[saikishor]

Index:

Intro and backstory

Shortlisting and selection

Booking 1

Booking 2

Shortlisting and selection part 2

Welcome KTM 390 Duke BS6

Bike review

Riding gear

Trips and incidents

Disclaimer: This thread has more content on my selection process and my backstory rather than the actual bike it self. If you are here for a proper review of the 390 Duke, I will suggest you to go to this thread or search for a youtube video. Please feel free to skip any portion of this thread if found boring or lengthy.

[saikishor]

Intro and backstory
I’ve been on this forum for close to 2 years now(my membership was approved on the 20th of December,2020) and have been a rather silent follower with occasional posts here and there. I remember making a small intro post when I was new, but that’s all. I was born here and moved to the USA after 6 months of my birth. Stayed there for six years, and that’s how my passion started and grew further. After coming back to India in 2009, my uncle introduced me to the Autocar India magazine. And then my knowledge & passion towards Indian cars grew in the positive direction. I’m grateful to myself for holding this passion towards automobiles for such a long time, and I am sure it will stay the same & grow even after a couple of years. I am aiming for a career in the automobile industry, let’s see how it goes-only time will tell. I did try some other stuff like singing, playing the piano, basketball, volleyball and tennis, but nothing lasted for long. Except for this.

That’s me and our 1995 Nissan Altima
I don’t remember how I came across T-BHP, but ever since I started reading stuff it has become a habit of checking the T BHP website a couple of times everyday. Heck at times when a TV program becomes boring I take my mom’s phone and start reading some random old car official review on the website.

So coming back to my story, I was a car guy all along my childhood. I loved cars to the core, so much so that my dad used to take me for walks and I end up checking out each and every car parked in the parking lot. Such was the enthusiasm I had when I was 5-6 years old. I have a close to 200 hotwheels car collection, if that matters to anyone. It sure does to me. I loved cars, every shape,size,style, everything. Cars were everything for me.


For me, this was where it all began.

And then, one day, somewhere in the middle of my 8th grade summer vacation, I came across videos of the Heartbrokenbiker, Zohair Ahmed, Sriman Kotaru(OG content was dope, scrap nowadays),Oggy F, Dinos Vault,MSK, and Buffmoto IIRC. I hated motorcycles for all of my life. But somehow I was hooked to motorcycles. Just like that, all of a sudden. I liked the content and started to like motorcycles. This happened sometime in 2016.I liked some of the aforementioned youtuber’s content so much so that I still remember the numberplates of their motorcycles which they sold long ago. I converted to a motorcycle guy just like that. I started dreaming of having my own motorcycle. This was sometime in 2016-2018 I guess, and the daydreaming continued until I bought my bike. I dreamt of having either a Pulsar 200NS(yes it was called like this back in the day) or a KTM 200 Duke. I remember posting a facebook poll on which motorcycle to buy once I turn into a legal.

Since a motorcycle was far far away, the only other two wheeler I had access to was a bicycle. It used to give me some positive two wheeler feeling. I used to do 10km commutes on a regular basis in 10th grade, occasional 25 km commutes. The highest distance I covered on a bicycle was 34km in 2019. I left cycling since 2020, and I don’t think I’ll go back to it anytime soon.

That’s my 2015 Montra Trance(photo from 2018), now peacefully gathering dust in my parking.

So come 2021, I received my driving license on the 27th of September. I didn’t go to a driving school to learn how to drive a car( turns out you can learn better by yourself instead of learning from a useless low qualified instructor). It was my dad who turned instructor for me. I had a proper feel of clutch, gears and break pedals as I used to park our little Beat inside and outside our parking lot in 2020. I am by no means a gentle driver. I drive with a heavy right foot. I did do a couple of cheeky stuff like J turns, handbrake turns first gear wheelspins etc. I will cut it off here as this thread belongs to a different topic.

