Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Its not surprise that test bikes are not maintained well.
you can do 100kmph @ 6k rpm with pillion very easily.
it can easily touch 140-150 without much throttle n time.

Its not only rc or duke but dont push any bike hard if you feel that bike is struggling for it. Its dangerous.
In such cases there could be n number of reasons (tire pressure, chain tension, chain dryness etc etc.....)

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

There are high chances that it might be detuned as i have heard that most of the test bikes are detuned to prevent accidents.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

That's what. I was also surprised during my ride. Actually, Earlier I was talking about the vibes. There are too much vibes on the bike at low speeds. Once you get past 60 kmph, then only the vibes reduce. Adrenaline & being racy is not the only things which should be gud in a bike. Refinement & stability, etc matter too. But, Ktm has given the product at such an attractive price, that all these minor issues can be ignored.
Also, people say that the suspension is hard. But, I found the Suspension too be awesome. Combined with the tyres, they do a gud job of absorbing the shocks.

>> Can anybody tell the Difference between Duke 200 & 390 in terms of power?? Is the difference in power felt during the ride like acceleration, reaching 100 kmph, etc vastly different? I mean is the 200 a slouch against the 390 or it can hold its own ground??

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Yes, there is definitely a significant difference in the power between a 200 & 390. After riding a 390 you will feel that the 200 is under powered. The 390 has blistering acceleration figures to 100kmph (6 seconds) compared to a 200 (close to 10 seconds). Maybe the 200 will catch up on city rides, but on open roads and highways the 390 will simply vanish over the horizon . The 390 is simply the best bang for your buck if you have the 2 lakh to spend.
As for the test ride you took, i guess the bike gave you was a total piece of crap..115kmph duh ?! Was it even a 390
I own a 200 btw!

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Yes, a windshield really does help a lot on long hauls. And I too put the hand guards on my 200 to good use especially when going trail riding.
The wild shrubs and tall grass growing on the sides of the trail does not get into your gloves or levers and the guards gently pushes them off to the side.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Test ride bikes dont get serviced properly since the people ride it like maniacs. Oil change at first service does reduce the vibes by about 60%.
Suspension must have been set to a lower notch, since it was detuned but harder suspension=more stability at high speeds. I myself own a black duke 390. And oh the tires, well.... There are no words, you wont know until you use them.
The 390 will basically destroy the 200 on open roads. In the city well 200 feels even more of a hooligan because of its shorter gear ratios. They think that 200 has more acceleration. They are wrong, it just runs out of gears too quickly.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hey guys where can i get good gloves in Hyderabad?.I have checked alpinestars gloves but they are costly 6.5k are they worth that much money?TIA

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

You can post your queries in the Universal Gears thread for more inputs from fellow bhpians. Astar mesh and textile gloves are totally not worth the money. It's almost or if not the same when it comes to the quality offered by Probiker and those sold in ebay.

Try leather apparel from Rynox, very good quality, also you can check some good gloves like Blaster and Flux gloves from Cramster and phaeton from Aspida.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I have driven both(TD). Well, 200 will satisfy you more than a 390 in city. In Duke 200, you feel like going at 90 but you actually might be doing about 60-70. It's the short gearing that gives the feel and thrill (Thanks to KTM). When I took a TD both back to back (200 first and 390 next), I too felt D200 was a bit quicker, though the TD was with a pillion and within 4-5 Kms only. But road was good and no traffic(at noon). So, in City as per my riding experience, one may not feel the effect of 390 fully and stilla D200 can satisfy more enough if you are a lover of the word "quick". On the other hand, D390 felt a bit uncomfortable to drive in city. Most of the time I felt like I need to wait longer for shifting and hence gave me a feel of slouch dog (compared to D200). But surprisingly the speedo was reading close to 80, but I felt like riding around 50. This is the biggest plus for D390. But trust me, city rides will kill your riding desires on D390. On open roads, you may unleash the power. But both of the bikes are not that good for touring. KTM next time should consider softer and wider seats with better suspension.

Most of the Duke390 buyers buy for it's quickness and top end, plus handling and ABS. Because it can put an Audi A6 to shame (0-ton). I like that

Couldn't comment on D390 on highway or on open roads as I have not driven.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi Jack. Has anyone considered that the speedo on these bikes can be switched between Kilometres Per Hour and Miles Per Hour? Lots people (test customers and staff) fiddling with the console could have switched it without changing it back or even knowing. Accounting for optimism in most speedo's on vehicles, and the fact that 115MPH is approximately 180KPH, I hypothesise that this is possibly what has happened.

The 390's don't feel fast either. I think someone else mentioned that 80KPH feels like 50KPH..............

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

For a basic pair of gloves, check out Studds and Vega (available on Amazon.in)
For more expensive gloves, you have brands such as Spartan,cramster etc.. A lot of fake alpinestars stuff around here man, i would stay away from them.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Ya, might be. 115 mph means 180 kmph. Also, you're right about the fact that the 390 doesn't feel fast at all. However, I might go for the Duke 390 due to the following reasons:
1. Long gearing,
2. Metzelers,
3. I'm confident I can squeeze 28-30 kmpl out of the 390. As I get almost 44-45 kmpl from my ZMR,
4. ABS,
5. Love the acceleration.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

180 kmph is very doubtful.
Its really difficult to push a stock 390 beyond 165kmph. Even as one sits crouched on a very open highway, wide open throttle, 6th gear, the speedo maxes out at around 167. Factors like wind speed, direction, slight road incline/slope, etc do play a part. The bike goes upto 150 without much fuss, post which it takes its time. Unless its modified for performance with aftermarket ECU, air intake, exhaust etc.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

If it is bumper-to-bumper traffic, even for a slight duration, you can expect mileage to drop around 25 and this is with linear throttling and changing gear at 5-6k RPM and keeping the gear in 3 and above as much as you can.

If it's like a highway drive and you can keep 80% of the time in higher gears, then that may be possible.

But, I won't be that confident.

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I weigh 79 kgs. On a straight highway (Krishnagiri highway), I've done more than what you said is possible, but it's speedo indicated. The wind wasn't that harsh that day though.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

28-30. Good luck with that, in the city next to impossible, you wont have fun if you ride either of these bikes slowly.