With the KTM Duke motorcycle everything is clear. These motorcycles are made to make you lose your mind as soon as you sit on them. The element of the KTM 390 Duke motorcycle is turns.
KTM Duke 390 will surprise you with its capabilities!
Motorcycle KTM 390 Duke, motorcycle KTM 390 Duke
The guys at Mattighofen call this duke ktm a rocket, and we have to admit they're not exaggerating. Anyone who has had the opportunity to ride this Duke KTM motorcycle on sharp turns will confirm this. In its segment, no other motorcycle allows such a massive power-to-weight ratio. 49 hp measured on the bench (44 hp on paper) per 149 kg dry weight - this means that the 390 Duke (ktm 390 duke) balances on the edge of the normative 0.2 kW per 1 kg. Another thing is that this proportion is suitable for both beginners and experienced bikers - in short, for those who like to have fun and know that less sometimes means more.
EURO 4 IN THE FOREGOING
The Ktm 390 duke made in India was not perfect. In addition to the less-than-ideal build quality, which can be forgiven given the price, as well as the brakes, we also complained about the WP's less-than-stellar suspension tuning. This year, KTM engineers were mainly concerned with Euro 4 requirements, however, they tried to please the tastes of buyers. True, little has been fixed in the engine, but the frame grille and trim have changed enough that we can safely talk about a new motorcycle.
Externally, the 390 Duke is similar to its predecessor, the 1290 Super Duke R. Aggressive fairings, an increased fuel tank by 2.4 (to 13.4) liters, fresh graphics, a new helical rear frame strut and, as a rule, the whole appearance The rear of the car and the LED lights are firmly in line with the Super Duke R. The ergonomics are commendable. The steering wheel is compact but comfortable. The seat, raised at a height of 830 mm, is favorable for tall people, in addition, the KTM Duke motorcycle has a narrow waist, so it will be convenient for you to spread your knees. Hands rest comfortably on the comfortable, wide handlebars, and riders confirm that they have more legroom on the new KTM 390 Duke than on its predecessor.
KTM Duke 390 characteristics: TFT instrumentation is controlled from the left side of the steering wheel. You will not find this in this class among competitors, KTM 390 Duke
The 373cc single works hard. After the 690 received a second balance shaft, the 390 became the latest bully from KTM. However, the signs of life they give are quite mild. The anti-hopping clutch is weak (on the bike it is controlled by both handles), but gear shifts are easy and precise.
After spending the morning on “125”, we saw that the engine produces 44 hp. and 37 Nm of torque (according to factory data, about 2 Nm more than before). The engine requires at least 3500 rpm to run smoothly at higher speeds. At higher KTMs, the Duke 390 pulls so hard that it is difficult to compare with it in city traffic.
ABSURD TRAFFIC WAYS
A few wheel-up starts, a 20-kilometer highway section (on which the KTM Duke 390, despite being underwhelmed, handled it perfectly), and I’m in the mountains. Narrow side roads with tight corners and varying asphalt qualities are an ideal testing ground. I experienced the incredible joy of driving the KTM Duke there because the 390 is even more willing than the 690 Duke to run through absurd driving paths, make quick adjustments and play around corners. Enter the curve, change direction, recover and pipe to the next turn. I could do this forever...
Update: The 390 Duke gets a 320mm brake disc. The brake action is much better, and the removable ABS has, in particular, a Supermoto mode
The Austrians trust Metzeler's M5s so much that they use them as factory builds. These are not the best tires, but they still maintain a good standard. Especially in the motorcycle segment where money is very important. Metzelery makes the bike neutral in corners and inspires confidence in grip. It's only when you're really leaning as far as you can that a slight nervousness sets in.
As I go higher and higher, the asphalt becomes more and more cracked and the potholes become larger. But the worse the surface, the more I like the Duke 390 (KTM 390 Duke). Admittedly, in the pursuit of tighter handling, its front rake has been reduced by 8mm to 142mm (the rear is still 150mm), but KTM's off-road genes don't let themselves be forgotten.
