Reviews of KTM 250 Adventure

Bought the 250 Adventure a month back (2.58 Lakhs On road- Guwahati). Buying experience was good with no waiting time.
It looks amazing and riding posture is straight & comfortable. Short riders might have problem cause the Bike is big, heavy and the seat height is High.
It has good power and really shines at the top end. Low end not so much as we ll have to keep changing gears in low speed. The sleeper clutch feels really smooth and effortless which is really helpful in city traffic. The pick up is not instant but more of a linear approach, but we can still feel the pull of the bike and the power of the 250 engine.
The bike felt a little rough straight out of the showroom but after the first servicing , the engine starting to open up more and I can really feel the power now. The servicing was smooth and everything is done through the KTM app.

Overall I am loving the 250 Adventure and the new Matt Blue colour. Looks and feels so good !
Pros: Affordable than 390 Adv., mileage, Looks, dual ABS, 12v Charger port.
See
Cons: No traction control, No quick shifter.

About the Reviewer

Bought this bike 4 days back and drove close to 300 kms so far. This is fantastic machine which produces linear power generation which is good for anyone upgrading from normal bikes which are not producing more than 20 bhp. Braking is superb and bike is very nimble and doesn't heat up. Cant talk about average at moment but expected 30 plus in both city and highway driving considered. More reviews to follow.

About the Reviewer

Wow!! That's the word that came to my mind when I had the test ride of the ktm 250 adventure. I got the bike delivered instantly within a few hours and all the other formalities were completed hassle-free.
I have taken my bike to extreme conditions starting from the heat waves in march in purulia to the extreme offroads in sikkim in freezing temperatures. It has excelled in all aspects of a true adventure machine.
The ktm 250 adventure is surely a head-turner. Everywhere I go, it turns heads and people ask about the bike and take pictures even when there may be other big bikes of re or yezdi standing beside it. You will feel proud for owning such a lovely machine.
I use it mostly for touring and occasional commute and in touring I mostly take my wife as a pillion and the bike never felt out of power. Luggage carrying capacity, ground clearance, highway cruising, clutch feel everything is great.
You will definitely feel you own a superbike at the cost of a normal bike.
Pros -
1. Good power.
2. Efficient braking and abs.
3. Looks great.
4. Slipper clutch works smooth
5. Great mileage of 30-35 kmpl and tank range over 400 kms.
6. Alloys with tubeless tyres make a world of difference in touring. Seen people bite their heads off when tyres are punctured in remote places.
7.Ktm has quite a good service network and spare parts are available with service costs the same as other Indian models of the same range.
8. Seats are comfortable and have plenty of place for both rider and pillion.
Cons -
1. Headlights are not good. Must have aux/fog lamps installed.
2. Seat height is pretty high for average riders although works perfectly for me as I am 6ft tall.
3. Instrument cluster is a bit outdated although looks good but lacks bluetooth connectivity and few modern elements.
Overall you can blindly go for this bike and take it for touring and use it for daily commute. Being almost 1 lakh rupees cheaper than the 390 adv this one is definitely far better than its rivals like himalayan and yezdi and xpulse.
Ready to race and explore!!

About the Reviewer

1- The buying experience was smooth i got to test ride it twice from the same store, staff was helpful in deciding my purchase
2 - Switching from R15V3 this bike is intimidating & appreciates the commanding stance and the ease of covering bad roads. I learned to drive this machine over time it has its own character & the way it rides & responds is quite different from the vehicles I owned before. You need to be a more mature & experienced rider to handle this one I would not suggest for beginners.
I have used it for long rides which it does with ease
the difficult part is to maneuver in the city for that you need to get used to the weight of the bike & get in sync with the engine,
It has low torque in lower revs as most KTMs, it idles at 2k Rpm. 4k-5k Rpm is the sweet spot within the city with good fuel economy & power
3- Coming to looks, it's subjective everyone has their own taste. I find it aggressive & committed & designed purposefully. It can take a pillion & load luggage not a problem
4- I find service to be pricey. general service costs 4.5k & the service interval is 4months, you do the math.
5- Pros:
Good mid-range & pulls great it has surprised me with its performance and I have grown to like it more
It's by no means underpowered looking at the 250 tag, do not underestimate looking at the spec sheet
It behaves like a sports cruiser, used to munch miles with ease. Felt like a sports bike engine mounted on an ADV
Can do mild offroading, But you should be a capable rider to do so, do not just take it off-road without prior experience
Decent fuel economy i get 29 in the city & 40 on highways with 90-100 cruising speed
Cons:
WEIGHT- this is a heavy bike, you need to be strong enough to handle it, recommend you do some weight training
Commuting can be difficult as this is a BIG bike squeezing through traffic is not possible, it is more like you are on a 2-wheel car & go calmly
Need to keep up the revs at low speeds as the torque doesn't come in low revs.
As the bike is Tall you will feel it heavier than the REs but in reality, it is almost 180kgs, i took off the Saree guard to reduce weight
The front feels heavy due to the bigger front wheel, Due this you can feel the Gyro effect & the wheel tries to get back straight while steering
The Halogen Headlight looks lame, and doesn't fit with the bike's design language I changed it to the KTM 390 ADV headlight. Looks sick now.
The wiring is too open, could have been better organized
Verdict
I learned to handle this bike, Again it comes from the passion I have for my machines. If you do not have such a thing you may end up hating it.
Remember! We have to get in sync with the machine only then we can tame it.
This is a great-rated Bike in the KTM lineup.
It has a purposeful chassis design & world class suspension coming from an offroad king like KTM collab with WP
Here I put in all the info I have on my bike so it may help your buying choice.