I started convincing my dad. This episode ran for close to 6 months. I started to beg him after my 18th birthday(March 2021) and it finally ended in August or September in a Reliance Digital showroom. Don’t remember the exact scene but he somehow said yes. I told him a lot of things about how a motorcycle isn’t just a commuting tool but a recreational tool etc etc and I will ride safe and stuff. The ordeal finally ended. Now it was time to hunt for the bike.

[saikishor]

Shortlisting and selection
I checked out almost all bikes available in the 1.5-3.5 lac price segment. I don’t remember the exact order, but here goes the list:

Honda: Honda Hornet 2.0, Honda CB200X: I was interested in both of these bikes as Honda didn’t launch the CB300R yet. I asked for a test ride of the Hornet 2.0, but couldn’t get one as I visited the showroom at almost closing time. I did see the CB200X at a different showroom, but it seems testride vehicles would take some time(2 months) to arrive. I dropped these bikes from the list thereafter.



Yamaha: R15, FZ25: I originally had the MT 15 on my list, but since it wasn’t available for a test ride, I had to decide by riding an R15. R15 was a nice motorcycle, but not my kind of motorcycle. The riding posture was way too committed for me. I had experienced back pain in the short 15-20 minutes I had spent with it. But apart from that it is a really nice motorcycle, which truly deserves the “R” tag. Slipper clutch worked like a charm, by facilitating aggressive downshifts and upshifts. The engine, despite being a 150cc unit, is an animal in its own respect. The technology it packs in its engine is truly industry leading, VVA really makes up for this character.

And coming to the FZ25, forget about a test ride motorcycle, there was no display motorcycle in the showroom. Later I had visited another showroom which was close to my old house, but even they had no test ride motorcycle. Both of the showrooms I visited quoted a waiting period of 2-2.5 months. I dropped both R15 and FZ 25 from my list.




Suzuki: Gixxer 250, Gixxer SF250:
I am a huge fan of sports tourers. And since the legendary CBR250R was no longer available in the market, I had to look at another Japanese counterpart which some people refer to as a worthy successor to the CBR250R. I rode the SF for a good 2-3 kilometers and the naked inside a parking lot. I was impressed with the smooth nature of the motorcycle, and ofcourse the solid build quality it had on offer. But, I had doubts on Suzuki’s service. There is no denying the fact that the Suzuki 250 series is a low volume product. I was also unsure about the spares situation. Let's say the bike is discontinued after a year of my purchasing the bike. Will regular consumables(brake pads, oil filters etc) and some occasional body parts(indicators etc) be available at immediate disposal? I don’t have a good impression with regard to spares and Japanese two wheeler brands. I had a situation in which an indicator lens wasn’t available for my 2011 Activa. Sometimes even basics like brake cables weren’t available readily. So I kept this aside, not finalised yet not ruled out.


Jawa: These were never on my list. I preferred RE over these bikes simply due to the fact that RE has somewhat proven themselves on the reliability front compared to these guys.

Mahindra: Mojo
I had a huge crush on this bike in 2016-2017, especially that Sunburst Yellow and Crimson Matte Red that they had on sale for a short period of time. Come 2021, Mahindra hardly sells motorcycles, and the Mojo goes off the list just like that.

Hero: Nothing from the Hero stable impressed me.

TVS: Apache RR310,Apache RTR200 4V
I remember checking out the 200 4V when it launched sometime in 2016 IIRC. I couldn’t find a test ride vehicle, but I really loved the Showa adjustable suspension and the matte blue color.

Coming to the RR310, man I really love this motorcycle. Had TVS offered a proper test ride, I would’ve bought it home. I remember receiving an onroad price quote of 2.85 lacs in July 2021, the same price I paid for my 390 Duke. TVS isn’t serious about selling this motorcycle. Well atleast their “premium’” showrooms aren’t serious about selling this bike. I visited two showrooms multiple number of times for a testride, but all I got was a 300-400 meter spin. IIRC, showroom guys were adamant on booking, even before testriding. One showroom had a testride bike ready but they didn’t want to give it for a testride. God knows why. Still, I love this bike even today, and I wish I get to spend more time with it some day.


Bajaj: Dominar 400
This was one of the last bikes on my list. I somehow never had my heart set on this bike. But I do admire the twin display speedometer and the Diavel inspired design. I took one short test ride and was impressed with the pickup it had on offer. It was a heavy bike, no second thoughts about this.

KTM: 390 Duke
There was only one bike that I wanted, admired and always dreamt of owning; the beautiful 390 Duke. I always wanted this bike in the BS4 white shade. I even remember daydreaming about riding and owning this bike in class hours. When the BS4 Duke was first launched, I went to the showroom on my Montra cycle to see it in person. But upon going to the showroom, the bike gets delivered to someone and I return home without seeing the bike. I however did end up seeing the bike at a local auto expo. Coming back to this story, I took a short test ride of the bike. I remember the bike felt very linear and power delivery was not frantic or scary. That was just a 500m spin with the sales guy as pillion, but at least I got a feel of how the bike felt. I was only interested in the 390 Duke, as 125 felt useless, 200 was overpriced and 250, well, why not stretch and get the 390 itself?



Husqvarna: Wasn’t interested in this brand, as they only had the 250’s on offer and there was no sign of the 401’s being launched.

Royal Enfield: Interceptor 650, Himalayan, Meteor 350
I had my first tryst with the Interceptor 650 on my 18th birthday. Keeping aside the bike’s weight, I fell in love with the way the engine pulled. The smoothness of the engine was unreal, and the exhaust note, well, sweet like candy. I loved the bike to the bits, and told the showroom guy that I will come to book the bike in the next 3-4 months. I bought an RE t-shirt and left. On the same day, I test rode the Himalayan and somehow didn’t like the bike. I didn’t like the weight balance of the bike. I tested the Meteor 350 at a later stage.



Kawasaki: This wasn’t in my shortlist, as no bike was in my budget. The closest match was the Ninja 300, but the pricing was absurd to my senses.

BMW Motorrad: Even this brand wasn’t on my shortlist, squarely because of the maintenance cost. I liked the G310R, but this bike somehow didn’t give me that take me home vibe, even after a test ride.


Benelli: Not in my shortlist

[saikishor]

Booking 1: So one fine day, somewhere in October 2021 IIRC, I took my dad to the royal enfield showroom to cut a cheque for the interceptor 650. My dad wasn’t keen on me riding a royal enfield. He was apprehensive as I look tiny on the bike, and was very doubtful as to how I would be managing so much of heft. My dad suggested me to try out and if not book the Meteor 350. This was when I test rode the Meteor 350. I liked this bike as well, it didn’t feel like a cruiser at all, except for the riding position. It was as flickable as any other street naked. I went back to the showroom impressed, but still at that point of time, my heart was still set on the Interceptor 650, that too in a shade of ventura blue. A 10 minute discussion went on with my dad, and a salesguy, debating on which bike was better for my usage. Salesguy left in between, telling me to call him back once I made up my mind. And then after another 10 minutes, a Ventura Blue Interceptor 650 was booked on my name, with a tentative delivery date of January-February 2022. I was very excited and happy, but my father, umm, wasn’t so happy.


Exactly 10 days passed, and I felt like cancelling my booking for something else. Various other factors and discussions took place in the meantime. And somehow, I ended up cancelling my booking for the Interceptor 650. Booking amount was refunded in 7 days IIRC via cheque. Had this booking been a Meteor 350, this ownership thread would contain delivery photos and initial ownership reviews about the Meteor 350. That marked the end of Royal Enfield to me. Hopefully, I wish to own a bike from them sometime in the future.

[saikishor]

Booking 2: My mind was somehow set on the 390 Duke and Interceptor at this point of time. But with both of them out of budget and one of them way above my permissible weight limit(as per dad), I was left with no other option but to settle somewhere in between. I ended up in a Bajaj showroom, taking a testride of the Dominar 400. This was the time when Bajaj launched the Dominar with the touring accessories. I didn’t want the touring accessories, as I felt the bike became very bulky and would become an overkill for city usage. There was one green display bike in the showroom, but I wanted the stealthy matte black version. The showroom guys told me that they have one single unit left of this color at a different dealer, and would bring it to this dealer if I make a booking. So I went ahead and made a refundable booking of 5000/-. The bike arrived a week later IIRC, and both me and my dad went to check out the bike in person. My dad, at first glance, told me we’re out of this deal if this is the bike that they are going to sell us. The bike was oily, had 3km on the odo IIRC and had rust on the exhaust pipe. I got the battery connected and started the bike. Bike starts with absolutely no issues, but the rust on the exhaust pipe was an eye opener and a potential red flag. We stepped out of the deal. Another reason for stepping out was financial constraints. I had to get the bike on loan back in October 2021, which somehow didn’t feel worth it for the Dominar.






My dad promised to get me the 390 Duke if I wait till may 2022. So I decided to keep quiet and wait till my dad gives the greenlight.
And in the meantime, news of Honda relaunching the CB300R broke out. The bike was showcased at IBW 2021. I ran to a bigwing showroom the very next day. Not purposefully, but because the bigwing showroom was on the way to some destination we had to go on that day. My dad was attending my college orientation in the showroom, and I, meanwhile, took a test ride of this beauty;

Honda Bigwing: CB350RS
Since the CB300R was sometime away from being launched, I thought why not use this opportunity to check out the CB350RS. I was hearing good things about Honda’s RE competitor, and was very satisfied after one testride. The exhaust note was very throaty IIRC. Brakes were very good, the clutch was super light and the engine loved to be revved. I left the showroom with a positive impression, and, somehow convinced my dad to prepone my bike purchase from May 2022 to February-March 2022. This took place sometime in November 2021.


In the meantime, prices were announced for the CB300R, and frankly speaking it was overpriced, putting it very close to the 390 Duke. Nevertheless, I decided to take long testrides of both the Honda CB300R and 390 Duke and then come to a conclusion.

Honda Bigwing: CB300R
Sometime in the beginning of February, I had to go to Banjara Hills and while coming back, I dropped into a Bigwing showroom as it was on the way to my house. They had a CB300R for testrides, but didn't give it to me for some reason. Maybe I looked too casual to them, I was wearing slides on that day IIRC. Nevertheless, I took pictures of the bike and left the showroom.



Come February 2022, one random afternoon, in the midst of my German A1 course (I had and still have plans of pursuing my masters in Germany), a random thought comes up in my mind of trying out a used motorcycle. I might mostly sell off my motorcycle after, let's say 3 years of owning it. So why not go used and save on depreciation. I spoke to my dad about this and, voila, he agreed in a short discussion itself. Remember the budget constraints? Well, now all of those were sorted and I had 3.05 lacs in hand for a bike of my choice. My dad wasn't really impressed with the CB300R when I showed it to him in pictures, so he was open to other bikes in the used market. I decided to spend my total budget on a bike and riding gear. I immediately installed OLX and began hunting for bikes.

[saikishor]

Shortlisting and selection part 2:
So I immediately installed olx on my phone, and started my search for the chosen one. I began searching for a RE Continental GT650. Why, you ask, well, I liked the conti as well, but a new one was way out of budget. But come to the used market, and you could find decent examples at not so crazy prices. I found 3-4 bikes, but I could exchange words via phonecalls with only two owners IIRC.


#1: 2019 Ventura Blue
This bike was in decent condition from photos, but later(like a couple of months after I purchased my bike) I realised how much of a bust of a deal this was. This was a second owner bike,10k kms run with some accessories and an aftermarket exhaust IIRC. Asking price was 2.65 lacs,the owner was selling it because he wasn’t using it much. This bike was at the top of my priority list, because the owner’s place was very nearby to my place. However, by the time we agreed to meet, the owner texts me saying that he has changed his mind, as he couldn’t let go of such a rare bike. I let it go with absolutely no hard feelings.


#2: 2021 Dux Delux
This bike was 3 months old at the time of posting the advertisement. It had 3k kms on the odo, and asking price was 3.3-3.6 lacs IIRC. I started at 2.8 lacs, went till 3 lacs. Stopped here as I didn’t want to go beyond 3 lacs. And also, this bike was from a different district. It also had a numberplate which summed up to 8, and my dad wasn’t okay with it. So I let this one go as well. Funnily, this guy texted me on the day I got my bike home, saying he would get back to me for the 3 lacs offer. Guy was going to the USA for his higher studies, and hence is selling it off.


I did find a couple of other adverts as well, but owners didn’t respond. This marked the end of Royal Enfield for me(atleast as my first bike). I don’t remember searching for interceptors.

So next up, I started searching for Dukes. I tried searching for a Yamaha R3, but there were zero listings. Coming to the Duke, I didn’t find any BS3 bikes, with very little BS4’s and a couple of BS6 bikes. Couldn’t find RC390’s when I was searching. I texted a couple of guys, but only 2 of them gave proper responses.

2021 390 Duke BS6: This bike was 7 months old at the time the ad was published. It had only 1300 kilometers on the odo, and had a couple of accessories: Lluvia windshield, Zana crashguards, sidestand extender, and a simtac hazard flasher. The owner was a nice guy, and he was a Team-BHPian as well, so I had that hallmark of trust on this bike. Till date, I don’t know the exact reason for the sale of the bike. I assume the owner wasn’t using it much or he somehow didn’t like the bike. He had a Ford Ecosport and a Yamaha FZ25. He was wearing a Ford mask when I first met him to see the bike, by this I felt he really is an enthusiast and takes good care of his vehicles. We spoke on the phone for 20-25 minutes, and planned to meet on a weekend (February 26 2022 IIRC). He sends me this photo after I cut the call, and the message below it, I had a very nice feeling in my mind which I am failing to express. Fast forward to the weekend, he texts me to confirm if I am coming or not, and I replied yes to it. I went to his place at 1:30 PM. He takes me to his parking, and then I see the bike neatly parked under a cover. The keys to the bike had a Yamaha keychain to it. The owner takes the bike out of the cover, and damn, the bike was so clean. It was so spanking new and fresh it even had a couple of factory stickers and masking tape intact. I took a short testride of about 2 km and I was sold. I negotiated a little on price. Owner quoted 3, I quoted 2.8, settled at 2.85. At this point of time, buying this bike was giving me savings of exactly 50k when compared to buying a new bike. I told the owner I will speak to my dad and transfer the token amount by evening so that he could close the ad, to which he agreed. I told my dad im mediately about all of this on the phone, and my dad had asked for the bike’s documents. The owner promptly sent the RC, temporary registration certificate, pollution certificate, insurance copy and invoice. Forwarded these to my dad immediately.





#2019 390 Duke BS4: This was the second bike on my list and honestly, I was sold on the first bike and didn’t really want to check this bike out. But since I told this guy already, I went to check it out. This bike had some 6000 odd kilometers on the odo. And I was surprised after seeing the bike. This one was very preciously maintained. The owner had uploaded DSLR photographs of the bike, and it was exactly like that in person. I took a testride, and was scared by the performance it had on offer. I am not exaggerating that statement, but that was my exact feeling after I got off the bike. But anyway, I was sold on one bike and there was no way I would be cancelling that. So now to the price, this guy quoted 2.5 and was firm as a stone on his price. I quoted 2.2, went till 2.3, bargained for close to 40 minutes, owner bought us two coconuts as it was a hot afternoon and the sun was burning, drank coconut water which he sponsored, thanked him and left.


I went home after this and had lunch. Post lunch I spoke to my dad. He took a look at all of the documents, and then I transferred a token amount of 10k. the owner sends a screenshot of the ad being marked as sold. The feeling was unreal. I finally found my soulmate. I couldn’t wait for the bike to come home. This happened on 26 February.

I had to attend a family function in the meantime, and decided I would take the bike the very next week after I return from the function. Come March 4, me and the seller meet at a KTM showroom just to have a look at the service history. Two services were performed, and the seller also introduced me to the guy who services the bike at the showroom. The seller told me that he would give me the bike only after completing the full payment, whereas me and my dad wanted to take the bike after depositing a cheque at a bank on the sellers name. I was a little disappointed, since I thought I couldn’t take the bike home that day. Me and the seller had a call 2-3 days prior to our meeting at the showroom, and the seller told me to add him as a payee beforehand itself in the mobile banking app as some banks don’t allow immediate fund transfer after adding payee. I was not aware of this, and just forgot about the seller’s words. Nevertheless, I went home and had lunch. Post lunch, me and my dad sat down to check if there really is such a rule. My dad adds the seller as payee and voila, it gets added immediately. My dad transferred the full funds immediately. The very next moment I called the seller and asked him about the funds, and he responds stating that he received them and it has been reflected in his account. He asks me to come and collect the bike 30-60 min later, as he was outside.

I was overjoyed. I called my friend to pick me up and drop me at the sellers place. Both of us go to the seller, and collect the bike. The seller gave me a brief about the bike just like how a sales person gives a customer before delivery and let me be honest, I couldn’t wait to take the bike home and paid least attention to the seller’s briefing.

[saikishor]

Welcome KTM 390 Duke BS6
The ride back home was, well, filled with traffic. I still remember stalling the bike countless number of times on the way back home. One of the first ever pictures I took of the bike.


The very next morning, took the bike to a temple to seek blessings of the almighty.


Ownership transfer took 3 months due to an address proof issue from my side. Apart from this, everything else was smooth. And I must say I felt lucky, because most of the used car/bike threads I read on Team-BHP have owners searching for their chosen one for months but in my case, I found my soulmate in a very short period of time.

[saikishor]

Bike Review:
Well, there are tons and tons of videos on the 390 Duke, and there is a very detailed review on Team-BHP itself. I wouldn’t waste time by doing the same thing again and again however I would like to list out a couple of pros and cons from my side.

Pros:
• Overpowered front brake. Easily the best in class, or may I say even 2 above. This bike can shed speed just as fast as it can gain speed.
• Addictive acceleration. The torque surge is something that is hard to resist, and riding this bike in a sane manner is not that easy.
• Decent mileage. This is something that owners of the 390 Duke don’t really care about, but since I use this bike mostly as a city commuter, mileage does matter to me. I have been getting numbers ranging from 22-28kpl, which is very good keeping in mind the displacement and power figures.
• Sharp handling. This bike cuts through corners beautifully.
• Heat management is pretty good. I never felt the bike get too hot in even dead traffic.
• Feature set is definitely droolworthy. The TFT screen is crisp and it gets Bluetooth connectivity which gives good bragging rights. Quickshifter works well most of the times.
• Suspension is neither too soft nor too stiff, giving a good balance of both comfort and good handling.
• KTM spares are pretty light on the pocket.
• This bike can cruise all day long at 100-120 kmph.
• Stock exhaust sounds lovely in the mid rpm’s. I love the way the engine chatters.
• I find the build quality to be sufficiently premium.

Cons:
• Shoddy MRF tyres. I can write a full page rant on how horrible these tyres are. I have had so many slipping instances with these tyres. I’m just waiting for them to wear out so that I can replace them. These tyres have no place on a bike which costs 3.36 lacs.
• Awful KTM service. I don’t want to go further describing this.
• I find the seat to be a little tall in some instances. I am 5 feet 10 inches tall, and I guess this bike will be perfect for a 6 footer.
• Below average headlight. It just about gets the job done. For night riding/touring, an upgrade or an auxiliary light solution is mandatory.
• Windblast is not really concerning, but does deserve a mention here.
• Poor rear brake. Feels non existent when compared to the front.
• I wish KTM offered traction control on this bike. It is the only thing missing on the equipment list, and I did find the need of traction control on some occasions.
• Cheap paint quality. Tank portion is prone to scratches.
• Inadequate ground clearance. I wouldn’t like to describe it as low, but I scrape the underbelly almost every day and everytime it happens my heart does ache.
• Clunky gearbox with plenty of false neutrals.
• I wish the dB killer was removable. To remove it you need to cut it out of the exhaust.
• Engine loses steam over 120kph. Pulls like a sloth compared to the older versions.

Don’t get me wrong on the cons mentioned above. Those were some cons I found after using the bike for a year. Despite its flaws(not really major, might be nitpicking, I really love the bike.

[saikishor]

Riding Gear:I use a viaterra spencer jacket, rynox tornado pro 3 gloves, promoto knee guards and a THH T76 helmet. I bought my helmet in 2020 with absolutely no knowledge of certifications and standards. All I knew back then was LS2 was a good brand. But upon reaching a helmet store I found out that LS2 was way above my budget. But there was another brand which had the same certifications of an LS2 and would fall within my budget I.e, THH. It was DOT certified, and I just picked it up. I plan to change my helmet next year, and also plan to get riding boots and a riding pant at the same time.

[saikishor]

Incidents:This happened exactly 6 days after I brought the bike home. There was this uncle who didn’t use an indicator to take a U-turn, and I tried to overtake him from a gap. He turned and I slammed on the brakes. He hit the crashguard of my bike and he fell. Not a single scratch to my bike. I apologised and left, since I was trying to cross him in a gap and didn’t want any further discussions.

[saikishor]

Trips:Trips: I have done a couple of short trips since the purchase of the bike.

#1: Group ride to hotel 7
#2: Midnight solo ride to a random tollbooth
#3: Rain ride to Kondapochamma Dam
#4: Ride to Ananthagiri Hills
#5: Ride to KA border

[saikishor]

What has changed with the BS6 update?Minute revisions were made to the gen 2 390 Duke in January 2020. Firstly, the colors were given a major overhaul, and the emissions were given an update. The power figures remained the same unlike other brands where the numbers had minor changes. However despite the numbers remaining the same there is a noticeable difference in the way the bike pulls. The engine has definitely gotten smoother but at the cost of performance. The bike just doesn’t pull aggressively post 120 kph. This isn’t a major concern as such, but you know its there. The exhaust has been rerouted to accommodate a bigger catalytic converter. Apart from this, the instrument cluster has been updated to version 1V09, which alters the animations and graphics and disables the provision to switch off ABS completely. You only have road and supermoto mode now. I got my bike’s cluster updated to 1V13, and there is a noticeable difference in throttle response.

The BS6 update has also given the bike a quickshifter. While this is a good addition, it just doesn’t work like it should. It is definitely much better than what it was when it first came out, but there is a tremendous scope for improvement. I have ridden the 2022 Adventure 390 and the 2023 RC390 as well, and it was the same on those bikes as well. Downshifts are clunky, and upshifts are a hit or a miss. Sometime upshifts work butter smooth, but sometimes they get stuck and don’t shift at all. There were some instances in which I was so frustrated by this erratic behaviour of the quickshifter, I turned it off and made peace by performing clutchless gearshifts.
And oh yes, some batches were blessed with MRF tyres due to some import restrictions. These tyres are utter rubbish. I have had numerous instances of the rear loosing traction, front slipping at curves, air leakage in the front and 3 punctures in the rear, and mild tank slappers immediately after crossing 120kph. I have ridden close to 10k kms as of now, and am planning to change them ASAP.
Will I recommend a 390 Duke to an absolute newbie? Well, my answer would be a strict no. go for this bike as your first bike only if you know when to whack open the throttle and when to stay within limits. This is a very powerful bike and can kill you if you are not responsible with it. Not only that, this bike isn’t very beginner friendly. It doesn’t accommodate you the moment you jump on it. It is not forgiving at all, say like an Interceptor. I still remember how many times I stalled this bike when I was bringing it home. But apart from that once you get used to the bike there’s no going back.

[saikishor]

Ending note: Well if you’ve made it till here, then my heart really goes out to you. This bike has been a blessing for me, and I wish to keep it for as long as possible. And this bike has also changed my perception on naming vehicles. When I first bought this bike, I decided not to name it. But on the first anniversary, while I was on my bed about to sleep, a random thought popped up in my mind about giving my bike a name.

Why did I choose this name you ask? Well, KTM’s are known for their orange color, and the orange fruit contains citric acid. So I decided why not.

Thanks for bearing with me till here.
Until next time,
Saikishor & Citrus



ps:This photo was taken on the exact same day 1 year ago.
Also, big apology to the moderators for my typing and photo blunders. This is my first ownership thread, and I definitely needed some help in perfecting it. I wouldn't mind an infraction for my errors

[pepega]

Congratulations on your purchase! I also have a pre-owned Duke 390 from 2017, and I find that the Apollo H1 tyres are a great purchase. A set of both rear and front should cost you around 10k. You'll be a lot safer with stickier rubber as well.

Drive safe!

[vattyboy]

Nicely written review Saikishor.

Your Duke 390 is looking beautiful and it also matches your body build and style.
Last year in March 2022, I started my hunt to buy a new motorcycle and I was also in the same dilemma. I was confused between getting RR310, Duke390, Continental gt650, and Dominar 400.

After multiple test rides of all the bikes, I bought home A Red RR310.


Reasons for choosing RR310

1. Unlike Duke, The RR310 is very easy to ride at slow speeds in the city. RR310 can be ridden at 15kmph in 3rd gear and 25kmph at 4 gear without any stalling issues. Whenever I ride Friends Duke, Duke has to be ridden in lower gears and it gives stalling even at 25-30 kmph in 2nd gear. And Duke is always aggressive in power but RR310 has 2 personalities below 6000 rpm it rides like 200cc and above 6000 it screams.

2. I don't know about south India but here in North India like Rajasthan and Gujarat, I don't know why but decent people left ktm and they are not buying it. 90% of the time here whenever I see ktm it is ridden rashly with the indecent rider without gear and in chappals. Otherwise, KTM is the mean explosive performance machine with lightweight.


3. Not purchased Dominar because of the same reason, it was coming with touring accessories only and was available only in 2 colors which I don't like. Dominar although has good exhaust note and torque. Plus attitude of Bajaj's dealership was bad.


4. Not purchased Gt twins because of the looks. In my eyes, they don't look like 3-4 lakh bikes, especially from the front. Saw a few of them in the city from some distance and I found some low-cost bikes coming but only when it comes closer than I recognized Oh it is gt 650. Plus it is under tired, also the test ride bike wobbled at high speed. Otherwise, it has the best engine of a lot with a sweet sound.

5. Looks of Rr310


Honestly, I get a lot of compliments while riding it. It has the best sporty and bulky looks, especially in red color. It easily looks like a 650cc bike or above.


6. Mileage
Great mileage of 27-28 km in the city and 35 on highways.

7 . No heating issue in summers also. I didn't see the radiator fan on even in summer. Temperature doesn't cross above 85 degrees. Even if the fan is in the air doesn't come on the legs