It resists glare and is bright enough to be legible all times of the day. There is an immediacy and more surge in power when you open the throttle - a preciseness in fuelling that is prevalent throughout the rev range. There is a split trellis frame in place of the earlier single-piece unit. Design and features-One simple reason people will buy the 2017 390 Duke, me included, is for the way it looks. The 390 Duke was always a sharp and mean-looking motorcycle, but this is something else. While the 390 Duke continues to use MetzelerSportec M5s, these tyres are rated for speeds up to 210kmph.One big change is the tyres.com. The new riding position is sportier and more accommodating than before. The rear gets the 230mm disc setup as before. The combination of the extra 2Nm and a smaller sprocket helps. Mainly because of our price sensitive market, both of these attributes worked magic for KTM and the 390 was among the most-selling mid-displacement sports bikes in no time.The motor feels docile below 4000rpm, but once in the midrange the 390 feels its familiar frantic self. There is no shift indicator here. The rear does not squat when you accelerate hard out of a corner. The ABS too is well-tuned and cuts in later and in a progressive manner.Performance-The 373cc liquid-cooled single is now BS-IV compliant. You can also control your phone&China RG11/U-Quad Cables39;s music functions while on the move. The footpegs have moved further back. What has changed significantly is the nature of the engine at low revs. That is a lot more than what the 390 Duke is capable of; the older W-rated tyres were tested for speeds up to 270kph!
So, do they feel any different? For most riders the level of grip will be much more than they will need on public roads.The engine feels smoother. While the new 390 Duke gets rider modes, they have yet to hit our shores. The new modular frame will be more affordable to fix in the event of a nasty crash. So you can downshift in rapid succession without the worry of the tail stepping out. The new forks possess excellent damping properties, comparable to high-spec suspension found on much larger bikes. The gearbox remains the same though the final sprocket now gets 44 teeth instead of 45. The only other bike we have seen a screen like this on is the Ducati Multistrada 1200.. Ride & Handling-In terms of handling, the new 390 Duke feels more agile and sharper than before. It’s delicious. The Bosch ABS unit has 3 ABS modes integrated into the display that can be toggled via the menu navigation unit. The headlamp is a futuristic looking LED unit with three rows of lights. You can move around on the bike with ease. Power output remains the same at 43. Also, the side-stand indicator and ignition switch-off indicator has transformed into text displays that are prominent on the top left of the screen and are easy to register. The polarising styling, ergonomics, stiff suspension and that edgy, frantic motor was termed as character by some and inconvenience by others. It still has the older motor's nature and you do have to shift gears a lot at lower revs to keep the engine from stalling. It comes with a futuristic design and features (KTM is the only bike below Rs 10 lakhs to offer Bluetooth connectivity) that makes the competition feel horribly dated.The 43mm upside down WP front forks features an open cartridge system, and the rear monoshock now uses separate chambers for oil and gas for more consistent performance. Taller riders will also find the new Duke more comfortable. Above that is the chunky TFT display console. Not only does the system improve responsiveness, it is also possible to be more precise with throttle inputs. How the tyres perform in the wet is something that needs to be checked on a rainy day. However, in the saddle you have more space to move around and the new seats have good cushioning too.