About the Reviewer

Better than Himalayan in my opinion.
Bought this beast around 2 weeks back and clocked around 600kms on it,
Highways are like a piece of cake, buying experience was smooth ktm showroom staff was kind enough to answer all my queries and concerns beforehand,
Like every adventure seeker, i was looking at the adventure motorcycle segment which included a duke 250/390 adventure re Himalayan, bmw 310 gs, and yezdi adventure.
I chose this over Himalayan due to all the issues that i came across all the forums and owner friends of mine
I didn't want to deal with those issues though you can,
Tubeless tires are less of a headache when you get a flat on a road and apart from the 25-30k difference what i got was better brakes, slipper clutch, and better power though with lesser torque than Himalayan,
Since yezdi was a bit new to the market i didn't want to get into a fairly new company with lesser service centers in India, although i found yezdi's engine better and more refined than the Himalayan test vehicle,
Bmw is an expensive bike to maintain therefore was eliminated since most of my commute included in the city and i am not a fan of excessive technology and sensors duke 250 made complete sense to me after the test ride also the maintenance cost is almost equal to my Bajaj avenger 220 which i have ridden and toured on for around 8 years so bingo duke 250 adventure became an obvious choice,
Mileage is superb, handling is great power ohman! that is where it shines absolutely it is a beautiful machine which is absolutely rev hungry and almost everything seems perfect some cons which i found:
- it generates heat which is managed by radiator fans
- height can be an issue for some i am 5'7 inch and half a foot on it but it is manageable because of super lightweight, which is again better than Himalayan, i would suggest deciding after a test drive, every time i ride this machine it brings a smile on my face.

About the Reviewer

Riding position is very good.. it is awesome.. butter smooth engine.. the only con is faced is clunky shifting of gears sometimes.. other all things are fine.. better if they add some 390 features like tcs, led headlamps, quick shifter in this 250.. except these all other things are awesome on this bike.. you can go with the adv250 blindly than going for RE Himalayan or Yezdi adventure.

About the Reviewer

The on-road cost 3.20l Bangalore.
Pros:
A good amount of power for long rides. You can easily cruise at 120kmph on highways. And you will not get bored while riding this beast.
Fuel economy is decent, you can expect a mileage of 33-36 on highways and 28-29 in the city.
No heating issues.
Switchable abs.
Cons:
The price is quite high for 250cc bike.
No led headlamp and TFT display is missing.
The seat is on the quite harder side. Struggles at the low end.
Would have given more torque like at least 27nm.

About the Reviewer

Before finalizing I took multiple test drives.
I am riding 250 adv for 13months over 8000kms and truly it's one of the best entry-level adventure touring bikes which is very versatile and also used for daily travels. You need to get used to it and then it's fun riding it. It's low on maintenance and spares are easily available.
Cons seat height can be a concern. But if
one gets used to, it will not be
difficult.
Pros superb engine response
good decent mileage appx 30km/ltr
excellent braking with dual abs.

