Naked and cruiser motorcycles are fun, as their mean and beefy structure always enamored me.
This year I started looking of owning a good 500cc motorcycle as I was saturated with my RD 350 and whole lot of 150cc motorcycles. Hence the scouting began looking for both new as well as Pre worshipped motorcycles.
For the time being, I eliminated Triumph and Harley Davidson as they were slated for a later date purchase.
In an Indian Market flooded with 150-220cc motorcycles, the choice was rather difficult as I had only following options: Royal Enfield Thunderbird /Hyosung Aquila /KTM.
Thumping trauma with
Royal Enfield began, when I visited GoGreen Showroom in Hitech city in Hyderabad and met with a very unresponsive sales team , who were not even in a mood to listen to me and provide any information. Besides they said that the wait period for Thunderbird was 2 months !!! I requested for a Test ride of Thunderbird 500, but was told that I needed to wait for a week. To test the waters, I borrowed a Thunderbird 350 from a colleague in my office and went for a short ride. I was not only disappointed with the underpower produced from the engine, but was totally dismayed by its lack of attention. I found that Thunderbirds had become so common everywhere that there was nothing special about it. I had also heard of so many reliability issues with RE that I decided to drop the idea with out even Test Riding Thunderbird 500.
I generally don’t regard that Koreans make great Automobiles. Hence I wasn’t expecting a great reception at
Hyosung. I was only keen of test riding Aquila, but at DSK showroom, there weren’t any bikes to test ride and a bunch of guys who weren’t interested in selling bikes. They gave all flimsy excuses but wanted to know if I was going to pay by cash !!! I finally got a call after some days that a Aquila 250 was available for Test ride. Come on 250cc..i wasn’t geared up for this, but decided to check out. It was a monster with a 250cc puny engine with an OTR of 3.5 lakhs !!! Hyosung was out.
Perhaps the only bike for which i have regard from the stables of Hyosung was Comet 250.
My last stop was at
KTM, which did the trick. From the time I entered the KTM Show room, I was swept off my feet with the Orange ambeince. I checked out both the 200 and 390 Duke versions only. KTM Banjara Hills provided both the motorcycles for a test ride and I was simply blown away by the Duke 390. A question or two popped if I could handle a 373cc engine with my Spondilitis issues, but what the heck, I decided to take a plunge with out delay. KTM folks promised me a delivery of a 2015 machine in flat 3 hours !!! Suddenly I decided to weigh my various options.
The decision:
I spent a day thinking how much will I use the bike. The reason for acquiring a powerful bike was only for highway group rides and weekend indulgence, plus another bike to my collection. Should I splurge 2.4 lakhs on a new motorcycle. I decided to check out pre owned Duke 200s and 390s online and was quite happy to see many up for sale. I spread the word among my friends that I was looking for a Duke 390 and if anyone was interested to sell, I was ready for it. An early morning there was an Watsapp message with a photo of a duke from an acquaintance. I was READY TO RACE and look a leap immediately to check out the bike. It was 2013 October manufactured but registered in July 2014 (hence carries a TS number), done about 9400km, still under warranty, Metzelers in good shape , had all accessories fitted as stock vehicle. I took the bike to KTM service centre in Banjara Hills and got a check up done by the lead mechanic. After a 30 minute scrutiny, I got an excellent feedback about the bike and settled for a price of 1.15 Lakhs. Not bad I thought. By end of the day, my 390 was home.
I quickly arranged for transfer of ownership on my name and decided to get a good 10000km servicing done at KTM Service centre.
Servicing Experience
My 390 showed on Odo 9000km when I purchased. So I decided that it needs a good servicing and I set up an appointment with the KTM service centre in Banjara Hills.
The service team at KTM Banjara hills was very courteous and seemed to know their job.They comprised of young trained mechanics who knew their part to play. My first experience with a power bike and I didn’t have much instructions for them except that I expected a good job. After 24hrs of wait, I went to pick up my 390 and was pleasantly surprised by the cost of servicing :
- Spark Plug Bosch : 195.50
- Oil Filter : 74.00
- Fuel Filter : 99.00
- Air Filter : 283.00
- Engile Oil (Motul) :1237.00
- Coolant –Motul : 185.00
I was not charged any labour cost as I had free servicing coupons left, but a 2k odd service bill elated me. Such is the scale of economies of a world class motorcycle made in India by an Indian manufacturer.
I was recommended to bring my 390 for servicing at an intervals of 5000km or 6 months which ever comes earlier and by next servicing my 2 year warranty will also come to an end, hence I can plan my modifications as well.
After servicing, I noticed that there was an oil leakage from the rear mono shocks. KTM service centre recommended to change the entire rear mono shocks and this was done under warranty even though i was the second owner. Thanks to my "communication skills" and advice from fellow members of this forum.
At the KTM Service Centre just after 10K servicing
Ready to Race
Key Specifications of KTM Duke 390:
Design : 1-Cylinder 4-Stroke Engine Water cooled.
