KTM 390 Adventure
KTM's small adventure bike — 373cc single, 43bhp. The most affordable proper adventure bike on the UK market. Long-travel WP suspension, 19-inch spoked front wheel, off-road-styled ergonomics. A2-compliant. UK from £6,299. The most committed off-road 390 on the market — significantly more capable than rival Honda CRF300L or Royal Enfield Himalayan.
- Engine
- 373 cc
- Power
- 43 PS
- Weight
- 175 kg
- Seat height
- 855 mm
- A2 licence
- —
Liquid-cooled DOHC 4V single
wet
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 50 · Insurance 79 · Theft 100
The KTM 390 Adventure holds its value about as well as most bikes (around 30% lost over three years, against the 25-32% bike norm) and is cheap to insure (around £340/yr typical). Theft risk is low. It's A2-licence legal in standard form. The main thing to check on a used one is the throttle body sensor.
A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better.
Variant: 390 Adventure
Engine
Petrol · 373cc
Power
43 ps
Torque
37 Nm
Weight
175 kg
Seat
855 mm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Economy
70 mpg
390 Adventure — 373cc single, 43bhp, 6-speed. 19in front, WP suspension, full IMU + cornering ABS. A2-compliant. 14.5L tank.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.
Estimated market value
£4,339
Range £3,905 – £4,773
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Holding value
Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.
New
£6,699
At 5 years
£4,019
At 10 years
£2,814
Value loss by phase
Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.
UK new price by year
How we estimate this
Phase depreciation derived from observed UK used-bike pricing — classified ads, dealer asking prices, and end-of-auction figures. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count, and crash-damage signatures. The figures here are indicative for clean, fully-stamped examples.
What it costs to own
Indicative running costs at 8,000 miles a year — the UK rider average. Chain-drive bikes carry a chain/sprocket consumable line; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.
3-year total
£1,928
Per year
£643
Per mile
£0.08
Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at £1.45/L. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.
Estimated insurance
ABI motorcycle scheme · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Licence
Age
No-claims bonus
5 yearsRisk profile
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39
£340/ year
Roughly £28 per month
Typical
Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-21 | £561 | £748 | £1,047 |
| Age 22-29 | £344 | £459 | £643 |
| Age 30-39Selected | £255 | £340 | £476 |
| Age 40-49 | £224 | £299 | £419 |
| Age 50+ | £204 | £272 | £381 |
How we estimate this
Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Theft risk
Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting
UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.
Theft risk score · 1 to 4
1/4Low risk
Low risk
Not a typical theft target. Basic locking deters opportunists; standard insurance terms apply.Theft hotspot postcodes
Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.
What this means for you
Adventure bike owner profile — low theft risk. Standard chain + disc lock sufficient.
How we set this band
Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.
What goes wrong
5 known issues · sorted by severity
Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.
High severity
1
Medium
2
Low / cosmetic
2
| Severity | Part / issue | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| high | Throttle body sensor Known KTM small-single issue — stalls at idle 15k+ mi | £250 |
| medium | Chain & sprockets 8-12k mi | £160 |
| medium | Fork seals (off-road use) 12-18k mi | £180 |
| low | Battery every 3 years | £80 |
| low | Front brake pads 6-9k mi | £60-80 |
How we score severity
High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the KTM 390 Adventure, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Strengths
- +Most affordable proper adventure bike on UK market
- +WP suspension + 19in front — genuine off-road capability
- +Full IMU + cornering ABS standard
- +A2-compliant
- +Light (175kg) for an adventure bike
Watch-outs
- −855mm seat very tall — short riders need lowering kit
- −Throttle body sensor failures known on KTM small singles
- −Service costs above Japanese rivals
- −Only 43bhp — limited motorway overtaking