Corner rocket - Hoot to ride but not for everyone. Review on KTM Duke 390 2017

I bought the new Duke 390 a couple of weeks ago from Indiranagar KTM in Bangalore. Before I share my review, a bit about me(this helps to lend perspective to readers of the reviewer). I'm 35yrs old, 5.11" tall & I weigh around 85kgs. I am an avid biker & this is my second bike(the first one being a Triumph Daytona 675R). As with all superbike owners, I wanted to pick up a smaller motorcycle for daily commute & for the occasional tour. After trying out a whole bunch of bikes, I shortlisted: Dominar 400(obvious) & TVS 310RR. I don't count Royal Enfields since I dislike heavy bikes which don't have basic safety features like ABS in today's day & age. No offence to RE owners - but I'm just used to riding with these features.

First of all, a pro-tip for all those who complain about low mileage & engine heating issues etc. Guys, realize that this is a performance bike - if your primary need is everyday city riding, you are probably better off getting a Dominar or something similar. KTM spent a lot of time & money on research to cut down kerb weight while giving a high revving engine, which leads to holigan levels of performance. The engine runs a very high compression ratio & is a single cylinder, which means that it is bound to heat up! Don't fight the nature of the bike, embrace it & you'll enjoy riding it.

Coming back to the Duke 390, it won my heart for a variety of reasons:

• Equipment levels are supreme: LCD dash, programmable ABS with 3 modes, slipper-clutch, superb LED light cluster, gear position indicator etc

  
  




• Weight: I prefer lighter bikers & this weighs in around~160kgs. Lightest in this segment(for reference Dominar is 182 & the RE is 190)

  
  




• Power & performance: the above point implies that when combined with a high revving engine, the power to weight ratio is off the charts.

  
  




• Agility: being a compact motorcycle, with a shorter wheelbase, it's very nimble & agile. The bike never fights you - and complies obediently to your inputs

  
  




• Brakes: this is probably the most important factor for me. The new duke has excellent brakes. Being used to ivy-league Brembos on my Daytona, the Duke 390 was an easy transition & stops very well. The initial bite is intense & the progression is fantastic. In short - confidence inspiring.

  
  




• Looks: cannot write that one of the books. I mean this looks like a scaled-down version of the SuperDuke 1290(saw this one last year in-person). It's absolutely gorgeous. I can't find a better-looking bike in this segment. Some would argue the 310RR looks better in Red and I don't entirely disagree. The Duke 390 just looks unique.

  
  




• Ground clearance: at~178mm this is probably one of the best out there, when compared to 157mm on the Dominar. Considering our roads, it's definately a consideration for me. More so - the WP suspension is adjustable(to some extent). I should also mention here that the rear mono-shock is kinda soft even with the preload adjusted. But with a few tweaks, a bit of casual off-roading is also possible.

  
  




• Ride position & seat: Since I ride a supersports, I wanted to bike which had a slight lean position(not too upright or forward set footpegs). The duke offers the right balance for me. Slight forward lean with rear set footpegs & enough room to move around. The seat is also very comfortable for my height & frame. I can ride longer distance on this bike before requiring a break. This is also excellent for high lean angles or when trying to do a bit of spirited riding around bends:)

  
  




• Ride by wire throttle: smooth & precise. Combined with excellent fueling, leads to a very spirited engine performance. On-off throttle inputs are also excellent.

  
  




• The exhaust note: no offence to previous Duke owners but I always found the exhaust note to be like that of an autorickshaw. An aftermarket exhaust could fix that easily but then it also gives cops another reason to pull you over. Thankfully the new Duke's side mounted exhaust sounds way better & in someways I do like the note.

  
  

Also - if you have any experience riding a bigger & faster bike like I do, it really helps to enjoy & appreciate the Duke even more. Since I'm used to riding a 128bhp bike, I am able to fully extract the 44bhps on this baby duke without it scaring me. It may not be as quick as my Daytona, but it offers soo much fun on the road. Not comparing the two but the baby duke offers an adrenaline rush second to none other in this segment. There is always this little extra which it has on offer. For example, you go fast onto a corner, there is always an extra 10% left on tap. So you won't get bored that you have hit the limit of the engine.

Now that's a lot of good points, moving on to the not-so-good things. I mean every bike has negatives. We just need to know which cons are we okay to live with every day.

Cons:

• The bike does heat up & the fan is loud. No taking away from the fact. The engine runs a higher compression ratio ergo will heat up when stalled in traffic. I'm okay with this because I'm used to my Daytona slow roasting my legs. The duke is still better. More so - I ride with a good Bell qualifier helmet with isolates a lot of that fan noise. It is what it is - its the price to pay for a higher bhp motorcycle at 60% the price of a Ninja 300 or R3.

  
  




• Maintenance cost: for me, it's not a con but I know for a lot of people it will be a concern. KTMs are more expensive to own when compared to say a Bajaj Dominar. Expect average service cost to be between 1200-1700.

  
  




• The display: For one, it does fog up from the inside if driven in heavy rains or extreme cold. Not that it stopped working but its just plain annoying on a bike which costs this much. Also, it does not show turn-navigations. This is a minor con for me. Would have been nice if the display could show turn-nav on the screen. I rely on the audio instructions on my sena for that. Not a deal breaker though.

  
  




• Tyres won't last long. General life is around 10k kms on the stock. I know because a lot of my friends own the same model. I might consider moving to medium compound tyres when the stock ones wear off.

  
  




• At lower RPMs, the bike is twitchy & jerky. Could be something which might iron out with time. But it can be annoying. That said - the bike feels at ease sitting at speeds over 80kmph. At lower RPMs it almost keeps reminding you - is this what you bought me for?

  
  




• Finally, the price is Bangalore is pretty steep. I paid 2.92L while my friends in Delhi got it for 2.68L. Not a con for KTM but more so for the exhorbitant state taxes.

  
  

Lastly, the bike makes you feel like you are a much more skilled rider than you actually are. Which gets people to push & do things which they would have not attempted on any other bike. I don't know if thats a pro(because the bike inspired confidence) or a con(because it makes you over-confident & take risks). You decide!

Other that those, I can't think of any more cons. Bike is excellent and I enjoy pushing it. I have a long roadtrip to Chickmanglur coming up & I'll update my 600+ kms touring experience after that.

Mods:

I have not added a lot of mods since I usually prefer to keep my bikes stock. That said, I added a Rynox mobile mount(priced~1k), Tank protector, Bolt mobile charger & a Sentinel Plus Hazard light flasher(highly recommended)

In future, I plan to get stomp grips for the tank & LED touring lights.

For those who are still contemplating whether this is the bike for them or not - let me share how I decided. I rented a Dominar for a ride to Wayanad & later the new Duke 390 to Ooty. These 600+ kms weekend tours let me fully experience the bike in all conditions & then make an informed decision as to which one suited me best. Remember - with motorcycles, the specs sheet means nothing. Follow your heart & go with the feel. See how confident you are riding it and pushing it. My friends made fun of me when I paid 3-4k for renting a bike but then that's a small price to pay, compared to spending 2-3L and realizing that I landed up with the wrong bike which I didn't like, which in turn meant that I would have ridden it less.

In the end - I'm happy with my decision. I wish all readers of my review, safe riding - always wear a helmet & never compromise safety over style or fashion.