Should I buy my wife a 390?

My wife has been riding a 2005 KTM 450 EXC for a few years now but we have come to the conclusion that it's too tall, too heavy and too powerful for her.
I`m thinking about getting her a FE390. She rode my 570 for a day and absolutely loved the way it felt. Obviously I`m not going to get her a 570 because her skills just aren`t up to it.
I also don`t want to step her down to a 250 because she really needs a bike that she can lug in a higher gear all day.
Questions - She is 5ft 9" tall and I think she could benefit from lowering the bike. Can a 390 be lowered with different springs, front and rear etc? If so, will it still handle well? Can you get a low seat for it?
Does anybody know of any ladies that ride a 390 and what do they think of it?
Any feedback would be great and very appreciated.

Few thoughts.

390 is tall, feels light riding but quite heavy to lift. There is a lowered seat available from husaberg which helps. I have seen a lady riding one on a day out and she was fine with it. Not sure on the lowering side.

I moved to the new 350 and it is so much lower and lighter - riding and picking up. It's a real gem and you can chug around or rip it up!

If you can find a good 350 for your budget, I would opt for that. As I did!

Hope that helps.

royman12 said:

My wife has been riding a 2005 KTM 450 EXC for a few years now but we have come to the conclusion that it's too tall, too heavy and too powerful for her.
I`m thinking about getting her a FE390. She rode my 570 for a day and absolutely loved the way it felt. Obviously I`m not going to get her a 570 because her skills just aren`t up to it.
I also don`t want to step her down to a 250 because she really needs a bike that she can lug in a higher gear all day.
Questions - She is 5ft 9" tall and I think she could benefit from lowering the bike. Can a 390 be lowered with different springs, front and rear etc? If so, will it still handle well? Can you get a low seat for it?
Does anybody know of any ladies that ride a 390 and what do they think of it?
Any feedback would be great and very appreciated.

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It's a very interesting question at least. I think the 390 is one of a number of bikes that is very friendly but very capable, and can be made even friendlier. (I've given this some thought. I have my old DR-Z on hand as a loaner bike currently - if it should happen that I come into some more serious money, I would very much like to have a 390 on hand for that purpose instead.)

The ground clearance on the 70-degrees is ample. This also mean that not much is sacrificed by lowering the bike. I'm fairly confident that the suspension can be lowered - probably DIY, but certainly by a suspension shop. I would do this by working on the fork internals. I'm not sure how it's done, but it's possible - by way of spacers and such. If done correctly, then handling can even be improved - I think it's reasonable to expect that only ground clearance needs to be sacrificed. Maybe it would be enough to lower the rear suspension internally and then slide the forks in the yoke to drop the front.

I remember that Neduro over at advrider said that he'd have shortened/lowered the rear shock if he had decided to keep the bike. He might have some ideas or information about how to go about it.

There are low seats available, but as the seat-to-peg height is quite low, I would try lowering the suspension first before switching seats. I am much more comfortable on my 570 now that it has a medium-tall aftermarket seat (i.e. taller than stock), even though the bike overall is a little on the tall side. Less cramped knees when riding.

If the bike is lowered overall, it should also be easier to pick up as the weight is lower down on the lever that is the bike.

In order to build a stable bike, I would I think try to lower the rear a bit more than the front, and perhaps install a triple or Rekluse E-Axle to decrease the offset and bring more stability. A stable, moderately self-steering bike is confidence-inspiring for a beginner. In other words, the 70-degrees have an abundance of agility that can be sacrificed to obtain a more stable and friendly bike.

Another thought: Maybe an autoclutch could make the bike even friendlier?

I would suggest a KTM 350 xcf-w.

The FE390 weighs about the same as my FE450. The specs say the 350 is only 14 lbs lighter, but it makes a huge difference. The 450 is just a little too heavy for me to handle when it starts tipping over. I almost always end up dropping it. The 350 is light enough that I can usually hold it up. The FE feels light to ride, but heavy to pick up or move around. And the 350 has plenty of power for me - a recreational rider at 200 lbs.

My daughter recently moved from a crf230 to a crf250x. I lowered the 250x about .85" with a lower link, so she isn't as intimidated by the height. When she rode my new 350 she absolutely loved it. Even though it was taller, she just felt safer on it. She said it went where she wanted it to go, so she felt in control. Now she wants one.

You can lower the PDS bikes. The best method is to have the suspension lowered, but that is pretty expensive. The next option would be an x-bushing for the shock and slide the forks up in the clamps. You could also lower the seat.

Or if you want a really light bike, get something like a KTM 200 two-stroke.

The FE570 and FE390 are the same bike - just a different motor. That said, there is a lot of latitude in not only having the suspension professionally shortened (don't forget the kickstand too) but a lot can be done with different seat heights and peg heights. I would think you wife would be right in the ballpark at 5' 9". I added a taller seat and lowered the pegs(with some aftermarket ones) to help my arthritic knees. Good luck in your search - let us know what you get.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. A 2 stroke isn`t really on the radar because she just likes to potter along at a steady pace and would probably foul too many plugs. She's not into wringing a bikes neck to get it to perform either.
A recent model Berg or Kato 350 may be out of our budget range. It would be our preferred option though so we may have to save a little longer. Also, by the time we spend the extra on shortening the suspension on a 390 we may be in the same ball park budget as a 350 anyway. I`ll look into it.
I know the 390 is a heavy bike but if I can lower it then she will have a lot more confidence being able to get both feet flat on the ground. Picking the bike up after a get off isn`t really a problem for her because there is always other riders with her to help.
I think the fact that the 390s suspension is miles ahead of her old Kato would improve her ability beyond sight.
Thanks again guys.

Ok guys I just HAVE to answer this thread! I have a 2010 FE 450 and absolutely LOVE IT! I wanted a 390 originally but couldn't find one. I can pick it up on my own since a lot of times I'm riding on my own unfortunately but heck I don't have to bench press it. I grab the endure engr handguards which really makes a help.

I had Dale EO do the suspension best thing I ever did for it....go Dale! He lowered it a bit and that helped and also set up with proper springs for my weight and valving for my ability. Oh what a joy to ride it now and I know I need to send it back in to change it a bit since my riding has improved. I'm 5'8" and I'm not flat footed nor do I care. I tried the excentric to lower the rear and it's a stupid idea, requires grinding the shock body to fit. Dumb. Do the work on the suspension it's the best thing you can possibly do to any bike.

Yes, there is a low seat but I try to stand most of the time. I've got over 100 hours on my "Sven" and still love him dearly. I love the power of this bike and the wide spread transmission. Yes the bike is heavy but the goal is to keep moving. A big huge plus is the Kehein EFI which is a smooth dream for control and is probably what she liked about your 570.

So my answer is YES get her a 390 or heck get me one! :twisted: