Welcome to a secluded corner of our world.
Not far from the Powerdrift headquarters...
But no one we know has been here.
Until now.
Adventure motorcycling in India for a long time was that...
They were thinner on the ground than common sense.
And that's strange, right?
For a country like ours, where the best roads are lumpy...
And the worst ones are everywhere you look!
But
Times have changed.
We have adventure motorcycles from one to thirty lakh rupees...
And I personally know...
That if you want to be outside in our country riding happily...
Once you go ADV...
You won't go back!
That doesn't rhyme but it makes total sense.
And today, joining that party is the orange firecracker...
The KTM 250 Adventure.
It will make a smaller dent in your bank balance than the 390 Adventure...
By between fifty-five and sixty thousand rupees depending on where you are.
And just look at the promise...
It's got the amazing engine from the 250 Duke
The engine we've called the sweetest of all KTMs so far.
But, how does it go adventuring?
Let's find out!
The headlight is a dead giveaway that you're riding the 250...
And that's not the 390.
It stands at the front of a list of features...
That the 390 absolutely refuses to share with the 250.
I mean...
What happened to sharing is caring?
But, the lower price point obviously has implications, right?
So that's a steel handlebar and not an aluminum one...
You get an LCD screen, not KTM's TFT...
Although the layout is very similar.
And with the disappearance of the TFT goes any chance at Bluetooth fanciness.
At front, you get the organic brake pads, not the sintered ones from the 390.
It does have traction control but it comes from your wrist.
And if you want a quickshifter on the 250 adventure...
Move your toes faster!
But the 390's bodywork and size have made it to the 250 unscathed.
So under the new stickering...
Is one of the largest, most spacious motorcycles in this class.
The rider seat is flat and hard...
And to me, that's a good thing.
It means that you'll be able to move around,
And in my experience, the more you ride, the better stiffer seats work.
Soft seats - they're for errands, not adventures.
The 250, like the 390 will also suit the larger riders...
Both in height and width...
and those who want to carry pillions or luggage, out on the highway.
Given that the 250 has 15 bhp less approximately than the 390...
The fact that it will be a slower motorcycle overall...
Well, that's not hard to fathom.
Luckily, KTM did take across the lower gearing...
From the 250 Duke on to the engine.
So that does help.
But six extra kilos in the adventure format...
And the tuning for BSVI both together...
That's not proved to be a good combination for this engine.
Off-road, you will be stalling the 250 Adventure quite a bit...
Until you learn to grab a lot more revs then really should be needed.
The engine, it comes alive at about three and a half thousand RPM...
That's where the torque is.
And the sweet spot when we talk about when we say, 250 Duke...
Well, for this engine...
It's between four and six thousand RPM.
That's about seventy to a hundred kilometers an hour in sixth gear.
And you want to stay in that range because if you do...
The 250...
It's lovely!
There are some peg vibes after six thousand RPM
But thrashy sound aside, the KTM engine has no refinement issues.
It's smooth between four and six thousand and...
Yes, it does require you to shift gears quite a bit.
The engine goes into what is effectively the exact same chassis...
As the 390 Adventure...
So it's no surprise that the 250 darts into corners happily.
And the ride quality is very stiff.
Unfortunately, the MRF tires seem to noticeably be either heavier...
Or stiffer in carcass terms than the 390's Metzelers.
And that means...
That while speeding up on the 390 on broken roads and...
in dirt seems to sort out things...
The 250 never really settles.
Offroad - you must stand up on the 250...
Or you will have some of your organs reorganised.
But, let me reiterate...
The 250 Adventure is a decent road bike, but it isn't an offroader for me.
The nineteen-inch front wheel will allow you to manage...
Two tracks and some dirt for sure.
But matched to a low ground clearance for an offroad bike...
And only a little bit more suspension travel than the Duke...
Anything more complicated than that will require hard work...
Or lots of skill.
So...
The 250 Adventure has highway legs...
Space and that stance.
But...
What if you insist on going where the roads don't.
Then what do you do?
It's simple...
You get a BMW G310 GS!
The GS badge is to bulletproof adventure bikes...
What McDonald's is to fast food.
The 310 is the smallest one of the lot and in that sense...
It's the bike BMW hopes beginners will like...
Develop a taste for, and...
let's just say it, future business!
But it didn't go well for BMW, to be honest...
The debut prices saw many people cross it off their list...
And the level of vibrations were just too high.
This is a GS...
It's not a phone on silent mode, you know!
In the BSVI edition, BMW have worked on both of these things.
So is this ready to be the off-road capable tourer of your dreams?
Let's GS...
Or let's get started!
The 313 cc single feels quite different from the BSIV version of
Umm... Itself!
TVS showed that the vibrations could be tackled...
And no surprise...
The GS engine is now smooth enough for you to not complain.
Past the hundred kilometers per hour...
There is some vibration and it's a lot less than before.
And honestly...
Most of the 250s in India cruise at around a hundred kilometers per hour...
in highway mode.
So that is, at the very least...
Par for the segment.
But the engine isn't what has truly been impressive about the GS from day one.
It has to be the suspension setup.
And it works really well...
With the low and mid-range grunt of the engine.
I'm telling you, the setup is really good.
On the road, the GS glides over everything and off it...
It puts your mind at ease.
Working in sync with the varying terrain...