About the Reviewer

This bike is going to give you a big bike feel for sure, but it doesn't feel heavy.
let's talk about the looks first.
And when I'm talking about the looks how can I miss the halogen headlamp that's a bit eyesore for me personally, otherwise the bike looks beautiful from each and every angle.
The tall 855mm seat height can be a problem for shorter riders. If you are more than 5"9 go for it. (you can also ask for a low-height seat )
The rider's pov is also beautifully designed,
Looks just like a 390 adv except for that tft display and, to be honest, I can't complain about that because most of the time our eyes are set on the view ahead, not on the meter console. (the console provides enough information like fuel range, riding mode, gear position, odo etc .)
its performance.
Great for daily commutes but once you'll hit the highway it just glides on that tarmac.
I must say, that the 250cc engine from ktm is the most tractable engine in this single-cylinder category.
If you are below 6000 rpm you'll have a smooth ride but after 6000rpm you'll feel that surge of power and that 30ps/24nm will leave a big smile on your face. With a bodyweight of around 92 kgs I was easily able to manage a top speed of 139kmph so if you are a light weight rider going 145+ will be hassle-free for you.
Touring and off-road capabilities.
I feel that most of its buyers will spend their maximum time on tarmac not off road.
Touring on this bike is like surfing through the tides ( pleasant yet a bit bumpy)
The comfortable speed for highway touring on this bike is between 85 to 110 kmph depending on your body weight and riding style.
Anything above that will make you feel like the bike is bouncing a bit.
Those slightly stiff suspensions will give you great handling but don't absorb sharp bumps.
When it comes to offroad this bike gives justice to its name (almost)
But don't expect it to be a slow off-road machine like re himalayan. The low-end torque is not that much so keep the throttle twisted and
It can be pretty fast in off roads if you know how to handle it. Tall stance, off-road pegs, high ground clearance everything helps you to enjoy the adventure factor of this machine.
(personal suggestion- if you are looking for a off-road focused bike better go for 390 adv).
We know that it doesn't ride like 390
But it doesn't bite like 390 either. I'm getting mileage of 25-30kmpl in mixed riding conditions and 32+kmpl on the highways.
The first 3 services will cost you around rs 1500 - 2000 . Later it can go 2500 -3000.
Service intervals are long enough.
Let's see the pros and cons
Pros.
1. Great for touring and mild offroad.
2. Good mileage considering its segment.
3. Great road presence, it is a head-turner.
4. Good mid-range punch
5. Great stability
6. Great on-offroad tyres .
7. Best brakes in its segment
Cons.
1. Weak headlamps for touring.
2. Gets bumpy after 120 kmph
3. A bit pricy
Conclusion - if you are a new rider and considering this as your first do it machine
it won't disappoint you. Go and have a test ride. But if you are an experienced rider who's riding 150-200cc better go with ktm 390 adv or bmw 310 gs .

About the Reviewer

Bought the 250 Adventure a month back (2.58 Lakhs On road- Guwahati). Buying experience was good with no waiting time.
It looks amazing and riding posture is straight & comfortable. Short riders might have problem cause the Bike is big, heavy and the seat height is High.
It has good power and really shines at the top end. Low end not so much as we ll have to keep changing gears in low speed. The sleeper clutch feels really smooth and effortless which is really helpful in city traffic. The pick up is not instant but more of a linear approach, but we can still feel the pull of the bike and the power of the 250 engine.
The bike felt a little rough straight out of the showroom but after the first servicing , the engine starting to open up more and I can really feel the power now. The servicing was smooth and everything is done through the KTM app.

Overall I am loving the 250 Adventure and the new Matt Blue colour. Looks and feels so good !
Pros: Affordable than 390 Adv., mileage, Looks, dual ABS, 12v Charger port.
See
Cons: No traction control, No quick shifter.

About the Reviewer

Bought this bike 4 days back and drove close to 300 kms so far. This is fantastic machine which produces linear power generation which is good for anyone upgrading from normal bikes which are not producing more than 20 bhp. Braking is superb and bike is very nimble and doesn't heat up. Cant talk about average at moment but expected 30 plus in both city and highway driving considered. More reviews to follow.

About the Reviewer

Wow!! That's the word that came to my mind when I had the test ride of the ktm 250 adventure. I got the bike delivered instantly within a few hours and all the other formalities were completed hassle-free.
I have taken my bike to extreme conditions starting from the heat waves in march in purulia to the extreme offroads in sikkim in freezing temperatures. It has excelled in all aspects of a true adventure machine.
The ktm 250 adventure is surely a head-turner. Everywhere I go, it turns heads and people ask about the bike and take pictures even when there may be other big bikes of re or yezdi standing beside it. You will feel proud for owning such a lovely machine.
I use it mostly for touring and occasional commute and in touring I mostly take my wife as a pillion and the bike never felt out of power. Luggage carrying capacity, ground clearance, highway cruising, clutch feel everything is great.
You will definitely feel you own a superbike at the cost of a normal bike.
Pros -
1. Good power.
2. Efficient braking and abs.
3. Looks great.
4. Slipper clutch works smooth
5. Great mileage of 30-35 kmpl and tank range over 400 kms.
6. Alloys with tubeless tyres make a world of difference in touring. Seen people bite their heads off when tyres are punctured in remote places.
7.Ktm has quite a good service network and spare parts are available with service costs the same as other Indian models of the same range.
8. Seats are comfortable and have plenty of place for both rider and pillion.
Cons -
1. Headlights are not good. Must have aux/fog lamps installed.
2. Seat height is pretty high for average riders although works perfectly for me as I am 6ft tall.
3. Instrument cluster is a bit outdated although looks good but lacks bluetooth connectivity and few modern elements.
Overall you can blindly go for this bike and take it for touring and use it for daily commute. Being almost 1 lakh rupees cheaper than the 390 adv this one is definitely far better than its rivals like himalayan and yezdi and xpulse.
Ready to race and explore!!

