390 adventure

taffyboyo

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I just picked up a new one of these the other day,

Quick review,

Seems a great bike for the money 5.5k, I beleive they are now built in india and thats not a bad thing but looking closely you can tell by the look and feel of the finish that its built to a price,

Great seating position and at 5ft 7 it still feels like a big bike to me, similar feel on the road to a crf250rallye that I had but more more go and more substantial,

Performance wise, yes its slow in comparison to most bikes out there but it will hustle along on the back roads with ease

All the tech is on there, just waiting for first service before unlocking the bi directional quickshifter, overall very happy with it, time will tell with reliability 😀
 
Thanks for that, will be very interested how you get on with it. I run a Duke390 also built in India, the build quality of it, paint, fixings etc in my view is far better than a modern GS. Yes it has bidget brake levers etc but for the money and smiles per pound it just brilliant. Considering an adventure so keep us posted - will be very interested how the quick shifter is, strange its turned off till run in but makes sense actually.
 
ref quickshifter, I beleive they are built into the bikes from factory, svartpilen/vitpilen/duke all have it, theres little info about it and nothing mentioned on spec etc, however its a powerparts parts extra and is £217 to have it activated, which is a kick in the balls because the huskys have it activated already, but it will make the little engine a touch easier to hussle along ;)
 
They did a similar thing with the 790. The Duke had it all as standard and I had to pay extra for the QS+ and Rally Mode, which is effectively the same as Track mode on the Duke.

It's the same engine just in a different state of tune so all the electronics would be the same I guess. Just another way to make more dosh as they know 90% of buyers will want it.
 
Exactly, I wouldnt mind them adding a bit to the rrp instead, just seems a lot to charge to plug it in to their computer to activate the stuff on it already :)
 
Had the quickshifter activated today, works a treat and now fully run in, so I can take advantage of the 44 ponies that are now unleashed lol 😆
 
So, what’s the difference between the 390 Duke and Adventure models?
 
How comfortably can the 390 Adv cruise at motorway speeds - is it OK at 80 or is it buzzy?

And yes, I know that's not what they're designed for.
 
How comfortably can the 390 Adv cruise at motorway speeds - is it OK at 80 or is it buzzy?

And yes, I know that's not what they're designed for.

The 390 duke buzzes like an angry bee winning first place in a being an angry bee competition through the pegs, only guessing similar at those speeds.
 
Its a little buzzy at 80, but the bike feels comfortable enough and will happily sit at 80 all day long, there wouldnt be much left for easy overtakes etc at that speed, wind buffeting/noise underneath my helmet at speed is an issue for me, prob easily sorted with a givi vario screen as soon as I can get my hands on one :)
 
How are you finding your bike, anything else you don’t like apart from the things you have already posted, some people are using a bigger gearbox sprocket? do you think it would make a big deference?
 
I keep looking at these too so am interested in any feedback! Would be my only bike so needs to be capable but seems to get good reviews


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I keep looking at these too so am interested in any feedback! Would be my only bike so needs to be capable but seems to get good reviews


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My 390 Duke isn't but could if needed be my only bike.

I've got bigger and 'better but find myself riding it the most.
 
I keep looking at these too so am interested in any feedback! Would be my only bike so needs to be capable but seems to get good reviews


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

youtube review

Running mine in at the moment (another UK owner) - like you after 90 minutes I find myself shuffling on the seat as my backside starts to feel a little numb - there is a 'comfort' seat that can be bought if required. Fuel economy - so far is excellent - I'm probably getting 90mpg (rough approximation) but then I am being gentle with it (certainly far more environmentally friendly than many motorcycles, I'm very conscious of our global environmental issues, so it suited me). As for it being a 'little' bike, I know you're referring to engine capacity being 373cc, but in terms of physicality, I think it's a reasonably large, but slim machine (plenty of presence on the road). The front screen provides shelter up to mid chest level, so anything over 60mph and the wind becomes noticeable (just like a naked bike) - I have a flip helmet and even with ear plugs it's a noisy experience above 55mph. I'll be giving my thoughts on the bike soon on my channel. For the price I don't think it can be beaten in its class - a very spirited engine that will quickly and progressively pull to motorway speed. An absolute pleasure to ride in terms of posture, ergonomics and stability, great on rural roads as you have mentioned. I have a tail rack on mine and crash bars will be fitted soon. No problem 2 up either - fully loaded with bags and a passenger hasn't been put to the test yet, but me and my better half have zero issues as a 2 up (neither of us are heavy). I've had 1100 machines (touring and sport) and this bike makes me smile more, I feel it does everything required of it - the only unproven bit for me is to see if it would cope 2 up with bags for an overnight stay somewhere - I suspect it would do it ok, assuming neither rider or passenger are on the heavy side (solo touring would be fine - get a comfort seat perhaps or an air seat add-on). For the price it's fabulous, nothing to complain about when considering every rider has to compromise somewhere, regardless of bike, be it comfort, economy, ergonomics, price etc... Thank you for a really informative video on this machine - I concur.
On a final note -for some it may be a gateway to move up the line to larger capacity adventure bikes but I think plenty of riders may feel doing so isn't required. Nobody in the UK really needs a 1200cc adventure bike, they buy them because they're available and they like them/want one. Marketing of bikes is aimed at the ego - my old Honda 'Blackbird' was the fastest road bike available when I bought it new - it was an impulse/ego purchase and looking back (many years ago) I think it was an uninformed decision - it was uncomfortable, drifted like a sail in the wind and had far too much power - the 'power to my ability' ratio was somewhat laughable... All the best... :)

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yz0FKA1Vlls" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


That’s a good video review. He’s much more natural than people like TMF and doesn’t have annoying mannerisms!
 
Just to add, I bought the 1 piece comfort seat for my 390 adventure and it feels great, I havent had a long run on it for abvious reasons but I am positive it will make a big difference 😊
 


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