KTM 390 Duke review, test ride

Sharp angles and steep creases are everywhere. All parts have been lightened with excess material shaved away, helping to keep the bike light at an impressive 154kg, ready to roll. The 390’s stubby front mudguard is sporty, while both orange wheels look really smart. Its powerful headlight sits in a futuristic looking bikini fairing. The near flat, gently pulled back handlebar is tapered alloy, while the comprehensive instruments remain a compact, digital readout that sadly still isn't the most readable in the business. Reading much of its information, especially the cascading rev counter is cumbersome. The 390 Duke’s palm grips could likewise have been better, offering nice grip, but feeling uncomfortably hard when riding without gloves. Crisp functioning and illuminated switches are standard, easy to get used to and good to the touch. You also get nice dog-leg shaped control levers and functional rear view mirrors.

 

The 390 Duke comes with a muscular tank, with deep indents that provide good thigh grip. Speaking of ergonomics, we found the rider’s ankle grip tabs behind the footrests located much too low for viable use.

 

The 390 Duke engine sits proudly exposed between a beefy, orange powder coated steel trellis frame, and its centrally located, smartly finished exhaust box peeps out from under the gearbox. The KTM 390 Duke comes with a neat tail-fairing, slim brake warning light and outstretched number plate mount.