Baby enduro heads new ‘dual sport’ range

KTM’s financial problems might be overshadowing the company’s other business at the moment but it’s continuing to add more machines to its 2025 range – the latest being the 390 Enduro R.

It’s not just a new bike but the start of a whole new model line for KTM, with the company adding a ‘Dual Sport’ segment to its lineup to accommodate the machine. Given that KTM already has a dedicated ‘Enduro’ range, that might seem a bit odd, but the 390 Enduro R (and the similar 125 Enduro R launched in Europe but not offered in Australia) have a road-oriented appeal rather than the competition-focused machines that populate the ‘Enduro’ section on its website. Oh, and just to add a bit more confusion, the only other street-biased ‘Enduro R’ is the 690 Enduro R, and it’s part of KTM’s ‘Travel’ range alongside the Adventure models…

Pushing that confusion to one side, the 390 Enduro R is actually quite a straightforward proposition: it’s essentially an off-road version of the 390 SMC-R that debuted a few days ahead of it, and as such shares most of its major components with the current 390 Duke roadster. That means you get a trellis-style chassis rather than the cradle-style frame used on KTM’s competition enduro models, as well as the same 399cc LC4c engine used in the Duke. Those Duke-derived parts include an under-engine exhaust system that looks rather exposed for serious off-road riding, and without the frame cradles of the competition-oriented machines there’s no chassis structure protecting the underside of the motor either, showing that the Enduro R, despite genuine off-road ability, is really targeting road and gentle trail use.

As on the 390 SMC-R, which also shares the same bodywork as the 390 Enduro R, the suspension is made up of 43mm WP APEX forks and a WP monoshock, with a new swingarm that helps add ground clearance compared to the 390 Duke. There’s 230mm of travel at each end, plus compression and rebound adjustment at the front and preload and rebound adjustment at the rear. Where the SMC-R uses 17-inch wires, the 390 Enduro has a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear, with 90/90-21 and 140/80-18 rubber respectively. ByBre brakes with a single 285mm front disc and 240mm rear deal with the stopping duties, backed up by switchable ABS with an ‘offroad’ mode that disables the antilock at the back, as well as the ability to turn it off at both ends.

The engine, as in the Duke and SMC-R models, puts out 33kW and 39Nm of torque via a six-speed box, with traction control and a selection of riding modes, while the view from onboard is identical to the 390 SMC-R with the same 4.2-inch TFT dash and illuminated control pods on the bars.

The 390 Enduro R is set to arrive in KTM dealerships starting April 2025.

KTM 390 ENDURO R SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE

TYPE 4-stroke, 4V/DOHC, Liquid cooled Single-cylinder, (EURO 5+)

DISPLACEMENT 398.7cc

BORE/STROKE 89 / 64mm

POWER 45PS / 33KW @ 8,500rpm

TORQUE 39Nm @ 7,000rpm

COMPRESSION RATIO 12.6 : 1

TRANSMISSION 6 gears

FUEL SYSTEM Bosch EFI (electronic throttle body 46mm)

CLUTCH PASC slipper clutch, mechanically operated

ENGINE MANAGEMENT Bosch EMS with RBW

FUEL CONSUMPTION 3.4l / 100km

CO2 EMISSIONS 79g CO2/km

CHASSIS

FRAME Steel trellis frame, powder coated

SUBFRAME Bolt on steel trellis frame, powder coated

HANDLEBAR Aluminium

SUSPENSION Front – WP APEX open cartridge 43mm, Compression and Rebound adjustable with 230mm travel

Rear – WP APEX Split Piston, Preload and Rebound adjustable with 230mm travel

BRAKES Front – 285mm floating disk, Bybre radial calipers with 2 pistons

Rear – 240mm Bybre floating caliper 1 piston

RIMS 21 / 18 inch spoke wheels

TIRES Front90 / 90 R21 M/C 54T M+S, Rear – 140 / 80 R18 M/C 70T M+S

WHEEL BASE 1,475mm

SEAT HEIGHT 890mm

TANK CAPACITY 9 litres

WEIGHT 159kg