After all, this motorcycle is intended for countries where the roads are bad. Because it was too soft for European roads, the loops were strengthened for the 2022 season. Thanks to stiffer springs, a new fork and shock, the Duke 390 regains the minimal damping and stability it had been lacking until now.
Signature frame, “predatory” plastic, screwed-down piece and slender rear end – the little “bully” references the 1290 Super Duke R
Ready for the race! Test drive the new KTM Duke 390
The future, as the classic said, moves forward along a complex and obscure trajectory, which no social mathematician is able to predict. Futurologists of the eighties saw the motorcycle as a completely hooded device with a front console; no one could imagine how everything would actually turn out. KTM Duke 390 2017 is the last nail in the coffin of the future, outlined by science fiction writers of the past: yesterday’s “tomorrow” that has become today’s present.
I won’t lie - both devices with color LCD monitors and Bluetooth, all this could be found before, the top models of the same BMW allowed us to look into this future. But it was prohibitively expensive and remained the prerogative of wealthy guys who could spend seventy thousand on the latest iPhone without looking, simply because the penultimate one does not sync with a motorcycle.
The new Duke 390 changed the world not with technology, but with its accessibility. Never before has a motorcycle with such bells and whistles been so cheap - what new can you get for 349 thousand rubles? Maybe the BMW G310R. It's damn good, it's better than the previous Duke 390, but the new “Austrian” has left the Germans behind again.
The new KTM Duke 390 is the most technologically advanced small bike on the Russian market
It was the new Duke 390 that determined the vector of development of modern budget motorcycles for about ten years to come. It is he who will be imitated by all other world manufacturers, and it is his equipment that in a decade will become the norm and minimum for all motorcycles in this class.
The first, and, in my opinion, the most important thing is the dashboard. From now on, this is not a boring monitor with black and white graphics, but an interactive, informative and insanely bright color LCD panel with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, which allows you to actively interact with the motorcycle and more. Speed, revolutions, selected gear, mileage, fuel reserve and temperature - of course, but there are much more interesting functions. Blinker? Forget it, it’s a thing of the past, why put a separate light on when the animated tachometer itself first turns pink and then turns red as soon as the revs reach peak values?
The color LCD dashboard of the KTM Duke 390 motorcycle looks no worse than modern smartphones
What about the ability to sync via Bluetooth with a phone or headset? Now, when you receive a call on the go, the dashboard displays the caller's number, name and even a photo if you have one installed in your smartphone, and the keys on the left remote control allow you to answer or reject the call without taking your hands off the wheel! They also allow you to switch tracks in your player and manage motorcycle settings.
Of course, the left remote control itself is completely different, unified with the “older” models of the brand, with a bunch of keys that provide convenient navigation through the instrument menu. Disable ABS? Please! Or maybe not all the way, into the “supermoto” mode, where the front end still works, and the rear is free from the electronic stranglehold? Easily!
There is also an electronic throttle handle, which allows you to forget about maintenance and replacement of cables. Gas “by wire” on budget models is something that you don’t see often.
2022 Duke controls shared with older KTM models
The Austrians were greedy: in fact, ABS sensors and an electronic throttle control with the help of software alone allow you to open functions such as cruise control, traction control and the choice of engine operating modes, but they are not there yet. According to rumors, and personally they seem quite real to me, in the future the KTM company will offer them to customers as options that the dealer can activate for an additional fee. Moreover, competitors do not offer anything similar on devices of this class. Or maybe KTM is waiting for the rest out of nobility?
In any case, the motorcycle electronics of the future are indicated. Everything is like adults. And even though half of the functionality is not yet available, to open it all you need to do is write software, which means it’s a matter of time. Why is it needed if competitors do not have anything even close to the existing set?
Another feature of the Duke 390 is the presence of a light sensor. Now, when the ignition is turned on, only the stylish LED running lights of the bright, insect-shaped headlight light up, while the LED low beam is activated only when darkness falls. At the same time, the instrument panel changes the background from white to dark blue, providing excellent readability at night, and the pilot can only choose between low and high beams, operating a key that allows both the “high beams” to blink and to turn them on for a long time.
