and is the best all-rounder here. It’s just handling the weight that could be a problem.
And finally, if you are paranoid about flying, you must get yourself a KTM 390 Adventure. The KTM is frantically fast on the road and munches miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It may not be as capable as the others when it comes to off-roading but you wouldn’t expect Toby Price to race Marc Marquez, would you? If you can afford it — and that is a big question mark since it costs as much as the combined price of the other two — I’d definitely suggest you get yourself one. And head out. The weather is great. There are fewer idiots on the road. And wherever you might be, the trails are all virgin.