And finally, it's here! The KTM Duke 390, easily the most awaited bike of this year has been launched at a killer introductory price of Rs. 1.8 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi!
The Indian bikers were already smitten by the Duke 200's power packed performance but the Duke 390 promises more in every respect. Powered by a 373cc single cylinder fuel injected liquid cooled four stroke engine that puts out 43.5PS and 35 Nm of torque, the Duke 390 offers performance that is never seen before in this price bracket! KTM says that the 390's engine has 95% new components compared to the Duke 200.
Mated to a 6-speed gearbox which adopts taller ratios for long high speed ride, the naked sportsbike tips the scale at 145kg (without fuel). That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 300PS per tonne, enabling it to reach 100kph from rest in just under 7 seconds without breaking sweat. The top speed stands at around 170kph!
Looks wise, the Duke 390 can be easily mistaken for its smaller sibling and vice versa, save for the decals, color of the trellis frame and a difference in engine size. The trellis chassis and the edgy design are all retained. One improvement is that the Duke 390 ditches the 200's MRF Zapper tires for stickier Metzeler rubbers of same sizes.
The KTM Duke 390 will be locking horns with the likes of the recently launched Kawasaki Ninja 300 which is a faired sportsbike. The Duke's USP would be the class leading power-to-weight ratio. The naked bike will simply leave all its rivals behind in a drag race!
Head to Page 2 to know about suspension, brakes and perceived rivals.
The suspension setup is a 43mm inverted telescopic forks up front and a mono shock at the rear, both made by WP. The front wheel is retarded by a 300mm front disc while the rear gets a 230mm disc. The bike comes with Bosch ABS system as a standard fitment but it is disengagable.
The KTM Duke 390 gives a whole new definition to the term "affordable performance". The Austrian two wheeler maker has been able to achieve this price point by manufacturing the bike at Bajaj's Chakan facility which will also take care of the global demand.
KTM's target customers are those who are looking to upgrade from mass sportsbikes like the Yamaha R15, Pulsar 220, its own Duke 200 etc. The 390 is also pitted as an alternative to tourers like RE Bullets, Thunderbirds and to bigger bikes like Kawasaki 650, Hyosung 650R, Harley Davidson Iron 883.
The arrival of the new Duke is certainly going to change the dynamics of the compact sportsbike segment considerably! But one very important message for youngsters is, it is too fast to be your first bike!
The bookings will start from tomorrow in all 71 exclusive dealerships across 60 cities.
Head to Page 3 to view the press release.
KTM Duke 390 Press Release
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