2024 KTM 390 Duke: First Ride Review

The Visuals

One look at the new 390 Duke and you know where it borrows its styling from. This sharp low-slung headlamp, a muscular shoulder line and a petite tail section signal directly to the 1290 SuperDuke R. The 390 Duke has a sense of familiarity, yet it seems radical. More so in the Electronic Orange paint which gets a dollop of orange mixed with black. Well, it looks more like the 1290 in the Atlantic Blue colour which consists of blue, orange and grey.

Well, underneath the fresh styling, almost everything on the 2024 390 Duke is completely new. The frame has been revamped and so has the aluminium sub-frame. The wheels have fewer spokes and are lighter, the fuel tank is now at 15 litres; 2 litres larger than before and the seats have been revised in the cushioning and space departments as well. KTM has also taken to giving the 390 Duke new mirrors which are sturdy and a tactile new switchgear adding sticky grips to the mix.

But all is not sunshine on the Gen-3 390 Duke. A closer look reveals the lack of properly fitted panels around the tank. Even the stitching and quality of the seat cover is sub-par and not what you’d expect from a 3 lakh rupee motorcycle.

The Package

KTM has not only added a whole new appeal with the styling, but a whole new feature list too. Firstly you get the fully adjustable WP Apex suspension setup for the front and rear. Both sides have five-step adjustability for damping while the rear also gets a 10-step adjustable preload setting.

You also get full LED lighting and a brand new five-inch TFT Bluetooth-enabled display that offers a tonne of info. To begin with, it offers the ‘basic’ audio and call access feature as well as turn-by-turn navigation. But for 2024, the 390 now comes with three ride modes- Rain, Street and Track.

While Street and Track offer full power, in Rain mode, the 390 Duke has a milder throttle response but full ABS intervention. That said, the Track mode also unlocks the most interesting feature of the 390 Duke which is the launch control. With the throttle wide open, the system locks in at 7000rpm, waiting for you to let go of the clutch. This prevents wheelies, which the 2024 390 Duke is mighty capable of. The mode also unlocks the lap timer feature and a different layout on the screen.

Then, there is the traction control system that can be turned off and switchable ABS. Along with these features, the motorcycle also offers the option to customise the screen layout based on your preference. You can also access features like the ride modes with just a push of a button. Interestingly, it also comes with a cruise control feature which is essentially a speed limiter.

The Ride

In the performance department, the new 390 Duke picks up where the older model left off. The focus is the 399cc single-cylinder engine which offers 46bhp and 39Nm which comes in earlier than before and is a sizeable difference over the previous 373cc unit.

Now, on the track and into the first corner, the 390 Duke immediately felt intimate. Everything seemed to work effortlessly with no need for familiarity before going hard on the throttle. Even with a much higher performance that comes earlier in the rev band, the 390 feels much more predictable. Compared to the older gen model, this one has matured- it is not as jumpy or frantic, but then, it isn’t mellow in any way either.

If anything, the new 390 Duke is properly exciting. It is engaging and has enough power and punch to have a smile plastered across your face throughout. As we hammered the butter-smooth ‘Quickshifter+’ to the sixth cog on the straight, we managed to see 170kmph on the screen. To back it up, the braking equipment feels top notch too. The setup coaxes you to push harder and shows no signs of fade after 4-5 fast laps.

In the stock suspension setting (three clicks for rebound) the handling felt impressive and sharper. It tips into corners in a facile and telepathic manner

Although weighing 4kg less, the bike feels planted through the transitions. And with a whole lot of cornering clearance, higher lean angles are obvious too. Well, there never was a real need for a better grip from the Metzeler M5s. When the rare rear tyre slips occurred under aggressive throttle input, the traction control snuggled in.

Out on the road, the 390 Duke is just as impressive. The new engine is much more tractable despite the higher capacity. Unlike the previous version, the new engine chooses to be tractable and moves along in lower gears without much complaint. Well, the 390 is lively in any situation you put it in, although the only bit that could put you off are the vibrations in the mid-range on the bars, seat and tank. While these settle as speeds increase, they are present all through and are buzzier than the vibes on the Gen-2 model.

Conclusion

I’ll keep this short. The 390 Duke is simply phenomenal and a significant leap over the older generation. It offers that brutal performance you'd expect from a 390 Duke while being effortless in the way it performs. And with the low seat height and electronics it gets, it is forgiving and accessible for riders upgrading from the 200 and 250 Duke.

KTM has also tweaked the ride quality to be more pliant and the introduction of the full-adjustable suspension setup only opens up worlds of possibilities to suit different situations and riders. Having said that, the 390 Duke could feel a bit cramped if you are larger, thanks to the lack of space on the new seat. You would also want to make use of the optional spacers for adding room and a sense of height.

Yes, the new engine is brilliant. It is entertaining in every sense of the word. But it is also vibey. Probably even vibier than its predecessor. But it compensates for it all with its dramatic character that does not seem to let down on the track or for everyday use.

So is it worth your money? Absolutely yes! In fact, at Rs 3.10 lakh and now armed with new features, a new suspension setup, updated styling and better performance, it feels more value for money than the previous model. While it is much more expensive than say the TVS Apache RTR 310, the Duke is for a buyer who wants a budget-friendly big bike, with premium components and versatility in a single package.