KTM 390 Adventure - used or new?

J_C_K

J_C_K

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Hi All,

Apologies if this is a little too specific to post in the main forum (maybe I should be posting in the "first bike: which one" thread?).

Looking to get my first bike this summer - limiting it to 500cc or less for insurance purposes.
After doing a bunch of research, I'm heavily considering getting the KTM 390 adv. I'm not looking for a sport bike, and want something I can do a little bit of trail riding with (i.e. motocamping) that isn't a dual sport (I live in DT Toronto). Insurance is coming in at $1,350 per year with TD.

Wondering if anyone had thoughts on buying these new vs. used?
  • The 2023 model has spoked rims, which are apparently better for off-road purposes... prices range from $9300 (apex) to $9600 (GP bikes). If buying new, how much of a depreciation hit would I expect to take?
  • These bikes are considerably cheaper used (by ~$2-3K), but I have also heard that there are issues with reliability, so the upside of having the 2 year warranty might be worth it?
Any other tips -(i.e. other beginner ADV bikes to look at, dealerships to go to) - would be much appreciated :)

Thanks!
 
I usually look at buying a bike and a car in similar ways...

I got my RC390 last year... and got it for $7.6K+freight/PDI+tax... all in about $9.4K

This weekend, I got a trade-in quote for $4.9K+tax

If you look at all the money net-net I am potentially losing.. its around $4K (losing like 42%)

I think the real issue is when buying a new bike is that you are on the hook for dealer surcharge called "Freight/PDI"... no matter what.. that's $1K+tax you have to pony up... And when buying a used bike (at least from Kijiji).. that's not applicable.

From a financial standpoint... unless the new bike has substantially better features than the outgoing model and/or if you want to know the history of the bike... I would go for a used bike...

BUT... if the new bike has better features (in the case of the 2022 RC390 vs. previous year.. there were a lot of +pluses), I would go for the new bike....
 
It's your first bike. Maybe you'll like riding and maybe you won't. You might try the trail riding and find you much prefer the street. Chances are also good that you drop it getting the hang of it. Also you may really like riding and find you out grow it quickly.
Where's all this going? Have you considered used? You're concerned about reliability why not just a get used bike from the big four?
 
I would never buy a used KTM unless I was very certain of it's previous use, user and maintenance.
They are very maintenance intensive machines.
As @timtune suggests, look Japanese - you'll likely find something with a more realistic price tag AND something you can flip a lot easier if you change your mind.
 
As above - lot of coin for a first bike and I was surprised how small they are physically. Guy came into my dealer the other day when I was getting my sprocket changed out and he was on a CXB500x which fit him well. He rode out on a KTM390 and it looked wrong on him.
There are other bikes out there.
Same as I ride here in Aus.....easy to flip when you move up. Bulletproof tho not much for off pavement.
19927ee9-8025-471e-a704-bfcc1c06f183

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this is a deal if you are willing to drive a bit. Better frame size for camping.
ecb79e3d-5ed8-4d8e-83de-c47b0d32e5ec

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The CB500s are actual 471cc and I took mine across canada.
Check with Chris and see and we how much difference there is in cost
Christopher South, R.I.B. (Ont), CIP
Insurance Broker, SurNet Insurance Group Inc.
csouth@surnet.net P: 416-546-8969
.This will do the job for you for 1/3 the price and are generally trouble free. 11k km - hardly broken in.

Just a side note the CB300 gets 70 mpg and the CB500 65
The highly tuned 390 gets only mid 50s....

I'd be super concerned about theft on a new 390.

••••
That all said a brand new 390 would be a lot of fun...
 
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I ride with a guy who’s 5’ 11 and he has a 390Adv. Bike really moves well and he loves it. His is a 2021 model I think and he bought a lot of aftermarket stuff from India for it and it’s surprisingly well kitted out.

I vote buy used!
 
If it's a street KTM, don't be dissuaded by talk of maintenance requirements. A lot of the bad press around intensive maintenance relate to the competition enduros and dirt-bikes, and it's a well deserved reputation. Those bikes are tuned to within an inch of their lives and do require you to be a part-time mechanic and carry tools with you on every single ride.

But for the street-oriented motorcycles, I know a lot of guys with 890s and 1290s, the Super Adventures and Super Dukes, and we just bought an 890 as well. I wouldn't say they are any more maintenance-intensive than any other brand of motorcycle out there. Typical air filter and oil change intervals. Every 15K kms for minor service, 30K kms for major.
 
J_C_K said:
Any other tips -(i.e. other beginner ADV bikes to look at, dealerships to go to) - would be much appreciated :)
Click to expand...

The ADV/Dual sport segment is actually more of a spectrum, with some bikes being more off-road capable and others being more street-oriented.

The 390 Adventure probably skews more towards street. Other models in this range would be the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 and the BMW G310 GS. The Honda CBR500X is probably the most street-ish of these bikes. One bike I keep hearing about but don't know much about is the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which looks very street-oriented as well.

If you're looking at more off-road capable bikes, then these would be the Suzuki DR-Z400S, Kawasaki KLX300, Yamaha XT250 or the Honda CRF300L - which again, is the most street-ish of these bikes.
 
Lightcycle said:
One bike I keep hearing about but don't know much about is the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which looks very street-oriented as well.
Click to expand...
Think of the Himalayan as a small bore KLR650. Underpowered compared the competition, not particularly good at anything but cheap and as reliable as a brick.
 
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