A distinctive feature from previous generation motorcycles is LED optics with daytime running lights
The optics have also changed: the headlight has become fully LED, and its design now echoes the appearance of the flagship KTM Super R Duke 1290 and Super Adventure 1290. The aggressive edging of the running lights adds visibility mainly on the viewing platform rather than on the roads, where it is still more appropriate to at least “ near". Among the decorations I would also like to include a stylish steel trim that visually cuts the headlight in half - it looks catchy and fresh. Its main task is to cool the headlight LEDs, a kind of radiator turned into a design element.
But the designers missed the mark with protection from dirt. An aggressive look does not imply developed wings; if you want to ride on mud, buy a Bajaj Dominar 400, KTM is a European brand! That is why the back of not even the passenger, who here, as in the previous generation, is assigned a modest perch, but the pilot’s, will be wet in any rain. How could it be otherwise: either elegance of form and aggressive design, or scary, but developed plastic wings and protection against getting sari skirts caught in the chain.
The aggressive appearance of the new KTM Duke 390 does not imply developed mud protection
The ergonomics have completely changed compared to the previous generation of “Dukes”, and, oddly enough, they have become even sportier. The handlebars, which were extremely close to the pilot, moved away barely noticeably, the footpegs became higher, and the saddle rose above the ground to 830 millimeters. Of course, many short guys and girls may find this inconvenient, but there are solutions to the problem.
The gas tank of the device has become wider and is now made not of plastic, but of metal, with all the ensuing advantages, but the main thing is that from now on it can hold three liters more fuel, which, given the modest appetite of a single-cylinder engine, provides a noticeable addition to the power reserve at one gas station.
However, even in total, the ergonomic changes do not allow us to talk about a departure from the concept set by the previous generation - the pilot still sits extremely close to the front wheel and wide steering wheel, which strikingly distinguishes the new Duke 390 from the same BMW G310R, which is much more conservative in this regard motorcycle.
Despite the fact that the seat height has increased to 830 mm, the rider's seating position has remained virtually unchanged
Frankly, at first I was afraid to use the word “new” in the context of the 2022 KTM Duke: yes, design and optics, yes, electronics and instrumentation, but the changes to the engine and chassis cannot be called radical, and the concept remains the same. Maybe not “new”, but still a restyling of the “old”? The frame put an end to the internal contradictions - visually the steel birdcage has not changed much, the geometry and rigidity remained at the same level, but from now on the rear subframe is a separate part. If you happen to get into an accident and bend it, instead of expensive frame repairs, from now on it’s enough to just replace it. And it is the frame configuration, along with other changes, that allows us to talk about a new model, and not a restyling.
But the engine can be safely called “old”, and although “gas by wire” has significantly improved the response to turning the right handle, all other changes have been reduced to increasing environmental friendliness in order to satisfy the new Euro-4 requirements. It is to environmentalists that the motorcycle owes its muffler, which has almost doubled in size and moved from under the engine to the right side. Peak power values, despite the additional restrictions on exhaust standards, remained almost unchanged - the number of horses remained at 44 heads, and the torque increased by two newton-meters, and, importantly, became available a little earlier.
The KTM Duke 390 engine, brought into compliance with Euro-4 standards, received a slight increase in torque
The six-speed gearbox has not been touched at all, but the clutch is now slippery, which allows you to confidently shift a couple of gears at a time. In addition, the pilot’s assistants have been added to the regiment thanks to another feature - the Power Assist system, which reduces the force on the clutch lever. I already found the clutch too soft, you can squeeze it with one finger - ideal for girls, but advanced riders would probably want more elasticity and feedback.
But these are nit-picking – the motorcycle has no obvious flaws or miscalculations, everything is in its place and everything corresponds to its intended purpose, without adjustments for the price tag or other fig leaves. And once you hit the asphalt of the Leader karting track near Moscow, all the reasons for criticism dissolve in pure adrenaline: first, second, slightly third, and again second - there’s nowhere to accelerate, but, on the contrary, there are plenty of sharp turns, Duke 390 in its element.
