KTM 390 Adventure (2020+) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the KTM 390 Adventure, KTM’s smallest bike in their adventure line in most markets (there’s also a KTM 250 Adventure in some).

It uses the same engine block as in the KTM RC 390 and KTM 390 Duke, so the maintenance schedule has a lot in common. The 390 Adventure is powered by a single-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes peak power of 32 kW (43 hp) at 9000 rpm, with 37 Nm (27 ft-lb) of peak torque, with 80% of that available across most of the rev range. Final drive is via a chain.

The 390 Adventure was built to compete in the compact adventure sports market, alongside other bikes like the Versys-X 300.

This post was originally published on 6 July 2021, but has been updated with a more easy-to-read maintenance schedule.

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KTM 390 Adventure Service Intervals

The KTM 390 Adventure has a 4650 mile / 7500 km or annual minor service interval, and a 9300 mile / 15000 km major service interval.

At the minor service, change the oil and air filter, and run over the list of checks for leaks, wear, and degraded materials (e.g. rubber hoses).

At the major service, change the spark plug and check the valve clearances. You only need to do this major service at the distance interval.

Make sure to keep the coolant and brake fluid fresh per the rest of the schedule. An easy way to do this is every two minor services.

What you need to service your KTM 390 Adventure

Servicing your 390 Adventure is fairly easy, as it’s a single-cylinder engine with exposed parts. So when the valve service comes up every 15000 km / 9300 mi it’s not an overwhelming task.

Aside from basic motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to service your 390 Adventure.

Part	KTM 390 Adventure spec
Engine oil	The manual requires SAE 15W-50 oil that meets JASO T903 MA2 spec, and recommends Motorex oils, e.g. Motorex Top Speed 15W-50, a full synthetic.
Oil filter	Use a Hiflofiltro HF155 as a high-quality drop-in replacement.
Spark plug	Standard spark plug is a Bosch VR6NEU, which is quite hard to find other than from KTM dealers.
Fork oil	Use SAE 4 fork oil, e.g. Motorex 4W Fork Oil which KTM recommends.
Air filter	Use a K&N KT-1217 air filter.
Brake fluid	Use a DOT 4 fluid e.g. Castrol DOT 4 full synthetic.
Coolant	The manual calls for Motorex Coolant M3.0, which is an OAT coolant based on ethylene glycol that’s silicate, nitrite, amine, borate, and phosphate free. (Most coolants contain at least phosphates or silicates… be wary)
Clutch cable lube	Use either engine oil or Protect all cable life, an affordable and quality lubricant.
Chain maintenance	Use Motul chain paste, a low-mess, high-quality chain lube. The manual recommends the more expensive Motorex chain lube.
Grease	The manual recommends Motorex Bike Grease 2000 although you can use any lithium soap-based grease.

Maintenance schedule for the KTM 390 Adventure

The schedule below comes straight from the manual, though it has been formatted slightly for legibility.

The maintenance schedule for the KTM 390 Adventure comes in two parts: required work and recommended work. But since many of the items that are “recommended” are frequently required, we’ve combined them, and show them as a complete maintenance schedule with a standard “inspection checklist”, similar to many other motorcycles.

KTM recommends most of the work be done by mechanics, and users only do the following:

• Check brakes (maybe replace if necessary)
• Check/adjust tyre pressures
• Check/adjust chain tension
• Check coolant and brake fluid levels

And very little else. Of course, servicing the 390 Adventure isn’t hard as a single-cylinder mostly-naked bike, so it’s up to you.

KTM 390 Adventure — Standard Inspection Checklist

Below is the inspection checklist for the KTM 390 Adventure. Do this according to the schedule below.

Some items are marked [Dealer] as they need special equipment.

KTM 390 Adventure Standard inspection checklist
[Dealer] Read out the fault memory using the KTM diagnostics tool
[Dealer] Program the shift shaft sensor (if activated)
Check that the electrical system is functioning properly (lights, switches)
Check the brake discs Front disc minimum thickness: 4.5 mm Rear disc minimum thickness: 3.6 mm
Check the front brake pads (minimum thickness 1 mm / 0.04 in)
Check the rear brake pads (minimum thickness 1 mm / 0.04 in)
Check the brake lines for damage and leakage
Check the front brake fluid level (between lines)
Check the rear brake fluid level (between lines)
Check the tire condition (no damage, cracks)
Check tire pressure (see below for tire pressure specs)
Check spoke tension and retighten as necessary. (2023+ model with spoked rims only)
Check the shock absorber and fork for leaks or damage
Check the chain tension (see below for notes / guidance)
Check the coolant level
Check the anti-freeze / anti-boil effectiveness (if you have the right equipment)
Check that the radiator fan is functioning properly
Chek that the throttle cables are undamaged, routed without sharp bends, and set correctly.
Check the cables for damage and routing without sharp bends
Check the steering head bearing play (ensure ease of movement and no notches)
Empty the drainage hoses
Check all hoses (fuel, coolant, drainage etc.) and sleeves for cracking, leaks, and incorrect routing
Grease all moving parts (e.g., side stand, hand lever, chain) and check for smooth operation
Check the tightness of the safety-relevant screws and nuts which are easily accessible.
Final check: Check the vehicle for safe operation and take a test ride.
[Dealer] Read out the error memory after the test ride using the KTM diagnostics tool.
[Dealer] Set the service interval display.
[Dealer] Make a service entry in KTMDealer.net

KTM 390 Adventure Maintenance Schedule

Below is the scheduled maintenance table for the 390 Duke.

Notes

• Keep following the schedule in the pattern shown.
• Some items have a time-based schedule only (e.g. fluids), some a distance-based schedule only (e.g. valve clearance), but many items have both.
• We’ve simplified some of the interval distances (nobody is going to do a service at exactly 13950 miles, so we put it at 14000 for example)

mi x 1000	0.6	4.7	9.3	14	18.6
km x 1000	1	7.5	15	22.5	30	Every
Conduct a standard inspection service (see list above)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Change the engine oil (Motorex Top Speed 15W-50)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Change the oil filter (HF155)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Clean the oil screens	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Clean the dust boots of the fork legs		✓	✓	✓	✓
Change the air filter (KT-1217) and clean the air filter box.		✓	✓	✓	✓
Check the chain, rear sprocket, and engine sprocket		✓	✓	✓	✓	Year
Check the valve clearance, change the spark plug. (Bosch VR5 NEU) Intake: 0.10-0.15 mm / 0.0039-0.0059 in) Exhaust: 0.15-0.20 mm / 0.0059-0.0089 in)			✓		✓
Check the frame (rust, cracks)					✓
Check the link fork					✓
Check the fork bearing for play		✓	✓	✓	✓
Check the wheel bearing for play		✓	✓	✓	✓
Change the front brake fluid. (Motorex DOT 5.1, Castrol DOT 4)						2 years
Change the rear brake fluid. (Motorex DOT 5.1, Castrol DOT 4)						2 years
Change the coolant (Motorex Coolant M3.0)						4 years
Check the headlight setting	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

KTM 390 Adventure Chain Tension Adjustment

To check the chain tension on the 390 Adventure, you measure the distance between the chain and the swing arm, while pressing slightly upward on the chain.

To check / adjust the chain tension, you need:

• A paddock stand (unless you have a centre stand fitted)
• Large torque wrench, and a socket set or wrenches
• A rag or nitrile gloves or mechanic gloves (things get messy and chain lubricant is heavy)

Follow this procedure

1. Raise the motorcycle using a paddock stand.
2. Put the transmission into neutral
3. Move the tyre until you find the tightest part of the chain (it may all be uniform).
4. In the area right after the sliding guard, press the chain up towards the link fork.
5. Measure the distance between the link and the chain.
6. Repeat the measurement across a few positions.

The target distance should be 5-7 mm (0.2-0.28 inches).