About the Reviewer

1- The buying experience was smooth i got to test ride it twice from the same store, staff was helpful in deciding my purchase
2 - Switching from R15V3 this bike is intimidating & appreciates the commanding stance and the ease of covering bad roads. I learned to drive this machine over time it has its own character & the way it rides & responds is quite different from the vehicles I owned before. You need to be a more mature & experienced rider to handle this one I would not suggest for beginners.
I have used it for long rides which it does with ease
the difficult part is to maneuver in the city for that you need to get used to the weight of the bike & get in sync with the engine,
It has low torque in lower revs as most KTMs, it idles at 2k Rpm. 4k-5k Rpm is the sweet spot within the city with good fuel economy & power
3- Coming to looks, it's subjective everyone has their own taste. I find it aggressive & committed & designed purposefully. It can take a pillion & load luggage not a problem
4- I find service to be pricey. general service costs 4.5k & the service interval is 4months, you do the math.
5- Pros:
Good mid-range & pulls great it has surprised me with its performance and I have grown to like it more
It's by no means underpowered looking at the 250 tag, do not underestimate looking at the spec sheet
It behaves like a sports cruiser, used to munch miles with ease. Felt like a sports bike engine mounted on an ADV
Can do mild offroading, But you should be a capable rider to do so, do not just take it off-road without prior experience
Decent fuel economy i get 29 in the city & 40 on highways with 90-100 cruising speed
Cons:
WEIGHT- this is a heavy bike, you need to be strong enough to handle it, recommend you do some weight training
Commuting can be difficult as this is a BIG bike squeezing through traffic is not possible, it is more like you are on a 2-wheel car & go calmly
Need to keep up the revs at low speeds as the torque doesn't come in low revs.
As the bike is Tall you will feel it heavier than the REs but in reality, it is almost 180kgs, i took off the Saree guard to reduce weight
The front feels heavy due to the bigger front wheel, Due this you can feel the Gyro effect & the wheel tries to get back straight while steering
The Halogen Headlight looks lame, and doesn't fit with the bike's design language I changed it to the KTM 390 ADV headlight. Looks sick now.
The wiring is too open, could have been better organized
Verdict
I learned to handle this bike, Again it comes from the passion I have for my machines. If you do not have such a thing you may end up hating it.
Remember! We have to get in sync with the machine only then we can tame it.
This is a great-rated Bike in the KTM lineup.
It has a purposeful chassis design & world class suspension coming from an offroad king like KTM collab with WP
Here I put in all the info I have on my bike so it may help your buying choice.

About the Reviewer

Better than Himalayan in my opinion.
Bought this beast around 2 weeks back and clocked around 600kms on it,
Highways are like a piece of cake, buying experience was smooth ktm showroom staff was kind enough to answer all my queries and concerns beforehand,
Like every adventure seeker, i was looking at the adventure motorcycle segment which included a duke 250/390 adventure re Himalayan, bmw 310 gs, and yezdi adventure.
I chose this over Himalayan due to all the issues that i came across all the forums and owner friends of mine
I didn't want to deal with those issues though you can,
Tubeless tires are less of a headache when you get a flat on a road and apart from the 25-30k difference what i got was better brakes, slipper clutch, and better power though with lesser torque than Himalayan,
Since yezdi was a bit new to the market i didn't want to get into a fairly new company with lesser service centers in India, although i found yezdi's engine better and more refined than the Himalayan test vehicle,
Bmw is an expensive bike to maintain therefore was eliminated since most of my commute included in the city and i am not a fan of excessive technology and sensors duke 250 made complete sense to me after the test ride also the maintenance cost is almost equal to my Bajaj avenger 220 which i have ridden and toured on for around 8 years so bingo duke 250 adventure became an obvious choice,
Mileage is superb, handling is great power ohman! that is where it shines absolutely it is a beautiful machine which is absolutely rev hungry and almost everything seems perfect some cons which i found:
- it generates heat which is managed by radiator fans
- height can be an issue for some i am 5'7 inch and half a foot on it but it is manageable because of super lightweight, which is again better than Himalayan, i would suggest deciding after a test drive, every time i ride this machine it brings a smile on my face.

