Alan Dowds gives the round-up…
KTM 390 Journey
The development for ever-bigger journey bikes has us scratching our heads typically. Okay, when you’re occurring a month-long jaunt throughout Europe two-up with baggage for 4 strapped on, a 150-200bhp, 250kg tourer-on-stilts makes numerous sense. However when you really need to do any off-road antics, smaller and lighter is sort of all the time the way in which to go. Therefore the success of frankly tiny equipment just like the Honda CRF300 Rally or Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 – each very sluggish, however a lot simpler to deal with in mud or sand than the 1200cc giants.
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KTM’s been in on this motion, too, although it took some time to catch on. Its 390 Journey first appeared in 2020 and was an enormous hit, with strong efficiency, up in the direction of the bounds of the A2 licence limits with 43bhp and 158kg dry. Nimble dealing with, first rate tools ranges and sharp styling lifted it above less-accomplished competitors, and it’s carved out a neat little area of interest for itself available in the market.
5 years on then, the Austrian agency has expanded and up to date the 390 Journey providing, with two fashions within the vary: a extra dirt-focused Journey R, and a less expensive, extra fundamental road-biased Journey X.
The X has solid aluminium wheels, with a 19-inch entrance and 17-inch rear rim, and both Apollo Tramplr XR or MRF Meteor road-focused tyres. The WP APEX suspension has much less journey, with unadjustable 43mm USD entrance forks and a preload-only adjustable rear shock. Add in a hard and fast entrance brake disc as an alternative of a floating unit, and that’s the primary chassis variations between the X and R.
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The R, as you’d anticipate, will get correct wire-spoked rims with a 21-inch entrance and 18-inch rear and dirt-capable Mitas Enduro Path E07+ rubber, plus longer journey suspension. The WP APEX equipment has strong spec: a 43mm open cartridge USD forks with 230mm of journey, adjustable for compression and rebound in 30 click on steps, and a Separate Piston rear shock, additionally with 230mm of journey plus each preload and rebound adjustment. The entrance disc is a floating design and makes use of the identical twin-piston floating caliper because the X mannequin.
The 2 variants use the identical engine: a mildly tweaked model of the wonderful 399cc DOHC 4v l/c LC4c unit, now Euro 5+ emissions compliant. The cylinder head has been redesigned, with revised cooling system and a thermostat housed instantly into the pinnacle, whereas consumption and exhaust mods, plus a brand new double catalyst, clear issues up whereas conserving energy about the identical as final 12 months: 44bhp claimed. All-up weight is 165kg, with out gasoline, however in any other case able to trip, so slightly heavier than the outdated bike.
The opposite foremost distinction between the X and R is the sprint: the R has a flowery color LCD TFT, the X will get a less expensive mono show. Each work with new switchgear to function the respective rider aids package deal, and once more the R has fancier equipment, with an IMU-assisted ECU for cornering traction management and ABS capabilities. Each bikes have rider energy modes: Off-road, Avenue and Rain, and the traction management might be turned off fully to be used on the dust. There’s new LED lighting all spherical, Bluetooth cellphone hyperlink for calls, music, messaging and navigation, and there’re additionally choices for cruise management, and an up/down quickshifter unit.
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The brand new 2025 KTM 390 Journey vary will arrive in showrooms all year long – the R variant hitting sellers in late March, with the X variant following within the autumn. UK pricing is £5,399 for the X and £6,699 for the R.
• KTM’s additionally launched a brace of extra critical 390 equipment utilizing the identical LC4c engine because the Journey. The 390 SMC R is a full-on supermoto with 17-inch wheels, sticky rubber, and a 320mm entrance brake disc, priced at £5699. And the 390 Enduro R provides a critical enduro possibility with 21-inch entrance wheel, minimalist dirtbike equipment and the identical £5699 rrp.
KTM 125s
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Down within the smaller eighth-litre class, KTM’s been laborious at work with two new hardcore learner-legal variants. The 125 SMC R and Enduro R are much like the 390 fashions, with the identical fundamental arrange: 17-inch rims, sticky tyres and stronger brakes on the supermoto SMC, and critical dust wheels and rubber for the Enduro. In addition they share the 125cc model of the LC4c engine, making the utmost 15bhp/11kW allowed, which has related Euro5+ updates because the 390 motor for this 12 months. Each fashions price £4899 and are on sale now.
KTM 790 Duke
Lastly – the orange model has given the 790 Duke a little bit of a spruce-up for 2025. The psychological middleweight hoonigan machine will get a brand new five-inch TFT dashboard with entry to KTM’s Demo Mode, a telemetry display screen and six-setting Anti-wheelie Mode. There’s additionally all-new backlit switchgear, and the agency’s added a four-year producer’s guarantee. It would price £7999 and is within the retailers now.
KTM finance story
The scenario at KTM and mum or dad agency Pierer Mobility is a fast-changing one, and by the point you learn this issues might look very totally different. As we went to press, although, there was some strong information, which appeared optimistic on the face of it for the way forward for the orange model. The CEO, Stefan Pierer, left the agency in late January, seen as a part of the mandatory adjustments to restructure large money owed. On the similar time, it was introduced that the earlier homeowners of MV Agusta, the Sardarov household, had taken again management, and now owns the 50.1 per cent shareholding which Pierer Mobility purchased simply final Might. The Russian household now owns your complete Varese model as soon as once more, via its Artwork of Mobility firm.
