Won a 2023 Duke 390 for free: 4 pros & 6 cons after extensive riding

I already own a 2016 Gen 1 Duke 390, and that has been my favourite among all the bikes I've ever owned (including a Ninja 650 and a Z650).

BHPian ridewthedevil recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is my first post ever on team-bhp. I've been through these forums and threads many times in the last decade, and found a lot of useful information for my bikes. I finally decided to take the plunge and become a member, in the hopes that my learnings from riding and taking care of my bikes might be of some use to someone out there.

Getting back to the topic at hand - I received my Gen 3 390 Duke back in December 2023 ( for free!) as winner of the KTM giveaway. They did a whole photoshoot and interview around the delivery, and the dealer, Ravi Rajput (KTM Gurgaon) was super nice and gave me the RSA and extended warranty for free!

I already own a 2016 Gen 1 Duke 390, and that has been my favourite among all the bikes I've ever owned (including a Ninja 650 and a Z650), so getting the brand new Duke 390 was quite an exciting thing.

After having ridden the bike mostly in the city and highways around Delhi/Gurgaon, here's what I can share -

Pros

• The engine is definitely a step up. Very smooth and torquey compared to the older 373cc unit. Low rpm acceleration is a massive improvement.
• Great chassis, brakes and suspension package. Haven't tried adjusting the suspension yet though.
• The electronics package is really good, though I really don't think its required for someone who has experience riding 390s
• Love how the DRLs look in the night, but they should have been stacked closer to the main headlamp unit.

Cons

• The orange bike is a bit too orange. However, I went for the blue one to keep the look of the silver finish aluminium subframe. I think I prefer the look of the new 250.
• The seat is too low and not long enough to move around on. I tried getting the dealer to source the taller international seat (which I'd ridden on in Spain, but that's another story), but they said it wasn't available. Ended up raising this with KTMs internal management and they've ordered it for me now.
• Definitely needs a flyscreen, and I wish we had Powerparts available in India since most of the aftermarket options look like afterthoughts in terms of styling.
• Added a tank pad, since the matte finish tends to get scuffed up very easily with my jacket.
• The one thing this bike lacks is drama, especially in the the power delivery and sound, compared to my Gen 1 390, which is why I tend to ride that bike more - doesn't help that I've modified the old Duke with an ECU retune, aftermarket air filter, better brake pads, and more.
• The headlamps feel inadequate, and I guess I'll end up installing aux lights eventually for longer rides.

I've attached some pics of both the bikes here.

PS- KTM also sent me tickets to attend their "30 years of Duke" event in Spain, where I got to ride the 390, 990 and 1390 Super Duke. I've been thinking of posting videos of my experience there, but I've been too lazy I guess

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