As you carry on riding.
The brakes and the tires complete a package that feels equally happy.
Both on the road, and off it!
The riding position, the narrow waist, and so many other factors chime in...
To make the G310 GS very comfortable...
Very sophisticated feeling motorcycle to ride...
Compared to most of the other bikes it competes with.
Yes, there are faster motorcycles on sale for its price...
But the quality and feel will be hard to match.
In a sense, the GS could, potentially...
Change the one thing we've come to expect
Of the offroad capable adventure motorcycle package.
That the Royal Enfield Himalayan, yes...
Rupees one lakh cheaper and all that...
Is the all-rounder that's doing the business.
GS might be more expensive...
Okay.
A lot more expensive!
But this time around the package is also a lot more persuasive!
I
Am
Impressed.
But where does the BMW G310 GS sit...
Once the KTM 250 Adventure joins the ride!
So good to see you!
Why didn't you tell me that you were also coming?
We would've ridden together!
In some ways, we actually did but I don't think KTM would've...
Taken on some of the trails that I took with the GS!
Yeah, you're probably right...
This is easier to ride than the 390 though and
Primarily because it has not got that much power so you have less to deal with!
But that sharp front-end...
So good out on the road!
Offroad, it's a little bit too light, wait!
The GS is that good?
The GS is actually good for...
Easy to moderate trails, but once the trails start getting harder...
It's actually a matter of how good, or how skilled you're at off-road riding.
And how deep your wallet goes also because that's a BMW!
Yup, it's definitely not in the KTM zone for sure but...
With what I hear, BMW has revised their prices for spares and service...
And now, the GS will be easier to drop!
What?
I mean to drop, pickup, repair, and then carry on riding!
Tell me one thing...
How was the KTM on the roads that you took?
I am gonna say that it was okay, man!
I think BSVI has taken some of the sweetness out of the 250 cc engine from Duke
So you remember how nice it felt? always!
On this motorcycle, it's a much narrower rev bend.
And I think the other change are these tires...
They're stiffer than the Metzelers I think...
So together, with the stiff suspension...
This motorcycle sort of bounces around and stays unsettled.
And it's a little bit uncomfortable...
So in that case...
Who would you recommend the KTM to?
Well, what's turned out...
Is that the 250 Adventure is a lively, hoppity jumpity sort of motorcycle.
And it tours fairly well. I mean, it has got the performance to do it.
If that's your temperament, then this you will get along with...
Unfortunately, even offroad, it remains a motorcycle that has got...
Well, no chill at all. In fact!
It's strange, but it always feels like there is too much air in the tires.
And today, that's not the case. I've checked, this is what KTM recommends.
Wow!
The GS on the other hand is a calm, serene, and high-quality motorcycle.
That does tours really well if that's your temperament.
It does the offroad section quite well too!
But you will have to shell about forty-thousand rupees more than the KTM boys.
Yes, and don't forget to account for the fact that it has more expensive spares...
And the dealership network is smaller.
So, Mr. Editor...
Who wins?
Wait!
When did this become a comparison test?
Okay...
If we had to pick a winner, I guess it has to be the GS right?
It seems to be able to straddle the roads and the offroad side...
Off the sub-three lakh rupee adventure motorcycle class.
And... that would have to be the winner!
I would say, in that case, we all win!
Why are you talking like this? What does that mean?
I mean to say that...
You keep saying...
Adventure motorcycles are for everyone and it has become so accessible now...
And these two motorcycles are sitting right in the heart of things especially...
When riders want to get serious about riding.
Nailed it!
We love blaming the equipment, don't we?
We say... I can't go offroad, have you seen my motorcycle?
But my friends...
The excuses are getting thin on the ground because the equipment choices...
Are going up every single day!
And you don't need a special motorcycle to try it either...
All you have to do is be excited...
Show up and try it!
Trust me, being outside on a motorcycle is a lot more fun...
Than having an excuse not to.
And here's the contest question for this video!
These two motorcycles, they share their engine with a couple of other motorcycles...
So who does the BMW G310 GS share its engine with?
And who does the KTM 250 Adventure share its engine with?
Two lucky winners stand a chance to win the Lyndons organiser.
Which is coming through the way of Big Bad Bikes.
And all you have to do is follow three simple rules.
One - subscribe to PowerDrift.
Two - subscribe to PowerDrift on Instagram, we are @powerdrift
And three - name one motorcycle and one motorcycle and leave that as a comment.
Right here!
And I am going to use my new sign-off line...
Because Varun always sees you later...
And I'm going to use a very dramatic new line that I've invented...
BYE!
[STRANGE STARE]
I would like to say it for the record that some of the cakes that we were eating...
On this shoot, were expired and I don't know what's gonna happen next.
I am very scared, Varun!
Okay, not seriously!
Hey, KTM...
Couldn't you've given like orange coloured coolant fluid? It would've made that reservoir look nicer, no?
Sorry
Sorry, Sorry!
But the lower price point... sorry, there is something in my nose!
Sorry
Welcome! [COW MOOS]
Hey Shutup! [MOOING CONTINUES]
I know you're excited to see me but please control yourself!
This was the take two.
Oh no, these jokes get worse!
We don't really need a reason to complain, right? I mean...
There is something out there and I've completely forgotten my lines!
One second, let us finish this one.