KTM entered the Indian two wheeler market with a bang, a huge one! First they brought the Duke 200 which mesmerized the entire biking fraternity with the light weight and amazing looks and power adding to the oomph factor. And not to mention the plethora of advanced features in such a light weight motorcycle such as fuel injection and underbelly exhaust. Then KTM brought in the Duke 390 and got the pants off everybody. It was an absolute market killer with features and power and looks, all bundled in a price which was a feat unbeatable, and it still is the most value for money product in the Indian market in its category.But KTM were just not done yet! With its flourishing partnership with Bajaj Auto, they have now launched the 2017 edition of the KTM Duke 390, and trust me when I say this, but they have made sure that the pants that came off stayed off. No other OEM has been able to deliver the product as high quality one as KTM as, and this is just the beginning. Who knows what future has in store. But for now, the new 2017 KTM Duke 390 ladies and gentlemen.
This article is a bit late, but it has come with a purpose, not just to tell you why the KTM Duke 390 is the best bike in the Indian market and what it has, but why you should strongly consider this bike as your next, and also how this bike is going to shape up the two wheeler industry in India.
Let’s cover the bare basics first shall we? On the spec sheet, the new KTM Duke 390 comes equipped with the same 373.2cc single cylinder engine churning out 43.5PS of power and 37Nm of torque. But now the bike comes with a side slung exhaust to meet the new BSIV norms instead of an underbelly unit. It also gets the new EVAP system as mandated which ensures zero fuel loss in the form of vapor from the fuel tank, hence aiding in higher fuel economy and lower emission levels.
So what is new? There is a new chassis; the two tone trellis frame chassis is claimed to group the masses closer to the center of gravity and hence aids in handling on the straights and also in the corners. The new open-cartridge front forks are easy to maintain and provide much better feedback to the rider in terms of handling rough asphalt. And then there are the new larger 320mm diameter brakes with sintered brake pads for a stronger bite for the additional stopping power at high speeds. The new fuel tank clocks 13.5 litres of capacity, which for a bike of that capacity still feels small, but it is definitely an upgrade over the previous 11. I feel KTM could have done a bit better and no one would have complained if they could have come up with a 15 litre tank.
Tourers can also rejoice a bit even though the bike is not meant to be toured on from its front biased sitting and being a naked, along with the small fuel tank. The bike now gets a full LED headlamp which will aid in night riding. The seats are also contoured and flattened for both the rider and the pillion to aid longer hours in the saddle comfortably. The bike features ride by wire for a crisper throttle response and the adjustable levers help the riders with smaller hands. The bike also gets Always-On Headlamps as per the new BSIV standards.
But the biggest addition in the bike is the nee TFT console. It is a coloured display with all the necessary information just like the previous console but in a new avatar. The console can auto-adjust the brightness based on the ambient lighting and also increases the font to make reading easier for the rider at high speeds. The console also allows the rider to connect their phones to the console using the RideMyKTM App and control the incoming calls and the music on the go using the control panel on the left handlebar which is a great addition.As a package, the KTM Duke 390 does get a INR 30,000/- premium over the previous iteration, but all the features and the overall package taken into consideration, the premium is quite justified. At INR 2,26,000/- ex-showroom Delhi, the KTM Duke 390 is still a whole lot cheaper than the competition and what it has to offer. And when you consider this in comparison with the competition for the bike, it is a no brainer for everyone to simply go for the Duke 390 if they are looking for a bike in the 300-400cc bikes category.
Coming to the part where the new 2017 KTM Duke 390 is expected to shape the Indian two wheeler market, the bike comes with features which are present in a class above and is available at a price which is a generation difference among the competition. Which the category heating up as new bikes foray into the segment, the KTM Duke 390 is going to be the bike the beat and hence manufacturers are going to try and bring in the next generation features in their bikes to match or better the KTM Duke 390. The task is tough, but not impossible, and when that happens, you can ensure that the motorcycle industry in India will have been changed forever, for good.By: Pratik Patole
