[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

So i have been thinking and these are the scenarios that come to mind to replace the old duke 390 for me .

Scenario 1
=====
I really hate the product strategy guys at KTM for now!

Scenario 4: sell all the tiger, goat etc and get the KTM 790 Adv WHEN it launches.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Scenario 4: sell all the tiger, goat etc and get the KTM 790 Adv WHEN it launches.

Tiger goes, then Africa Twin Adventure with DCT has to come in if it is for all year round use. If not prefer to have a small beater for the horrible route I have to take for now. Don't think the work getting completed and traffic easing for next 1 year atleast.

[PatienceWins]

Autocar walkaround

https://youtu.be/iv8LttM2Cn0

[SnS_12]

A friend mentioned to me that the gearing of the bike is similar to the duke 390??

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

So i have been thinking and these are the scenarios that come to mind to replace the old duke 390 for me .

Scenario 1
If bike is within 3-3.25 Lakh Ex showroom and if suspension upgrade is offered as an upgrade for say 25-30k, get it done with. Assuming the suspension is from WP, only the inserts need to be changed.

Scenario 2
If bike is within 3-3.25 Lakh Ex showroom, see if upgrade can be procured from outside / abroad and get it fixed.

Scenario 3
Get a preowned new gen 390 duke and be happy with it for city commute.

I really hate the product strategy guys at KTM for now!

I have a feeling that you will might end up with scenario 4 - retaining your current Duke 390 and getting if modified for more off roading conditions.

From a business perspective, like you, Im not on board with KTM's strategy on the Adventure 390. For one, the Bajaj team hasnt been on the Adventure 390 bandwagon from day 1 and it took the threat of KTM manufacturing themselves abroad to get Bajaj to wake up from their slumber. Two, there is a small but knowledgeable set of potential buyers who have been clamouring for the Adventure 390 for years and the possibility of adjustable suspension was the biggest attraction along with a tweaked motor. But KTM has dumped what was the bike's USP and given other features that would probably appeal more to Duke and RC 390 owners. All this to keep costs down but to throw in some goodies to justify a higher pricetag. And not to forget, no apparent changes to the engine or gearing. Sigh!

But the end result will be that KTM would have alienated (ok, maybe it's a strong word here) the passionate buyers who were waiting for this bike for a long time while making it an unattractive proposition, height and price wise, for others. So rather than playing to their core audience, KTM has tried to play to the masses and in the end, they will likely see dismal sales figures for the Adventure 390.

And then the Bajaj team will sit back and say, "Hey, we told you so."

The only good move that KTM has made recently is the decision to go with the Husky 250s instead of the expected 390s. That way there is less confusion for buyers when they walk into a KTM showroom with a Rs 3 lakh price range in their mind. The 250 platform was anyway a slow seller so the Huskys will likely bridge the price gap between the Duke 250 and the Duke 390. So in increasing order of pricing , the options you have in a KTM showroom are
- Duke 125
- RC 125
- Duke 200
- RC 200
- Duke 250
- Svartpilen 250
- Vitpilen 250
- Duke 390
- RC 390
- Adventure 390
- Duke 790

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

A friend mentioned to me that the gearing of the bike is similar to the duke 390??

Gearing is same, but the map is supposedly different to give better low to mid power band which is more suited for an adventure bike.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I have a feeling that you will might end up with scenario 4 - retaining your current Duke 390 and getting if modified for more off roading conditions.

Lol no, not getting into that at all. Like i said if 390 Adventure is a flop, then i will just get a Duke 390 new model Or even a Himalyan EFi preowned and be happy with it.

[Ajaybiz]

Was not really excited about its launch, now I really don't care and it's evident that they are trying to keep the cost low for Indian market, that way BMW had really great bike and still its quality, suspension, ground clearance are class leading, bit of bump in power and pricing if they could have managed initially could have planted them well in mini adv bike market in India.

[nasirkaka]

KTM is been really testing patience with 390 Adventure launch or lack of it. They should have announced the pricing at IBW and declared bookings open. My firends have lost 5 years waiting for it, since 2014 when it was first speculated. The suspense is been going on for ages now to a point where its no longer intriguing. Coming back to the bike, non adjustable front suspension could be a cost cutting measure. And if its available as a powerpart, be prepared to pay an arm for it. Powerparts are not at all cheap as they are made out side India and sold all across the globe. Long back, i was considering power part seat for the 390 duke which was costing about 13k inr in US where as the spare seat in India was only 1.5k. India is price sensitive and KTMs are positioned as great value for money, be is sale or spares or service. If the 390 Adventure does not fit that bracket, it will not sell beyond the enthusiasts. Personally, i dont think adjustable suspension is a Deal-breaker based on my experience with the versys which had fully adjustable front. Not many fiddled with it to begin with. I did try basis online re-search but did not go deeper as was scared of messing the stock setting which were pretty good for general use.