The dimensions and power unit of the Duke make it an ideal bike for small motorcycle tracks
The previous generation of Dukes was famous for its agility and gambling, but in the new Duke 390 these words are generally elevated to the absolute. The already short wheelbase in the new generation was reduced by 10 mm, the fork offset was reduced by 5 mm, small touches that added piquancy to the already chili-like character of the motorcycle. Tuck into a turn? Forget it! Once you think about the trajectory, the motorcycle itself falls into it and follows the pilot’s gaze; even in the rain that followed us throughout the test day, you can ride very actively.
The suspensions have hardly changed, no adjustments have appeared in them, and of all the innovations we can only name the front fork travel that has been reduced by several millimeters, which is completely imperceptible on the track. There are enough settings for driving around the city, there is nothing to add to them, but if you happen to put a passenger in the back, you can increase the spring preload of the rear monoshock absorber.
The WP fork boasts new settings and travel reduced by 8 millimeters
Narrow tires, a rigid and assembled chassis, tight suspension and a supermoto-like landing position are the ideal cocktail for both cross-country shooting and weekends on the track. And even though the weight of the motorcycle has increased by a respectable ten kilograms, the increase is absolutely not felt while driving.
There is no need to complain about the brakes either - they are quite sufficient even for emergency braking, but they also do not have excessive potential, the standard ABS often reminds of its existence. This is understandable, the front brake disc remained in a single copy, but grew in diameter from 300 to 320 millimeters, still working in combination with a Bybre radial four-piston caliper, a sub-brand of Brembo.
Bybre mechanisms are good, there is no need to complain about the lack of brakes, as well as their excess
And last but not least, the innovation is the ability to completely or partially disable ABS through the dashboard menu. And although the meaning of the “OFF” mode on an asphalt machine is not obvious, the “Supermoto” mode, in which only the rear circuit is turned off, while the front end is still controlled by “anti-lock”, on the contrary, came to fruition. From now on you can behave like a hooligan with less risk to your health!
Similar changes affected the rest of the Duke family, in which, in addition to the Duke 125 Duke 200, the Duke 250 was added. The “200” will not be supplied to our market, instead we will get a 250 cc device, but given the difference in price with the 390, The point of buying it is not obvious. Moreover, it still goes beyond the “children’s” category A1.
As for the new Duke 390, the verdict on it is clear - the most exciting, loud and charismatic motorcycle, both in its segment and beyond.
Video version of the KTM Duke 390 2022 review:
KTM Duke 390 2022 Photos:
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Some kind of wildness appeared in me from the KTM 390 Duke
Nobody wanted more spontaneity from the engine, but the bike got it. The ride-by-wire system has significantly improved throttle response, and mid-range power is offered spontaneously and can also be precisely metered. All this and a clear increase in torque around 6500 rpm provide a powerful dose of fun and sporty driving.
The Austrians also improved the brakes: the 390 Duke motorcycle had new pads and the front disc was increased by 20 (to 320) mm. As a result, the Bybre (Indian subsidiary of Brembo) brakes perform much better, and the icing on the cake is the removable ABS with Supermoto mode (works on the front wheel only). The next feature is the elegant and easy to read TFT display. Its operation is simple and, using Bluetooth, it can be configured to work with your phone (it also receives incoming calls and controls your audio player).
The 690 Duke and 390 Duke have elegant headlights in the “1290” style. Low and high beam headlights, daytime running lights - all LED
Weak spots?
As for execution, there are none. There is no doubt that the quality has improved a little, in any case, it corresponds to the price of the KTM Duke 390. The only thing that scared me was the fan, which is terribly noisy and comes on too often on a moving motorcycle. This surprised me a little, because the moto was designed with a warm climate in mind. In any case, corrections are advisable.
Despite all this, the 390 Duke has been heavily modified. This bike is truly a big dose of joy for the money.
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KTM 390 adventure: first ride
The 2022 KTM Adventure 390 was originally scheduled to be released to the press during a mass unveiling last month, but KTM officials had to rethink this. We don't do anything "massively" these days. Instead, we drove to the KTM office in Murrieta and discreetly loaded up the 390. We rode it all week. This bike is completely new to us simply because we have no foundation for a 390 Duke street bike. The Duke line has been around for a long time and has a cult following among street guys. This engine was designed in Austria and built in India to keep the price down.
