Overview
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| Duke 390 |
The KTM 390 DUKE is a naked street-fighter motorcycle launched in 2012 by an Italian manufacturer. It is a performance package and often referred to as pocket-rocket since when KTM India introduced it. Now year after year, the motorcycle has to adapt changes to survive the market. KTM has provided every essential needed in this class of motorcycles. Let's look over what it has to offer in the year 2019:
Engine:
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| 373.2 cc engine |
The main highlight of KTMs is its engine, and this one too continues the legacy. A single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 373.2 cc powers Duke 390. The engine is quite compact and lightweight. This engine produces 44bhp of max. power and 37 Nm of torque. This engine is a short-stroke engine or under-square engine which gives it a high revving nature. The compression ratio is also a bit high at 12.6:1, which helps in achieving this excellent output from a single cylinder.
This engine is mated to a slick-shifting 6-speed gearbox via PASC slip and assist slipper clutch. With a slipper clutch, the downshifting is not a stress, and we can even come from six to second without a fuss.
For the fueling, KTM uses a Bosch EFI system to get on point fueling and its works well.
Chassis & Dimensions
A steel trellis frame pins 390 Duke. This chassis is lightweight and divided into parts. The rear subframe is bolted on the front. Earlier it was a single piece unit. KTM Duke 390 has highlighted the subframe using white paint. The chassis is powder-coated.
The wheelbase of the motorcycle is 1357 mm, which makes it compact. It has a seat height of 835 mm which is not suited for short riders. The bike weighs just 163 kgs dry. The ground clearance is now increased to 183 mm as there is now belly exhaust this time.
The motorcycle is equipped by a front 120 section tire and rear 150 mm, wrapped around 17-inch aluminium rims.
Suspension & Brakes
KTM Duke is fitted with front Upside Down forks (USD) from WP. The forks are 43mm in dia, which is adequate. The rear suspension duties are supported by a WP mono-shock. The suspension travel is 142mm and 150 mm for front and rear respectively. The suspensions are a bit hard for Indian roads but seem just perfect on the track. If you ride in an area where there are no roads, then be prepared for frequent fork seal change.
Duke has one of the excellent brakings. In the front, we get a 320 mm disc with a four-piston calliper. And for the rear, we get a 240 mm disc with a floating calliper. Bosch ABS assist the brakes. The best part of this ABS is that we get a Supermoto mode. In this, the abs for the rear wheel is turned off and is active for the front wheel. This gives just too much fun.
Electronics & Features
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| Duke 390 headlamp |
This motorcycle is featurely loaded with electronics. It is the most advanced bike in its segment. On the front, it gets an all-LED headlamp with multiple LED in it. Beautiful and sharp DRLs surround the headlamp. The headlamp is designed in such a way to resemble that of a Superduke 1290R. The indicators are all LEDs. The tail-lamp is revised, and it also gets LED.
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| TFT Screen |
There is no mechanical throttle cable up to the EFI. Now we get a Ride-by-wire technology which gives instant feedback of even slightest twist in the wrist.
The main highlight in the electronics department is the TFT colour display. It is first seen in Duke among smaller capacity motorcycles. The display shows us all the features that we need on a regular display but in a colourful way. The colour automatically changes according to surrounding to give a better view. The screen can be easily read out under the bright sun. We can also connect our phone via an app, and it will show notifications there and even the navigation map. The controls for display are on the left handlebar.
The Duke 390 now gets 3-way adjustable brake and clutch levers. The heel protector is now made of plastic, so no more paint wear out the tension
Ergonomics & Rideability
As a street fighter, the ergonomics are straight upright with a slightly lower handlebar. The handlebar is a one-piece unit similar to the older one. The footpegs are little rear set and do not cause any problem as such. The 13.4 liters tank is now made of steel and can be gripped perfectly. Nothing hinders between rider and bike. The exhaust has been side-mounted to meet the BSIV norms, and now it helps it to sound better.
On riding the motorcycle feels alive and even make the rider alive. There is so much performance to offer, and the motorcycle continues to rev. In city traffic, the bike motorcycle gets heated up easily. It is meant to get free and wild with it.
Final Verdict
The motorcycle is just perfect with some small flaws which can be neglected seeing the pros. It is ideal for college students as it packs thrill and performance within it. It is offered in two colour schemes, white and orange. Both look very eye-catchy. KTM targets the young customer and is successful with this Duke. What some of you will not like is its fuel efficiency. Duke 390 mileage lies between 25-30 kmpl.
KTM Duke 390 priced at Rs. 2.47 Lakhs ex-showroom
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