My main grouch is the gearing which is one of the main dislikes on the 390 i has. Doubt they will something greatly different with just maps, as the peak power and torque RPMs are similar to duke. Least they could have done is given suitable sprockets. Kawi makes so many variants from their 650 twin like ninja, vulcan, versys, er6n, etc and tune them differently with different power and torque figures. Another point is if KTM makes the 390 as good or as feature rich as we expect, then they will be diluting their 790 market world over.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

My main grouch is the gearing which is one of the main dislikes on the 390 i has. Doubt they will something greatly different with just maps, as the peak power and torque RPMs are similar to duke. Least they could have done is given suitable sprockets. Kawi makes so many variants from their 650 twin like ninja, vulcan, versys, er6n, etc and tune them differently with different power and torque figures. Another point is if KTM makes the 390 as good or as feature rich as we expect, then they will be diluting their 790 market world over.

I just rode the first gen 390, the same which you had in the mountains this weekend and the torque delivery was better than,dare i say it, the versys.

I think it will be fine,and we can always go down a tooth on the front and a bigger sprocket in the rear to get the torque down where we want it.

[nasirkaka]

I just rode the first gen 390, the same which you had in the mountains this weekend and the torque delivery was better than,dare i say it, the versys.

I think it will be fine,and we can always go down a tooth on the front and a bigger sprocket in the rear to get the torque down where we want it.

It may not be the torque, its the way the bike rides where one has to shifts gears frequently to be in powerband to enjoy the bike. Else the bike protests like mad. Thats the feeling i dont like, and if that is same on the 390 Adventure, it would be a big factor for me personally. And its not just me, i know a few more who share the feeling, blame is on the long stroke bullets we have been riding where one chugs along without too many gear shifts. Its something one gets accustomed to and difficult to unlearn. Having done some rides with you, the duke character suits your riding style very well, so i already see a happy 390 Adventure customer. Sprocketing or other mods are always possibility, but just that some of us expected the engine to be tweaked differently for the purpose, as stock. I dont mind sacrificing a few BHPs at the top for healthy power/torque figures at low and mid range. The duke 390 engine is too highly strung.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

It may not be the torque, its the way the bike rides where one has to shifts gears frequently to be in powerband to enjoy the bike.

That is the stroke property at play which is predominant when it comes to single cylinder's.

The 390 motor is a short stroke, tweak it all you want but it wouldn't run like a long stroke lest even a square stroke motor given the best of circumstances when it comes to roll-on torque.

As for sprocketing, unless you're intending to haul the motorcycle on a pickup I'd suggest to keep things stock, the manufacturer knows best, and some like myself have learnt it the hard way.

Most of the hype seen for modern motorcycles like the GS or ADV or Interceptor etc etc is just people venting out their frustrations by making a futile attempt to live the lives they dream to live, but lets face it, irrespective of what people tend to project their odometers don't lie.

P.S. I've had the Gen 1 Duke 390 for the better part of a year, and have had the opportunity to have a few short spins on the 2019 Duke 390, they absolutely do not run the same, but yeah, you need to either keep the motor buzzing or keep shifting all the time.

Not a problem on the highways and short trails, but on technical circuits your brain has to work overtime.

Regard,
A.P.

[katoom]

I believe and have confirmed source that map is different. So even with the same gear ratios, am sure the rideability especially with difficult terrain would be definitely better - wouldn't want to mess around with after market sprockets unless it's a power part.
Removal of adjustable suspension is a bummer for us but not a deal breaker for me as long as the folks have tweaked it well for Indian conditions - am happy with the overall package.

[Dodge_Viper]

How hard would be to replace a Duke 390's(2018) suspension setup with ADV's?

[DaddyAnish]

Harder than selling the Duke and buying the Adv.

[Ajaybiz]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Not a problem on the highways and short trails, but on technical circuits your brain has to work overtime.

Regard,
A.P.

As per your view what they could have done with this launch.
What one should be riding as a ADV bike in India? Or say a bike capable of munching miles and ready to eat some bad patches as well.
Curious as I already tried mini adv bike and sold how fast I could have.
And as per my experience a big adv bike, a 600-650 cc dual purpose bike and one 250-450 cc pure off road/dirt bike is essential for an ideal initial shape of garage.