Honda NX 500 versus KTM 390 Adventure
Honda NX 500
KTM 390 Adventure
Year of construction / RRP / Test report
Competitors
- super easy handling
- Very accessible bike, also suitable for beginners
- Functional cockpit with TFT and navigation solution
- Simplest operation
- well-made all-rounder bike
- Equipment
- Wieselflink
- Pillion comfort
- Low weight
- Windshield creates turbulence for many riders
- tame sound
- Clutch lever not adjustable
- Price
Dimensions & Weight
Length : 2.165 mm Height : 1.415 mm
Seat : 830 mm
Weight : 196 (max: 386 ) kg
Seat : 855 mm
Weight : 172 kg
Engine
Displacement: 471 ccm
Hub: 67 mm
Hole: 67 mm
Cooling: flüssig
Drive: Kette
Aisles: 6
Displacement: 373 ccm
Hub: 60 mm
Hole: 89 mm
Cooling: flüssig
Drive: X-Ring, Kette
Aisles: 6
Performance
Performance: 48 HP at 8.600 U/Min
Torque: 43 NM bei 6.500 U/Min Tank contents: 18 Litre
Consumption: 4 l
Reach: 491 km
Performance: 44 HP at 9.000 U/Min
Torque: 37 NM bei 7.000 U/Min Tank contents: 15 Litre
Consumption: 3 l
Reach: 426 km
Chassis
Showa 41mm USD Fork Rear suspension:
Central spring leg
Rear suspension:
Two-arm swingarm Tyres at the front: 110/80-19
Rear tyres: 160/60-17
Tubular space frame, powder-coated (steel) Front suspension:
43mm WP APEX fork, adjustable in rebound and compression (travel 170 mm) Rear suspension:
WP APEX Monoshock (travel 177 mm)
Rear suspension:
Two-arm swingarm Tyres at the front: 100/90-19
Rear tyres: 130/80-17
Brakes
Double disc (∅ 296 mm) Rear brake
Single pane (∅ 20 mm)
Single disc, 4-piston radial fixed caliper (∅ 320 mm) Rear brake
Single disc, 1-piston floating caliper (∅ 230 mm)
Result
The Honda NX 500 is a simple but well-made A2 adventure bike. It convinces with impeccable and mega-easy handling and is therefore a perfect all-rounder for A2 riders and bikers who no longer feel like 250 kg + bullets. With 48 hp, you shouldn't expect any performance explosions, but that wouldn't fit the extremely good-natured overall impression of the NX 500 at all.The test machine was kindly provided to us by motofun, a large Honda dealer in Kaltenkirchen (30 minutes north of Hamburg). There, the NX 500 will be available as a demonstrator for a test drive, along with many, many other Honda models. By the way, motofun also has a large number of used machines, so it's always worth a visit.
Good, but expensive
What about the third puzzle mentioned at the beginning? What kind of bike is this? Then we get the gaaaaanz big club out. The world would be better if we all ate less meat, practiced safer sex and not just drove as an A2 driver's license holder KTM 390 Adventure. The safety equipment is convincing. Alone, the world is not like that. The problem with the KTM is that it is so wonderfully equipped that it is as safe as possible, but therefore cannot be cheap at all. Is it not, at EUR 6,195, what makes the answer to the question of classification even more complicated.
For a good 6,000 you get a good bike with the KTM, which has no development possibilities. It will always have 44 hp, that's the end of the flagpole. This is either enough for you in the long run – or you put a few hundred euros on it and move in the area of the Kawasaki Z 650 or Yamaha MT-07, which are throttled A2 compliant and later after the penitenting period with 75 hp are extremely enjoyable fun bringers.
The KTM 390 Adventure is too expensive to be used as a pure beginner bike. On the other hand, 44 hp is not enough for most motorcyclists in the long run. So a great bike is finally found between all the chairs.
The test bike was provided to us by Motorrad Ruser in Haseldorf near Hamburg