The 2022 KTM 390 Adventure retails for $6,199.
Engine 390 - DOHC, 373 cc. See with a six-speed transmission and a redline of 10,000 42 rpm. It is said to produce around 390 horsepower. The Adventure 4 frame grille is similar to that of the Duke - if not identical. What makes it an adventure bike is everything else: the suspension, subframe, fuel tank, bodywork, instrumentation and riding position. Engineers used new brackets to move the pegs forward about 10 inches, fitted them with matching off-road pegs (with removable rubber inserts) and new brake and shifter pedals. The suspension is what WP calls its APEX line. The fork has compression damping clicker on the left and rebound damping on the right. The shock absorber is very simple, having nothing more than a preload adjuster with a stepped cam. It is bolted directly to the swingarm, without a connection. KTM has also developed off-road settings for the anti-lock braking system, which is focused on the front wheel. The brakes themselves are Bybre, an Indian subsidiary of Brembo.
The 390 has the only level of traction control that most riders will turn off before venturing into the dirt.
It also has a single level of traction control. The throttle is connected to the motor electronically - there is no throttle cable - and the throttle is opened and closed by a servo motor connected to the central brain of the bike. This allows the traction control system to regulate wheel slip by opening and closing the throttle without driver input. You can easily disable the traction control, but it will restart every time you do it again.
The KTM 390 Adventure has surprisingly high-end hardware with a 5-inch TFT monitor.
The reason this bike exists is because of the price: $6199. It's pretty amazing - for less than a 125 MX bike you get a lot of technology and performance. And the bike is surprisingly powerful. I can see why canyon racers love Duke. It's responsive and has decent torque. KTM got a lot more power from this motor than from the 350EXC dual-sport, which is much more expensive and should be more sophisticated.
Riding the dirt bike is fun because it has good power and is much lighter than bikes like the 790 Adventure. Tires are a big limitation, though. The Continental TKC70 is very much a full-time street tire and has little in common with the more common TKC80. The rear tire size (130/70-17) is a bit unusual and we're looking for something more aggressive before getting too serious in the dirt. The traction control is suitable for use in mud, but is nowhere near as advanced as the system on the 790. You can use it on flat surfaces, but it will kick in immediately if you try to go uphill. However, the technology isn't bad compared to some of the more outdoorsy systems. We'll be testing the 390 Adventure for a few weeks before publishing the full test in the July 2022 print edition of Dirt Bike.
“Okay, let me go and take a step back when I take the picture. Then grab him before he falls! What do you do with bored kids who don't go to school? I'm still trying to figure this out.
CHARACTERISTICS
Engine Type: Single Cylinder, 4-Stroke, DOHC Engine Displacement: 373.2cc Bore/Stroke: 89/60mm Starter: Electric; 12V 8Ah Transmission: 6 gears Fuel system: Bosch EFI, 46mm throttle body Lubrication: Wet sump Cooling: Liquid cooled Clutch: PASC Slipper Clutch, manually operated Ignition: Bosch EMS with Ride-By-Wire Frame: Steel grille Subframe: Steel Grille Handlebar: Aluminum, tapered, Ø 26/22 mm Front suspension: WP APEX USD Ø 43 mm Rear suspension: WP APEX Monoshock Suspension travel front/rear: 170 mm / 6.7 in; 177mm/6.9" Front/Rear Brakes: 320mm/230mm Disc Brake Front/Rear Wheels: 2.50 x 19", 3.50 x 17" Front/Rear Tires: 100/90-19"; 130 / 80-17” Head angle: 26.5º Wheelbase: 1,430 mm ± 15.5 mm / 56.3 ± 0.6 in Ground clearance: 200 mm / 7.8 in Seat height: 855 mm / 33.6 in Tank capacity: 14.5 L / 3.8 gal Dry weight approx: 158 kg / 348.3 lbs