Displacement : 373 CC , 44 BHP
Transmission 6 Speed , Claw shifted
Brakes : Disc Brakes(Front and Rear) with four-pot brake caliper (front) and one-pot brake caliper floating brake discs (rear).
Weight : 154kgs
What I like :
• An agile naked bike capable of 44 bhp , 0 to 100 in 5.5 seconds and a
top speeds of 170km.
• An ABS for a Rs.2 lakh bike is impeccable, not even all cars have this
feature !!!
• Metzeler tyres are low profile and come as stock tyres.They are good
for cornering on a race track and provide good traction.
• In Europe KTM Duke 390 costs about 5500 euros, good price for India
for a 373cc bike
• Weighs only 154kgs, thats a very light bike.
• Underbelly exhaust gives center of gravity while riding
• ByBre Brakes are superb, after all they come from the stables of
Brembo.On a comparitive note, Disc brakes are larger than Duke 200.
• All round machine - city rides , road tourer and racing power.
• Spare parts are easily available and cheap as they are made by
bajaj..Brake pads cost Rs.300 only, oil filter costs about Rs.74
• Alloy wheels in Orange color for 390 look very attractive.
• Handle bar guards is definitely a positive installation for protection.
• An informative speedometer console which displays a myriad of
information like Speed, Gear position, Trip Meters , RPM, Fuel and
Temperature gauge, Digital Clock, Fuel consumption and Side stand
down indicator. Besides there indication lamps for ABS, Neutral,
Indicator position and low fuel lights.
• In a stationary position, Engine cannot be started when a gear is
engaged.
• Coolant tank is quite accessible to top up by one self without taking to
the service centre.
• Stock Headlight is quite powerful and the high beam throw is excellent.
• KTM uses world class oil lubrication and coolants from French giant
Motul.
• Rich usage of German parts from Bosch makes it a world class
motorcycle
• An array of accessories available easily online as well as on KTM parts,
which are very easy to install with a minimal modifications.
What I miss :
• Phyisical Throttle play is more.
• No option for hazard indicators, a contraption for highway rides.
• Fuel tank capacity of 10.5 litres (usable is 10 litres).Would have
preferred a larger tank for longer rides.
• Seat is for track racing, not for long rides
• Alloy wheels could have been harder with better compound as they are
light racing alloy wheels and with pot holes in India, they may take a
toll at 100km+ speed.
• Tyres are low profile good for racing and hard cornering, but city rides
cant absorb impact from road.
• Metzelers last for 10-12k Kilometers only , compared to Michelin.
• Header pipe has a dent to accommodate the Trellis frame, doesn’t look
aesthetically correct.
• Clutch is very hard, but the 2015 390s have a smoother clutch.
• Engine heat is too much as it is a high compression engine. Need to
check coolant constantly to maintain its level.
• Service intervals of 5000kms needs oil change oil filter air filter, fully
synthetic oil Motul. Synthetic oils can do 15000kms but KTM wants to
bring in every 5000kms
LH View..Mean and Beastly looks
Front View
Rear View
RH View
Riding Experience:
My honest riding owning and riding experience of a Duke 390 after having seen burning miles on my Yamahas – RD 350 , Fazer , Enticer and RX100 (in descending order of their CC) is that KTM Duke 390 is an avant garde motorcycle which ensures a state of art technology combined with some refined engine that can attain mindblowing speeds on a highway and can perform on a racing track.
Safety for the Ride :
ABS is a brilliant feature with an option to kill it when required. This enables sound braking with front and rear discs helping to control the motorcycle from high speeds to low speed with out locking the wheels. For a highway ride, ABS is a boon and also in monsoon when the roads are wet, ABS can be useful. BYBRE brakes (BYBRE stands for “By Brembo”) are specific braking systems developed for Motorcycles and scooters upto 600c for BRIC countries. For KTM Duke 390 they function very well and braking capacity is awesome.
ByBre Brakes
Comfort for Ride :
A street naked bike, 390 offers a touring bike stance combined with racing position. Over a long ride,one might develop a fatigue, but for 300km + rides, 390 stands as a testimony for speed and reliability. Heating of engine is reported as an anamoly in 390 but I did not find anything wrong as I was checking the coolant level during and after my long rides and I didn’t find any issue. The underbelly exhaust system gives a tremendous centre of gravity while riding and cornering. The fuel tank is designed ergonomically to wrap up legs while riding giving a comfortable seating position. Metzeler tyres are another integral feature into KTM system which bring the speed into control and offer a safer ride.
Ergomically designed Fuel Tank for better riding comfort
Technology for Ride :
KTM Duke 390 uses robotically welded tubular steel Trellis frame which adds style points as well as reduces weight immensely. Combined with high quality upside-down fork from WP suspension and a high compression KTM Racing engine that churns out 44 BHP, it is simply amazing what a Duke 390 can do. Mono shock which has become common to all high powered bikes gives additional comfort to ride.In a Water cooled engine, the heat emitted by the engine is absorbed by the coolant and once the temperature reaches a set temperature, thermostat will activate the fan to prevent the bike from heating. Duke 390 leverages fully from water cooling technology. The only contraption here is that one needs to check the coolant level constantly like a car !!!!
