The KTM 390 Adventure debuted at the 2019 EICMA, and since then, it has allowed a lot of Indian riders to traverse the country and explore the wilderness. While most appreciated the bike's abilities, a few asked for more – like spoke wheels. As a result, KTM did get this part as an accessory, but in 2023, it realized it needed to offer a new variant from that factory to target a small set but focused buyers. In fact, KTM added the cherry on top by also equipping it with adjustable suspension. These additions should have made the motorcycle more potent and aspirational, and we spent an entire day with the spoke wheels variant and a few hours with the 390 Adventure X, the most affordable variant in the line-up. Till now, the KTM 390 Adventure looked more like a tourer and less like an ADV. But now, it has managed to get the authentic ADV aesthetics, and the credit goes to that spoke wheels. These wheels were offered as an accessory, but KTM decided to bring them as a variant because of the good demand. While the bike already had a tall stance, the motorcycle looks far more aspirational with these new additions. And when you combine this with the sleek front fascia that houses the LED lights and sharp bodywork, the motorcycle churns out a good road presence. Regarding the features, the 390 Adventure Spoke Wheels bike has some great features. There is a bi-directional quick shifter that can be turned off. There's a switchable ABS, cornering ABS, traction control and ride-by-wire throttle. It also gets the same full-colour, Bluetooth-enabled TFT display that can be operated via the switchgear and a USB charging socket above the instrument cluster. The 390 Adventure also sports a full-LED headlight that provides powerful night illumination. The bike also gets spoke wheels and a fully adjustable suspension. The 373cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine on this bike remains unchanged. None of the power figures, the nature of the engine, and the NVH have changed. And as a result, a lot of off-roading frustration can also be seen on this bike. The 390 Adventure is like the 390 Duke but with a different suspension and some attitude. Such things as the main frame, engine, and electronics have made this ADV a fantastic choice to climb some twisties and do some high-speed touring. The excellent chassis, powerful engine and seat ergonomics have made this KTM a great motorcycle. And there that Metzeler Tourance tyres that offer superior grip on the tarmac – be it in dry or wet conditions. But now, with the adjustable suspension, this 390 Adventure has taken fun to a different level. With full compression, rebound and preload adjustment, the bike behaves differently depending on the damping. Increase the compression and rebound damping; you will flow through corners well. Decrease the damping, and you will ride through bad roads without drama. During my six hours of road riding, I played with multiple settings and finally increased the compression damping to 22 clicks and rebound to 11. Here, I got a ride quality that was apt enough to ride through the beautiful Tamhini ghat and take care of some uneven roads. Now when it comes to off-road, this particular variant handles and behaves much better than the standard variants. Firstly, with the preload adjustment, you can ensure the motorcycle doesn't bottom out in jumps. Secondly, when you want to ride the bike relatively fast off-road, and you want the springs to rebound faster for better stability, the rebound adjustment at the front and the rear can be tuned based on the dirt track conditions. I did increase the damping for compression and rebound to almost 90 per cent of the available settings, but that was way too much for me to handle the bike at such terrains. But regarding braking, this 390 ADV was a bit of a disappointment. On the road, the front brake lacks the power and the bite. It also lacks the feel. The front brake works well when you are doing 80-90kmph, but when the speed gets higher, it doesn't do its job as it should. When you give a bike a 43bhp engine, you are supposed to provide excellent brakes, at least at the front.

In case you haven't read our previous review on the Viaterra Condor 2up, here's a quick recap. The Condor is available in two sizes - a 48-litre and a 64-litre combo. Ours is the bigger of the two. It retails for Rs 4,499, while the smaller Condor is slightly cheaper at Rs 3,899. Both saddlebag sets are built from 1200D fabric, which gives them high resistance against tears and cuts in a crash. These also run triple stitching on all joints, and Viaterra claims that all the stress points have been bar-tacked for added strength and durability. There's strong reflectivity on the outside of the bags too. Furthermore, the Condor uses YKK zippers everywhere for smoother, longer-lasting operation. There's also an additional zippered side pocket to hold some nutrition bars or a pair of slippers, and it also comes with an open net pocket for bottles or a coffee tumbler. The bags are not expandable, however. Inside, the Condor uses grey fabric to increase the ease of sorting through luggage. There's some padding on the sides to protect fragile or brittle objects in case of an impact. And there's also a removable plastic sheet that runs across the length of the bag on the inside to help the Condor hold its shape better. As the picture shows, the bag can easily hold a large-sized modular helmet. And one can place it straight up as shown or even upside down. The only challenge we faced was fitting one in with the Bluetooth headset attached when the bag was mounted on the bike. So, when commuting with these bags installed, you can pack away the helmet on one side and the riding jacket, pants, gloves, and the cooling vest on the other. This is a better option in my book than having to carry these items on you, then finding a place for them in the office, and finally, being judged for the pungent smell of sweat the gear relentlessly disperses. When touring, each side can hold up to two medium and two small-sized packing cubes. That's my complete wardrobe and that of my boys. If not clothes, the Condor's size and design also allow you to pack in a two-cup espresso machine or a single motocross boot with space to spare on each side. Carrying smartly packed camping gear might also be a possibility. The bags connect with three strong velcro straps and come with two mounting points each. The straps allow to adjust the distance between the two bags, and once connected, these can be thrown over the bike with the connecting straps resting over the rear seat. Step two involves securing the front straps on each bag against the pillion's footrest hanger. The rears of the two bags are then connected via a common strap that runs under the tail of the bike - or in our case, through the tail rack. This strap can be adjusted on both ends, preventing the bags from sliding forward. There's a small catch here, though. Viaterra recommends using the Condor with saddle stays. So, that's an additional expense to keep in mind. Now, we tried using the bags without stays. And one can get away with it on motorcycles that run twin coil-over dampers at the rear. Sure, the bags do flap about a bit, but at least the rear suspension prevents the bags from fouling with the tyre. It is a bigger struggle with motorcycles running a rear monoshock. Therefore, it's best to get saddle stays in this case. It’s also easy to install, and it remains secure on the bike. And lest we forget, it has proven to be waterproof too, as advertised. The only reason for not buying the Condor, in our book, is that saddlebags aren’t your thing.