A conversation with a friend that convinced me to buy the KTM 390 Duke

Here is an excerpt of the conversation of how a good friend (JV) of mine convinced me to get the next bike. It’s all about 46 PS!

BHPian bluenicotine recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello dearest members! I am finally back to what we all enjoy – Biking! Life happened and I got busy sorting it out!

Me: Dude, I think I am done fighting life and want to get back to doing what I used to love. I want to get a superbike and hit the road like we used to.

JV: Whoa! Take it easy. It’s good you want to ride again but why a superbike?

Me: Why not? I always wanted a V-twin or an inline 4.

JV: Have you considered your age? You are damn over 40 and with a family! You are not in your 20’s for all that power and excitement. And remember you told me why Aditya got a Himalayan 450. You don’t want to get into an expensive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) with a superbike.

Me: So, are you suggesting I get a Himalayan?

JV: No, I am saying get something which is powerful enough to keep you excited, doesn’t cost a bomb and easy to maintain. Simply put - get a Duke 390 or Adventure 390. Knowing you, you will not like how the new Adventure looks, so get a Duke 390. Upgraded chassis and everything. Himalayan is good but it has 40 PS! Duke 390 has 46 PS!

Me: That was a quick suggestion. There are so many other motorcycles in this segment. For eg, the RE Interceptor 650 / Continental GT 650 have 47 PS.

JV: You never liked RE! And they are not in the 400CC segment. You will get 46 PS only from Duke 390 in this segment.

Me: Ok. What about Bajaj Dominar 400? People say it’s good for touring and the likes.

JV: Sure, but its heavy and its power to weight ratio is not the same as Duke 390. Dominar has 40 PS and Duke has 46 PS!

Me: What about Triumph Speed 400 or Scrambler 400 X? Their reviews are good and they come from a renowned brand!

JV: No doubt both are good options but Speed 400 doesn’t give the big bike feel and you are not into off-roading to get a Scrambler. Both have 40 PS and Duke has 46 PS!

ME: There is Husqvarna 401! I liked it way back when they were launched in the 250cc segment. Simply good-looking bikes.

JV: Trust me, Husqvarna is not for you.

Me: I think let’s wait for the Tuono 457 then. The bike looks stunning with a twin cylinder churning out 47 PS!

JV: We don’t know when it will be launched and even if they do it, I am sure the launching price will be 4 lakhs ex-showroom. Also, KTM has dropped their 2025 prices and Duke 390 is now 2.94 ex-showroom! Now, that’s a steal deal. And it has 46 PS!

Me: You know I always hated KTM! It’s a “chapri” brand!

JV: Bro! It takes one to recognize one! No brand is ******! KTM as a brand has come a long way in terms of its quality, refinement, power and VFM. Let’s say the ****** gang decided to raid Honda tomorrow. Do you think the Japanese brand will become chapri? And off late how many ******* have you seen riding a Duke 390? KTM has made it a tad expensive! They have upped their game and are giving the competition a run for their money.

Me: KTMs have a lot of vibrations. What about that?

JV: With great power comes great vibrations! Do you want a butter smooth engine which glides? What’s the fun in that if you don’t feel the engine rumbling under you? Have you read on the internet on how the Superduke 1290 vibrates? This one is aka baby Superduke, delivering 46 PS from a single cylinder, it’s bound to vibrate. And vibrations are good sometimes, they keep you awake!

Me: Why are you stuck on the 46 PS?

JV: Because no other bike in this segment at present is as powerful. All right you want to know more – it has front and rear adjustable suspension, customizable ABS, traction control, launch control, 3 ride modes, Bluetooth connectivity for navigation, calls and music. KTM has also increased the ground clearance in case you want to go a little off-roading. Not to mention it has a new chassis and looks good too!

Me: I have seen it and the side fairings look like a Dracula’s collar. hehe!

JV: Good, let’s go get one and you can name it Drac!

Me: Then what about the V-twin or an inline 4?

JV: Have you considered your age? You are just 40, still young and have many years ahead of you. Get one later!

And there we go to get a new bike. Booked one in Kachiguda KTM (Hyderabad) and delivery was promised the next day. Settled on Atlantic Blue color as the Electronic Orange is too loud for my taste and they don’t have the black option like the new Duke 250. Sigh! Life completed a full cycle from Green to Orange! From my Ninja to the new Duke.

On Feb 15th, I reached the showroom with the wife, the twins, brother-in-law, his kid and his camera. Documentation was completed, PDI done and bike delivered.

Next day post delivery, I took the bike out for a spin on the ORR to get the real feel of the bike. And here's what I found out once it was in the open:

TFT display - Provides all the necessary information, with customizable fields. You can choose what you want to see. Easily legible with good font size and under bright light.

Power - Its a rev happy happy engine and wants to be revved high. Power delivery is smooth and easily pulls away without a fuss. Also, being torquey its easy to ride in 3rd gear on lower speeds, unless it really needs to come down to 2nd. All this with the RPM locked at 6k before first servicing.

Handling - Easy to navigate and flip around. Fun to ride in the city too.

Heat - I felt the heat in the city riding conditions (stop go traffic). Once in the open and high speed the heat literally disappears.

Quickshifter - Worked like a charm and I was pleasantly surprised 'cause online reviews mentioned that it was a hit or miss!

Brakes - Adequate with good bite.

Tyres - The Metzeler tyres are good, but I felt the need for more sticky tyres. I had to think twice before leaning into a corner!

Seat - I felt it a bit hard and will definitely need a softer saddle for touring.

Vibrations - Are there! Quite vibey at lower rpms which seems to fade away at higher rpms and guess that's where the bike wants to stay. Hoping to see a difference here post first servicing oil change and rpm unlocked.

Looks - To each their own. I am kinda loving the sharp lines and the unconventional looks. The design definitely stands out. The side fairings stand out even more!

Waiting to unlock more pleasant experience post the first servicing. For now, it's time to complete the run-in! Cheers!

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