If you need to adjust chain tension:

1. Loosen the axel nuts.
2. Loosen the chain tension retaining nuts.
3. Turn the tension adjusting screws. Turn them the same amount so that the adjustor positions are in the same position on both sides. This keeps the wheel in alignment.
4. Check chain tension, and keep repeating until it’s right.
5. Tighten nuts other than the axle nut.
6. Make sure that the chain adjusters are correctly fitted on the screws (i.e. that it’s not out of the operating range).
7. Tighten the axle nut (use a big torque wrench — 74 ft-lb or 100 Nm of torque).

KTM 390 Adventure Tire sizes and pressures

The 390 Adventure ships with the following tire sizes and pressures.

Wheel	Tyre size	Tyre pressure
Front	100/90-19 M/C 57T M+S TL	200 kPa / 2 bar / 29 psi
Rear	130/80-17 M/C 65T M+S TL	200 kPa / 2 bar / 29 psi 220 kPa / 2.2 bar / 32 psi with passenger

The KTM 390 Adventure ships with competent Continental TKC 70 on/off-road tires. They do a pretty good job off-road, too.

Note that KTM has offered spoked rims as a PowerPart for a few years, and made them standard from the 2023 model year. Per KTM (via ADVpulse.com), these same tires must be fitted with inner tubes on spoked rims. The cast rims do not need inner tubes.

About the KTM 390 Adventure

The KTM 390 Adventure is a compact adventure bike that’s based on the same 390 platform that powers a couple of other bikes in KTM’s stable. At the far “road” end of the road-dirt spectrum you’ll find the KTM RC 390 street sport bike.

The KTM 390 Adventure is the kind of bike that you can ride in all kinds of conditions ranging from urban commutes through highways to light adventure off-roading.

Most riders would agree that the 390 Adventure isn’t a dirt bike. It doesn’t have long-travel suspension and is considerably heavier than something like a Honda CRF300L, or one of KTM’s many dirt-ready bikes. But still, the 390 Adventure is very capable, and much more so than its modest appearance would imply.

The KTM 390 Adventure is powered by exactly the same 373 cc single-cylinder engine that you’ll find in the KTM RC 390, after all. Is this a sport bike? Sure, why not!

It’s a very modern engine, with liquid-cooling, four valves, and a nice flat torque band all the way from down low through its engine cut-off at 10000 rpm. So you can make the engine sing if you want to.

Power and torque are also of the same spec as its stablemates. The KTM 390 Adventure makes peak torque of 27 ft-lb (37 Nm) at 7000 rpm (but it makes most of that from down low), and peak power of 43 bhp / 32 kW at 9000 rpm. The happy spot for the engine is between about 5-9000 rpm.

Riding the 390 Adventure is easy. It has a comfortable upright riding position and commanding view — despite the compact motor, this is a bike on which you feel you own the road.

It has ABS brakes, and even has an IMU for cornering input into ABS. Braking is via a single 320mm disc and a Bybre (“almost Brembo”) 4-piston radially mounted caliper. You can shut off the ABS if you want to.

That’s not all the tech that the KTM 390 Adventure has. It also comes with a TFT display, full LED lighting, and Bluetooth connectivity. It’s a lot of value for money.

To show that the KTM 390 Adventure can do off-road duty, it comes with a 19-inch front wheel (not quite 21, but pretty good!) and Continental TKC 70 dual sport tires. These give a good blend of on- and off-road performance.

Suspension travel is similar, neither too little nor too much, with 6.7 / 6.9 inches front and rear. That makes it somewhat similar to a Suzuki V-Strom 650, but in a much lighter package.

What’s interesting is that even in this modestly priced compact adventure motorcycle, you get suspension adjustability on the front and rear WP Apex units. On the front inverted fork, you can adjust rebound and compression damping. And on the rear, you can adjust spring preload and rebound damping.

In 2023, KTM updated the 390 Adventure minimally, adding spoked rims and tube-type tires to complement the 390 Adventure’s off-road capabilities. The rest of the motorcycle is essentially unchanged, however.

Manual for the KTM 390 Adventure

The above maintenance schedule came from the manual for the KTM 390 Adventure.

You can download the manual directly from KTM here.