Two-Wheel Tuesday: Test Riding the KTM 390 Duke

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The KTM factory demo fleet showed up at my local dealer recently, and I took the opportunity to sneak away on my lunch hour and spend about 25 minutes riding the new KTM 390 Duke. I would have liked to ride all the bikes, especially the big Adventure and Super Duke V-twins, but I only had an hour for lunch and the India-built 390 Duke was both the biggest question mark, and the one I had the most realistic potential to own eventually, if I liked it.
…And did I like it? Yes—mostly. Hit the jump for more details and some photos of the KTM lineup.

Photo taken with PotatoCam™ Technology
Photo taken with PotatoCam™ Technology

So, what’s the Duke 390 like?

  • It’s a tiny little thing, especially immediately after getting off the Spyder. Combined with the height of the chassis, I felt a bit as though I was right over the front wheel for a bit, but quickly acclimated to it. The ergonomic triangle is comfortable for a 6-footer, but the handlebar is an odd bend that forced my elbows out, and I would have liked the ability to scoot back a little on the seat. The tank is a nice shape. It’s wide on top, but not where it contacts the rider; my legs fit into the side cut-outs nicely.
  • Handling is really quite good. It steers effortlessly without being noticeably twitchy, which is a very nice trick, indeed. I had no opportunity to really heel it over in turns, but moderate cornering was predicable and confidence-inspiring.
  • The engine has admirable oomph for a 373 cc single. Power is perfectly adequate for keeping up with around-town traffic, and slicing through it when you need to. The throttle response is a bit abrupt down low, but it pulls well almost from idle. There are noticeable vibes in all contact points at higher engine speeds, but between 3,500–5,000 RPM is a very smooth, powerful sweet spot. Shifting and clutch were good enough to be utterly unremarkable.
  • The suspension is nothing too impressive, but it works remarkably well for the price point. It’s softly sprung enough to be pleasantly compliant over bumps, but the flip side is that there’s some noticeable hobby-horsing under acceleration and braking.
  • The instrument display is only okay. The tach was hard to read, the display layout was gimmicky, the warning lights too dim, and the housing looked cheap.
  • The seat is AWFUL. It’s like sitting on a wooden plank. Way too hard, with sharp edges on the side. I’m not usually one who complains about saddles, but the 25 minutes I rode this bike is as far as I’d ever want to go in one stretch. Hopefully there are better aftermarket options in the works, because the stock saddle would be a deal-breaker for me.
  • Fit and Finish was uneven, but not horrible. The basic chassis seems well built, with a mix of cheap-looking components and others (switchgear, handlebar) that seemed really top shelf. The cosmetic details are not up to Japanese standards. For example, there were glaringly obvious wrinkles in the (gaudy) tank decals.

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Overall, I think the 390 Duke has a lot of promise as an urban commuter bike, and its $4999 MSRP is reasonably competitive with other small naked road bikes. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could buy a bike so limited in scope and comfort for everyday riding, and it doesn’t have enough personality to be a purely recreational toy. For the money, there are plenty of used bikes that have a lot more character as a “fun run” weekend plaything.
And I do regret not riding one of the big V-twins.

KTM 1290 SuperDuke
KTM 1290 SuperDuke

From rear to front: RC390, 390 Duke, 1190 Adventure
From rear to front: RC390, 390 Duke, 1190 Adventure

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  1. Kiefmo Avatar
    Kiefmo

    How did I not know about this event? Man, I gotta get on the right mailing lists!

    1. Tanshanomi Avatar

      I learned about it from the wife of the guy who owns Freedom Cycles.

  2. mdharrell Avatar

    “…especially immediately after getting off the Spyder.”
    How was that received? My HMV Freeway is so unlike a conventional motorcycle that it usually is met with sheer bafflement (or maybe that’s just me…), but showing up at an event like this on a Spyder might have inspired a greater range of comment and conversation.

    1. Tanshanomi Avatar

      One college-age kid came up and asked me how I liked it, but nobody else reacted one way or another. Go back two or three years and trikeophobia was rampant; two-wheel riders acted as
      though they were going to catch toxic-gay-venereal-downs-syndrome-cancer-cooties from it or something. But I have noticed that in the last 18 months or so, there’s been a big swing in perceptions. I get waved at pretty often now, even by Harley guys.

      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        Well, they’re not a step-through scooter.

        1. Tanshanomi Avatar
        2. mdharrell Avatar

          The only thing worse than a step-through scooter would be a step-through moped trike. Fortunately I have one.
          https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8650/15974049153_8a66ff5ca5_n.jpg

          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            That “roof” must come in handy in the PNW weather… Or is it meant as a roll bar?

          2. mdharrell Avatar

            The cage is detachable and is meant to support the removable windshield, doors, and top, none of which I have. Yet.
            http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZNiH6Qft8pM/T4GwoRlpMUI/AAAAAAABPvo/Yq4p4ukiq1M/s800/1980%2520American%2520Microcar%2520Tri-Ped.jpg

  3. Hatchtopia Avatar

    I’ve thought about the little Duke, but it seemed too limited for what I wanted to do with it. This confirms that suspicion and the poor seat seals it.

  4. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    I need to check this out, the KTM truck is in my area in 2 weeks. The Duke in its various forms has always interested me and I’m curious to compare KTM to various BMW’s I’ve tried including the old G450X and F800GS

  5. Tiberiuswise Avatar

    This is a bike I think I want, but really don’t. I do venture off road enough that I wouldn’t want to give up my Dual Sport.
    I see this as a perfect garage mate to a heavy cruiser.

    1. Tanshanomi Avatar

      I think what really nails the the Duke’s coffin shut for me is the existence of the CB300F. If I was going to pull the trigger, I would be mighty tempted to do without ABS and save a grand. Because Honda.
      http://www.ridermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/web-IMG_0468.jpg

      1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

        Going from 43 horsepower to 26 is a problem for this 195 pound guy though.

        1. Tanshanomi Avatar

          Yeah, there’s the difference in power. I haven’t ridden the 300F, so I don’t know how it feels, seat-of-the-pants.

  6. Mark Thompson Avatar
    Mark Thompson

    I test rode a Super Duke 1290 last June. By August, I had one in my garage. $17k well spent. Makes my old ’07 Aprilia Tuono feel a bit constipated. And ABS, TCS, and anti-wheelie is a wonderful safety net. Last month I did a trackday at Barber with the SD and had a blast. The TC saved my bacon when the rear spun up hard at about 90mph.