KTM 390 Duke India review, test ride

KTM’s 390 Duke performed like a dream during our first ride in Austria. Let’s find out how the 390 manages in demanding Indian conditions.

Published on Aug 13, 2013 08:25:00 PM

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The 390 clutch works with progressive feel, with marginally heavier pull than the 200 Duke. Throttle response is immediate on the fuel-injected bike, and the power band is wide. The 390 engine provides strong low-end grunt, building into a strapping mid-range that flows all the way up to redline, just over 10000rpm. Performance is robust in the top end of the powerband, when pushing hard and spinning the big single over 6000rpm. The 390 provides seriously quick acceleration, blasting past 60kph from rest in 2.47 seconds and easily holding respectable cruising speeds of well over 100kph. The rev counter hovers around 7000rpm when holding 130kph in sixth gear, and 5000rpm at 100kph. We took the 390 Duke up to a true indicated top speed of 162kph in sixth. The new KTM engine is impressive, with a rorty and baritone exhaust note.

The 390 Duke is held together by an orange steel trellis frame. Its riding position is back upright, but sporty bending your legs below the knees, similar to as on the 200. There’s enough space for riders to move around in the firm riding saddle. Chunky 43mm upside-down front forks are standard, as are an adjustable monoshock and alluminium alloy swingarm. Ride quality although plusher than the bike we rode earlier in Austria, is still taut, in keeping with the 390’s sporty character, aiding the chassis to deliver sharp handling.