The small way round: New KTM 390 Adventure and Royal Enfield Himalayan go wild
The antidote to gigantic GSs – but which affordable mini-adventurer is best?
It’s been a long time coming for KTM’s smallest Adventure. Roughly six seconds after the addictively rorty, naughty 390 Duke was launched way back in 2013, imaginations started running wild. What if the Austrian dirt experts could take that same lightweight, approachable and addictively engaging recipe, but mix in several scoops of unmatched off-road expertise? The result could be everything from an everyman enduro, like a modern-day Suzuki DR-Z400S, to the starting point for a rugged rally replica, like a more affordable version of CCM’s GP450.
Seven years, several spy shots and countless premature headlines later, the 390 Adventure has finally arrived. But in the meantime, someone else got on the scene first. Royal Enfield’s Himalayan landed on European shores in early 2018 and swiftly carved out a cult following for its refreshing simplicity, surprising credibility and astonishing value. It too offers a blend of on and off-road ability, is aimed as an accessible adventurer and, like KTM’s 390, is built in India. So then, a pair of single-cylinder engines split by just 38cc, two steel frames, four semi-knobbly tyres and one shared dream: that adventure doesn’t have to mean big, heavy and expensive. But which does it better?
You gotta speed it up
Out on open, empty highways, the Royal Enfield Himalayan immediately makes it clear that it does not want to be hurried. It’s a polite, obedient, well-natured thing, one that’s quite content sticking resolutely to the speed limit thank you very much indeed. Its long-stroke, air-cooled, two-valve single has the ability, on paper at least, to summon forth the power of two dozen horses. But if that’s true, a Grand National featuring this particular stable would not make for captivating viewing. The Himalayan needs to be whipped hard to push much past 60mph – it can hold 70 (and, in fairness, with impressive smoothness), and does have the mathematical ability to hit 80mph. But with only 6500rpm and five gears to play with, it feels hideously cruel. Far better to back things off and take it steady.
So a Himalayan doesn’t smash the miles, rather tick them off leisurely, one by one. It’s a comfortable place to spend the time though, with fair wind protection from the screen and decent legroom. The seat’s nice and wide too, though the padding is extremely soft; you find yourself sinking too deep inside it wishing for a bit more support. After a couple of hours you’re almost willing the fuel gauge to move a bit faster, to give you an excuse to stop. But it won’t – not with its 70mpg average giving 200mile potential from its 15-litre tank. The KTM goes about covering distance completely differently. It’s a frantic, eager, impatient little nymph, one that relishes being revved hard. The short-stroke 390 motor makes peak torque way up at 7000rpm – by which point the Enfield’s stopped revving – and really wants to spend its life from there to the 10,000 redline. With almost twice the Himalayan’s power it holds 80mph easily and can carry on to tickle the fringes of 100mph. It’s buzzy though, with vibes tingling through the bars and pegs at cruising speed. The wind protection’s lacking, even after adjusting its short screen to the higher of its two positions, while the seat’s firm too. And being tempted into carrying higher speeds drains the tank a lot faster – the KTM’s economy drops to just 62mpg in brisk riding, though that’s still
‘It is, to be blunt, dreadful’
enough to give an easy 150 miles between fillups.
Then you’ve gotta slow it down
On unclassified backroads, the Royal Enfield feels more at home. Through tight, twisty sections the steering feels slightly weighty – a consequence of its larger front wheel, lazier geometry and longer wheelbase. But in longer turns it feels incredibly planted, stable and remarkably confident on its dualpurpose tyres. Confident enough to scrape metal bits without even trying, anyway. It’s said that Harris Performance worked on the Enfield’s chassis and, mid-corner, that’s entirely believable. However, there is little sign of performance when it comes to the Enfield’s front brake. It is, to be blunt, dreadful. The minimal bite from the two-piston caliper catches you out even after a hundred miles of trying to acclimatise, with a fierce squeeze needed to generate any sense of urgency. However, there are positives. Without massive stopping power the unadjustable forks avoid plunging into their leggy 200mm of travel, while the unswitchable ABS is never triggered no matter how hard you try.
Trickling through towns and villages, the Royal Enfield feels easy and willing. That lolloping motor chugs willingly away from traffic lights, seat height is low, while the generous steering lock gives a noticeably tighter turning circle than the KTM. It’s all very easy. The 390 Adventure deals with twistier roads much in the same way it does faster A-roads: by attacking them. The lighter, shorter chassis and smaller front wheel means the KTM plunges onto its side at the first suggestion of handlebar input, and flicks through every S-bend like it’s the final chicane at Assen.
The KTM’s brakes give the confidence to carry a bit of momentum too. The four-piston Bybre caliper bites with confidence and immediacy, backed up by lean-sensitive ABS, while the quality WP upside-down forks stand firm enough to deal with the weight transfer. The shock’s slightly excitable on rough roads at speed, however. Adding five clicks of rebound damping calms it down, improving ride quality.
In traffic, the KTM’s clutch requires a lot less effort to pull than the Enfield’s. But the gearbox is less helpful, with neutral an absolute pig
‘Drops onto its side at the first suggestion of ’bar input’
to find at a set of lights. It’s surprisingly tall too – even at 5ft 9in I can’t flat-foot its quoted 855mm seat height.
You gotta play around
It’s not just gridlocked city centres where a lower seat boosts confidence: it helps away from tarmac too. Neither of these bikes is a hardcore mud-plugger – and, thankfully, neither is the rider. But both bikes do promise to let an amateur adventurer explore an easy, hardpacked green lane, so it’d be rude not to see how they compare.
Picking tentatively down a flat, dry byway, the Enfield feels remarkably content. Standing up reveals a natural stance and intuitive balance, soft longtravel suspension yields happily over the uneven surface, while the motor grumbles along at low revs perfectly in its element. The Pirelli MT60 tyres’ wide grooves lend confidence that they won’t give up at the first sign of muck, while there’s something reassuring about a 21-inch front wheel even if you’re not riding over anything tougher than potholes and fallen branches.
The Himalayan may carry a few kilos – our scales reveal its true 200kg kerb weight – but it rolls along with reassuring, fuss-free solidity. Its bash plate and long front mudguard shield the motor and exhaust. And when things do get tricky, you can always dab a foot with ease. Clearly it’s never going to win a Dakar, but the Himalayan feels built for a bit of the rough stuff.
The KTM, surprisingly, never stops feeling like a road bike. Stand up and the low handlebars make you stoop forwards awkwardly. On the lumps and bumps along a brisk gravel trail its firmer, shorter-travel suspension offers much less sympathy than the Himalayan. And while the 390’s motor feels frisky when ridden hard on the road, it’s a little breathless at the more sedate revs used on trails. Put a foot down and you’re aware of its taller seat height – despite the fact the KTM actually sits lower, with less ground clearance than the Enfield.
There are tricks up the KTM’s sleeves, however. It has the safety net of traction control, which you can switch off if you prefer on dirt, while the smarter ABS system has an off-road setting to let you lock the rear. The gear pedal’s flip-up tip is a nice touch too, and standard handguards are very welcome. And it’s substantially lighter than the Enfield: a measured 173kg with a full tank.
Making your mind up
Pick the KTM and you get a 12V power socket, a colour TFT dash, Bluetooth phone connectivity, backlit switchgear and an optional quickshifter. Pick the Enfield and you get a centrestand, fork gaiters and a choke lever that doesn’t stop the motor stalling when cold. One is built on tried and trusted tradition, the rugged beauty of simplicity and a 119-year legacy. The other thrives on vibrant, sharp-edged modernity, youth appeal and shameless excitement. In some ways the 390 Adventure and the Himalayan might be polar opposites, but they’re both trying to appeal to the same audience: from A2-licenceclutching novices to veteran road riders dipping a boot into the adventure world for the first time. They just go about it in very, very different ways…
‘In longer turns it feels incredibly planted, stable and confident’