Re: KTM 390 Duke Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Great
Thanks for sharing the email brother
So the incessant wait is finally about to get over.

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Yes. It is technically possible.
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WP Suspension is manufactured under license by Endurance Systems, Pune.
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In the same manner, Metzeler tires can be manufactured under license by MRF, Chennai.
We will get all our questions answered on 25 June

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Email from KTM BLR

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Thanks Chaos, I wanted to know what exactly they would use for the upgrades, or what parts would be changed in the engine or exhaust.

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

In India, you can always expect a black market following... don't ask why. By the time your Metzelers wear, the availability will increase as well, provided you're lucky enough not to be the first guy raisin' an inquiry.

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

if its less than 10 k, then thats reasonable. but how is it possible to import tires and price them that low? are they also made in India like rest of bike?

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

I agree. The mrf tyres would especially fail to provide adequate traction in the wet with 44 ponies on tap. My dealer had hinted he expects a pair of Metzeler tyres to cost around less than 10k for us!

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re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Please don't do it for safety reasons. I don't think the MRF's can handle the 44 horses of the 390.

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive


I have a question. can we switch to mrfs found on duke 200 once metzelers are worn out, without any modifications ? i believe they have same size. if yes that would save us considerable cost.

as for quality of mrfs, after owning R15, i think they are quiet good. have never been able to make them loose grip, despite of trying. even on lean angles, sudden pulling of throttle results in no loss of grip. maybe i dont push it hard enough but for me they are perfect. i heard duke mrfs are only slightly harder than on R15.

as for bigger engine of 390, i guess if they are suitable or not, we can tell only after trying.

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Hehe, I haven't booked it yet, I'm still in Thailand. But I'm coming back on 26th, a day after the launch. Right on time!

Don't know if I'll get it, depends also on the price, and I'll do a test ride and see how it feels. A bike is so much more than a xx hp or a specs sheet. For me it's much more important how it feels and handles, what feeling I have while riding it. When riding a Duke 200 it always puts a big smile on my face, like no other bike, and for me that's maybe THE most important factor in choosing a bike. KTM is the most fun of all bikes I've tried, and even if it had less power to weight ratio than other bikes (which it doesn't) I would have gone with it just because I feel really good riding it.

For example, many people are very happy with CBR250, whereas for me it's a boring bike (no offence to owners, this is just my opinion!). Perfect for longer highway rides, comfy with great straight line riding.
Riding a Pulsar 200NS after riding a Duke feels like riding a Honda Unicorn - much less power, but very big and comfy seat with refined engine. Perfect for commuting.
You try a Duke, and you'll quickly realize that the bike REALLY dislikes low speed. It's constantly urging you to rev it more and more and more, never enough, it's almost as if its fuel injector is also an adrenaline injector. Not perfect for a relaxed city ride or a long and comfy A to B highway ride, but every time you get off the bike you'll have a big heart and big grin, feeling 10 years younger. Not many bikes will give you this feeling.

But ultimately, we're all different and have different preferences, and therefore prefer different bikes.
But one thing is sure - unless a bike will be your main transport vehicle where you need to take into account practical factors then it's better to FEEL than to THINK when choosing a bike. Choose a bike that makes you feel good. Simple as that.

BTW, Duke has very good quality parts. Heck, Duke 390 will be exported to 70 countries, including Europe, US and Australia, so it HAS to have great quality! My Duke looks almost like new even after 10 months of ownership, despite me being very bad in maintaining it! And the great thing about Duke (at least in India) is that all the parts are really cheap! So, no worries about parts... Except when you worn out your Metzelers of course!

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Hey [MENTION=18379]splus[/MENTION]

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

+1 to that. Apart from the quick wearing supposedly expensive Metzeler tyres

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re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

This is my biggest concern.
I know that octane levels in premium and normal petrol should be same, but I can really feel a difference in premium and normal petrol in low rpms - my Duke 200 is noticeably less jerky in low rpms with premium fuel.

The compression of Duke 390's engine is really high. I'm not sure that regular bike magazine reviews will pay much attention to this issue, we'll know for sure only from the new owners after some time, if the bike is smooth or not...

re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

It's true they are taking bookings. I booked on 17th April. But they aren't demanding down payment at all. I went with 1L to pay as advance last week. They refused to accept it till the launch is done.

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re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Scumbag dealers are too keen to gobble up our cash! Mumbai PBK has been accepting bookings since start- April


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re: KTM Duke 390 Review & first impression: xBhp Exclusive

Got a call from PBK Bangalore to come down for the down payment this weekend, they confirmed the launch is on 25th. But they still don't have an OTR price for it. Not in town for a few weeks, will be missing out the launch excitement. :/