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.
The gearshift action is smooth and more positive and the slipper clutch works flawlessly. It is now easier to ride the new bike in 3rd gear at speeds as low as 30kmph, something you could not do on the older bike as it would start lurching. The earlier 390 Duke took inspiration from the 690 Duke while the new bike takes design cues from the outrageously designed Super Duke R. What you have instead is the whole rev counter that flickers in red as you reach the redline and turns red, signalling you to upshift. The 390 Duke comes with the same-sized Metzelertyres but has a different, harder compound rubber that promises a 30 percent longer tyre life and will be 40 percent more affordable than the Sportec M5's. Supermoto mode turns ABS off for the rear wheel so that you can easily lock the rear wheel. The 390 series has always made us question the need to go for higher capacity machines with its blend of performance, usability and ability to thrill on twisty roads.The front brakes have fierce bite, and just a tap on the brakes is enough to shed serious speeds.Another nifty feature is MyRide which allows you to connect your smartphone to the screen via Bluetooth. The mid-range feels even stronger thanks to ride-by-wire system. The new seats are both wider and longer and with the new, more compact fuel tank, you sit more forward than before. However, while going flat out on a racetrack, we feel the older Sportec M5s would offer more bite. But, has it lost its “Ready to Race” pedigree, or has it been toned down to some extent? Did KTM give up with the Duke 390’s raw appeal for something that will lure a wider buyer spectrum? We went to Bajaj’s Chakan test track to find the same. The 3 modes are ABS, ABS off and Supermoto. The rear footpegs now have a tubular-construction instead of the cast aluminium ones on its predecessor. During the day the screen features a white display and switches to a black background at night time. This is quite obvious when you look at the sculpted headlamp, tank and tail section. We will be doing a more precise performance test in the coming weeks. There is a slight headshake from the front end as it goes light under hard acceleration. The bikes sold here already have the hardware on them, so it is just a matter of a software upgrade now, which KTM will introduce later as an optional extra. It gets a sensor that adjusts brightness according to the environment.
The handlebars have a satin black finish. It gets sintered brake pads now. Verdict-The Rs 29,000 price hike does dilute KTM’s value-for-money USP but when you factor in the kit offered and features and then look at the competition, even at Rs 2,25,730 (ex-Delhi) the 2017 KTM 390 Duke is a no brainer. The idea was to make the new 390 Duke even more compact and sportier than before; but keep in mind, it is 5kgs heavier than before. Overall the bike looks like a concept bike that has come to life. We had a smooth racetrack to test the bike on and will have to reserve judgement on ride quality for later. It does, however, retain that frantic demeanour, that typical KTM flavour veiled under layers of civility. The LED tail lamp is a larger unit now. The internals is unchanged except for a larger airbox that boosts torque by 2Nm to 37Nm @ 7000rpm, 250rpm lower than before. The exposed split-trellis frame is a work of art in itself with the two-tone colour effect. The front disc is now a larger 320mm unit, up by 20mm and is clamped to Bybre radially mounted callipers.The seat height has increased to 820mm to make space for a larger airbox. We could not test the bike for acceleration times though we did see a speedo-indicated 163kmph on the main straight of the test track. The suspension, though, felt comfortable at lower speeds.The new 390 is quite an evolution. The new 390 Duke offers quite a lot, both on the surface and under the skin. The new frame , with slightly reduced offset, has resulted in a 1357mm wheelbase, shorter by 10mm over the outgoing bike. Ground clearance has improved by 8mm. The tank recesses are larger and easier to hold now. Source: Zigwheels. It still has that typical KTM buzz around the tank and handlebars but it is more muted now. And, the new 2017 KTM 390 Duke is aimed to raise the bar set by the outgone bike with drastic design changes, new chassis parts and better electronics.
It is a more civilised version of the earlier 390 which in itself has evolved quite a bit since the first KTMs hit our shores. It is hard to quantify the performance gains but the motor definitely feels civilised now. The rear footpegs and heel guards get a glossy black finish. Turn-ins are quicker while the new forks are more communicative and inspire more confidence to dig deep in corners. This feature shows an incoming caller's info on the TFT display and allows you to receive or reject the call via the menu switches. At 5'8" tall I could not set my feet flat on the ground. Quite a bit of information can be changed to your preference via the menu selection bar on the left side of the handlebar. It came with its share of rough edges. The engine seems to run cooler than before as, despite our hard riding, the radiator fan cut in less frequently and the temperature gauge rarely went over the halfway mark. The pillion, too, gets a longer seat and has a larger grab rail to hold on to. A major addition is ride-by-wire that smooths out throttle response and is more precise. However, in its new avatar, the bike is now heavier and high on price, whereas the power output remains unchanged. Theoretically, a smaller sprocket, while improving top speed, reduces acceleration a bit. These tyres meanwhile impress with their performance even during hard braking. Chassis and suspension-The previous 390 Duke always came with top-spec suspension parts and the 390 Duke takes the game even further. The switchgear is new with the addition of a menu navigation for the new TFT display. Brake feel, though, is lacking. This might contribute to the more mature nature of the new 390. The clutch and brake levers are adjustable now. 2017 KTM 390 Duke The KTM 390 Duke has a lot to its credit, as it brought the supersport segment's performance and features to an everyday Indian motorcyclist at the entry-level price tag.The # TFT colour display is KTM's newest party trick.5PS @ 9000rpm. The new setup is said to have the same amount of travel as before but is said to be more comfortable too. However, in its new avatar, the bike is now heavier and high on price, whereas the power output remains unchanged. The front fork can now be adjusted and raised or dropped by 8mm as well. It is a lot more flickable than before and easier to switch directions. The plastics feel premium to the touch and look like they will age well
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