About the Reviewer

Riding position is very good.. it is awesome.. butter smooth engine.. the only con is faced is clunky shifting of gears sometimes.. other all things are fine.. better if they add some 390 features like tcs, led headlamps, quick shifter in this 250.. except these all other things are awesome on this bike.. you can go with the adv250 blindly than going for RE Himalayan or Yezdi adventure.

About the Reviewer

The on-road cost 3.20l Bangalore.
Pros:
A good amount of power for long rides. You can easily cruise at 120kmph on highways. And you will not get bored while riding this beast.
Fuel economy is decent, you can expect a mileage of 33-36 on highways and 28-29 in the city.
No heating issues.
Switchable abs.
Cons:
The price is quite high for 250cc bike.
No led headlamp and TFT display is missing.
The seat is on the quite harder side. Struggles at the low end.
Would have given more torque like at least 27nm.

About the Reviewer

Before finalizing I took multiple test drives.
I am riding 250 adv for 13months over 8000kms and truly it's one of the best entry-level adventure touring bikes which is very versatile and also used for daily travels. You need to get used to it and then it's fun riding it. It's low on maintenance and spares are easily available.
Cons seat height can be a concern. But if
one gets used to, it will not be
difficult.
Pros superb engine response
good decent mileage appx 30km/ltr
excellent braking with dual abs.

About the Reviewer

This bike is going to give you a big bike feel for sure, but it doesn't feel heavy.
let's talk about the looks first.
And when I'm talking about the looks how can I miss the halogen headlamp that's a bit eyesore for me personally, otherwise the bike looks beautiful from each and every angle.
The tall 855mm seat height can be a problem for shorter riders. If you are more than 5"9 go for it. (you can also ask for a low-height seat )
The rider's pov is also beautifully designed,
Looks just like a 390 adv except for that tft display and, to be honest, I can't complain about that because most of the time our eyes are set on the view ahead, not on the meter console. (the console provides enough information like fuel range, riding mode, gear position, odo etc .)
its performance.
Great for daily commutes but once you'll hit the highway it just glides on that tarmac.
I must say, that the 250cc engine from ktm is the most tractable engine in this single-cylinder category.
If you are below 6000 rpm you'll have a smooth ride but after 6000rpm you'll feel that surge of power and that 30ps/24nm will leave a big smile on your face. With a bodyweight of around 92 kgs I was easily able to manage a top speed of 139kmph so if you are a light weight rider going 145+ will be hassle-free for you.
Touring and off-road capabilities.
I feel that most of its buyers will spend their maximum time on tarmac not off road.
Touring on this bike is like surfing through the tides ( pleasant yet a bit bumpy)
The comfortable speed for highway touring on this bike is between 85 to 110 kmph depending on your body weight and riding style.
Anything above that will make you feel like the bike is bouncing a bit.
Those slightly stiff suspensions will give you great handling but don't absorb sharp bumps.
When it comes to offroad this bike gives justice to its name (almost)
But don't expect it to be a slow off-road machine like re himalayan. The low-end torque is not that much so keep the throttle twisted and
It can be pretty fast in off roads if you know how to handle it. Tall stance, off-road pegs, high ground clearance everything helps you to enjoy the adventure factor of this machine.
(personal suggestion- if you are looking for a off-road focused bike better go for 390 adv).
We know that it doesn't ride like 390
But it doesn't bite like 390 either. I'm getting mileage of 25-30kmpl in mixed riding conditions and 32+kmpl on the highways.
The first 3 services will cost you around rs 1500 - 2000 . Later it can go 2500 -3000.
Service intervals are long enough.
Let's see the pros and cons
Pros.
1. Great for touring and mild offroad.
2. Good mileage considering its segment.
3. Great road presence, it is a head-turner.
4. Good mid-range punch
5. Great stability
6. Great on-offroad tyres .
7. Best brakes in its segment
Cons.
1. Weak headlamps for touring.
2. Gets bumpy after 120 kmph
3. A bit pricy
Conclusion - if you are a new rider and considering this as your first do it machine
it won't disappoint you. Go and have a test ride. But if you are an experienced rider who's riding 150-200cc better go with ktm 390 adv or bmw 310 gs .

About the Reviewer