ABS comes from Bosch and Braking is made by Brembo..Can anyone ask for more?
Trellis Frame
Another feature which oozes technology on this segment of bikes is the Speedo console which shows a array of diagnostic information.Here i miss a digital tyre pressure indicator though !!!
Aesthetics for Ride :
A street naked looks , an Orange motif on alloys and trellis frame , a stylish ergonomically designed petrol tank and an elongated looks make a Duke 390 stand out and distinctive.
Modifications and Accessorization:
Windscreen is an essential part of highway riding and becomes integral to a rider. I explored various after market windshields for my Duke 390 which were costing between 6-9k with an elaborate modification. I choose a simple windscreen of an Yamaha SZ-R (costing Rs.140) and put matching 8mm holes with a bosch power drill and installed a windscreen myself.
KTM embossed Brake Fluid lip which gives a very good contrast to the bike and shows branding very well.
KTM branded stand shoe added to improve the looks.
Now it was time get new Metzelers for my 390. They set me back by 18k, but worthy. Road handling has been outstanding since new Metzelers started moving.
Customized KTM Riding Gear
Customized / Official KTM Accessories
The Verdict
After having ridden Duke 390 extensively in city and highway, i would like to recommend this outstanding bike to anyone who has a desire for naked street fighter looks and some adrenaline rush on highways.
- Speed control is amazing and ABS works like a song. Braking is a boon for Duke 390 with ABS added. Never kill ABS ( i strongly feel this option should be removed all togather) which will only disrupt safety of the rider.
- IMHO recommended tyres are Metzelers and nothing else. They give excellent traction and road grip especially while cornering. Albeit the fact that Metzelers are radically costlier that other tyres manufacturers and also softer compound tyres. While one has to change Metzelers every 10k Km (especially rear tyres wears out faster), it would do a lot good to the bike. Metzelers are there for a reason on Duke 390, as this bike is made with many racing elements from KTM.
- Motul is the brand partner of KTM for all the lubrication liquid engineering. From Engine oil , Brake Oil , Chain Lube to coolant are supplied by the French lubricant. My research and observations are that Motul engine oil has an adverse effect on the bike over long run, hence I plan to switch to Shell after the Warranty period is over.
- Duke 390 may not have high brand value, but it is a total value for money at 2.2 Lacs OTR, There fore it is advisable to keep the bike with oneself for couple of years, rather than selling off after an year of purchase, because you are n't going to get anything back substantial. notice,.I have seen that KTM service centres stock up good amount of spares for quick replacement.
- Spare parts are very reasonable and replacement can be done with ease as they are locally manufactures by Bajaj in India and are available at a short
- City Rides v/s Long rides : Duke 390 is an out and out highway bike.Using this bike in traffic laden cities to commute to work is a gross error one can make and will end up in lot of frustration. Riding in traffic will lead to :
1. Heating of Engine and heat from the engine will make ones ride very uncomfortable.
2. In heavy traffic,one cannot engage more than 4th gear and beyond this is a sheer stress on engine , sprocket , chain etc, not to forget that the cooling system has to work flawlessly. Once the Engine temperature crosses 10 bars on the speedo, one needs to stop the engine immediately.
3.FE will be seriously compromised, hence be prepared to visit the fuel station more often as you have only a mere 10 liters with you.
Highway rides are much comfortable and fun on Duke 390 as one can oen the throttle to the full extent and you can rev to your heart content. ABS will work like a sweet mother of pearl and control the bike superbly. But long rides have their limitations too:
1. Rider seat is hard and will sustain till about 300kms and beyond this your back will start to hurt. So carry enough supporting riding gear while doing long rides.
2. A 10 liter fuel tank is an Achilles heel for Duke 390. On highway you need to watch out your fuel gauge and highway fuel stations.
Fuel Consumption that i experienced - City : 18-20 kmpl / Highway : 30kmpl
My Rating for KTM Duke 390 : 8/10
My Orange Flame
Yours truly with his Orange Flame
Congrats on the superb purchase sir, really liked the thoughts you put behind making the purchase and finally went for a used one and also chose to go all out with the accessories. At that buying price, I am sure you will never want to go for a resale, at least not for a long long time.
Also, that windscreen DIY using Yamaha SZ-R part was brilliant, it really looks like tailor made for Duke.
Congratulations HillRam on your new acquisition. I am also into the same boat to check out a pre-worshipped D390. After using a CBR 250r for about 6 months, I sold it due to seating position (at least not comfortable to me). Now I have a Pulsar 150, RXZ, Civic and I am planning to add a D390. Please let me know if you come across any similar deals in Hyderabad. I am ready to grab one. Thanks.
