2025 KTM 390 SMC R Review

I don’t know about you, but all I cared about at 16 was getting my bike license. I couldn’t have cared less about getting behind a steering wheel, all I wanted was to be able to ride anywhere I wanted, anytime I wanted.

My first bike was a Yamaha SRV250, a cute little café racer that served me well as I tried to break it to pieces while learning the ropes of street biking.

Photography by Simon Cudby

Thank God I didn’t have access to a KTM 390 SMC R, otherwise I’m sure my license would have lasted about as long as I did in bed at that age. Especially so, given it only costs $5499.

There’s never been a better time to get into motorcycling, and we’ve never had more choice of steed on which to do so. But a first bike needs a bit of attitude, a bit of brashness. Few bikes capture that essence more than a supermoto, which is basically punk rock on wheels.

KTM has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last 12 months, but although they’ve never taken their foot off the gas, new models have slowed down a touch from the quick-fire of the last five years.

The 390 platform has bucked this company trend, however, with six months to July 2025 seeing the arrival of the Enduro R dual sport and the Adventure R, a bike that packs a serious wallop of tech and performance for under $7K (oh, there’s also the lower-spec 390 Adventure X for $5899 if you want something even cheaper).

The fourth 390 iteration released for 2025 is the SMC R we’ve just tested on these pages, meaning the trusty little 390 single-cylinder LC4c motor (albeit in slightly different capacities) now powers seven different street-going motorcycles. That’s getting your development money’s worth.

Said single-cylinder has been beefed up from 373cc to 398cc, boosting claimed torque a gigantic 1.8 lb-ft to 28.8 while power remains the same at 44 hp. The power and torque numbers are almost irrelevant in this test because this is much more a bike that is judged by how it makes you feel deep in your loins, not what’s on a dyno graph. If you can’t have fun with 44 horsepower, then you’re probably not a real motorcyclist.

The electronics house two riding modes of Street and Sport, on/off traction control, and ABS with KTM’s famed Supermoto mode that allows you to disengage the rear ABS (front ABS is always on). That’s it, and it’s all adjusted by the little joystick on the left handlebar and the funky 4.2-inch rectangle dash that does a better job than bikes twice its size and three times its price in delivering the information to the rider in a clear and easy-to-understand format. Why is it so hard for some manufacturers to get the basics like an easy-to-use dash sorted out?

Engine performance is adequate, not outstanding (44 horsepower will do that to you). For new riders and those living in confined urban landscapes, this should be more than enough. We saw 92 mph on the dash, and the revs still had about 800 rpm to go before ramming into the 10,500-rpm limiter, so keeping up with traffic is no problem.

Performance upgrades are pretty few and far between from the KTM aftermarket catalog but one thing you really should invest in is the up-and-down quickshifter for $277. KTM’s mapped this system well, and it’s made me think I need one on my old Husky FS, as full throttle changes are dealt with quickly and seamlessly, even if a couple of riders found the system a touch notchy. I didn’t, but that must mean I either have a numb foot, or I can just shift gears better. I prefer the latter.

The chassis uses a two-piece steel trellis frame inspired by the 390 Duke, but features slightly lazier steering geometry, with different triple clamps and mounting points to give sharper on-road handling and improve radiator clearance. The frame is paired with a bolt-on trellis subframe and a gravity-cast aluminum swingarm taken from the 390 Adventure.

Those eagle-eyed readers will see that, at 354 pounds topped with 2.38 gallons of Uncle Donald’s finest, is a smidgen over the much larger and more powerful 690 SMR, which tops the scales at 352 pounds with a full 3.57-gallon gas tank. That mainly comes down to more exotic materials used in the 690’s construction, which goes some way to explain why the 690 costs 2.3 times the price of the 390.

Despite the weight, the little 390 is plenty agile in the twisty stuff. Graced with a 30-click compression and rebound-adjustable WP Apex 43mm fork and a preload and rebound-adjustable WP Apex Split Piston shock, the 390 rolls on Michelin Power 6 rubber that runs a 110 front tire as opposed to the regular 120. This allows the front to turn extremely quickly but doesn’t sacrifice corner stability.

On the racetrack, the Michelins are good but not great. These are a street tire and are extremely stiff, so if (like me) you’re used to sticky slicks on a supermoto, you’re best to be reminded just what the demographic of this bike is. Have fun, just remember, it’s a street bike, not a race bike.

The suspension offers 9.05 inches of ground clearance front and rear in true dirt bike style, both ends sprung quite softly to ensure good bump absorption that should work well for anyone doing a mad rush through DTLA’s potholed-to-hell roads on their way to work.

The seat height of 33.8 inches may prove a bit of an obstacle for shorter riders, but for those five-foot-eight and up, you should have no worries. Given this is essentially a dirt bike, seat comfort is pretty good for short periods, but I probably wouldn’t be taking this for a three-day mission to Laguna Seca to watch MotoAmerica any time soon.

One surprising aspect of the 390’s arsenal is how good the single four-piston caliper/320mm disc combination is. There’s good feel at the lever and plenty of stopping power, so two-finger stoppies are well and truly on the cards, and yes, that’s despite the fact you have ABS on the front you can’t switch off.

KTM’s arrival in the small-capacity supermoto stakes means Suzuki finally has a competitor for their DR-Z4SM that’s just been renewed for 2025. However, maybe it doesn’t, considering the Suzuki costs nearly 40 percent more than the KTM at $8999.

Therefore, as I look deep into my road tester crystal ball, I’d be amazed if KTM doesn’t sell tons of these things at the very attractive $5499 price. That’s a hell of a lot of bike for the money, and it comes laden with KTM’s angry attitude that goes so well with the growing pains we all go through between the ages of 16 and 20.

That’s not to say anyone outside that age bracket can’t enjoy the SMC R. I’m 43 and would love it as a funky little beach cruiser or shop steed, but I think KTM should be squarely focused on using this steed to lure young and impressionable riders into the fold.

It’s an extremely fun and capable motorcycle, perfect for infecting the next generation. CN

VIDEO | 2025 KTM 390 SMC-R First Ride Review

 

2025 KTM 390 SMC R Specifications

 

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