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**splus** · 07-25-2013, 01:39 AM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by DukeDey View Post

The question I am going to put up may all be in theory but what better place to get opinions from. By the way, I am a newbie on XBhp.

From all the reviews I have been reading about the Duke 390, all of them say that the Duke's gearing is so high that it is not able to hit the redline in the 6th gear.
Now, if we use a bigger sprocket for the rear or say a smaller at the front(may be 2 teeth's at the back or 1 at the front), would it not increase the acceleration without actually affecting the top end? Wait..wait before everyone starts pouring in with 'Bigger sprocket means better acceleration and less top end'. I know this and even this that the duke may become a tad less relaxed during the highway runs.

The theory here is that the top end say 170Kmph is achieved at 9.5k rpm as the torque is not able to drive such a high 6th gear till the redline, but a bigger rear sprocket would facilitate the torque to drive the 6th gear a little more to say 10k rpm. So, even though the overall gearing would be lower, the top speed might not be compromised. In gear speeds till 5th gear would take a hit though.

Experts, pour in. If this works out, we can have an animal with even more brutal acceleration without losing out on our top end.

Exactly. I'd argue that the top speed would even increase since bigger sprocket at the back would bring the top speed closer to the peak power which is at 9000 rpm.
But the problem is that we still don't know if there is any sprocket that will fit D390. Apparently D390's rear sprocket is quite big already...
And I doubt anyone here will ride this thing at 170 kmh speeds... We need a little better roads for that.

Let's wait until KTM finishes with their mysterious delay and fixes whatever they're doing, and then we'll know where we stand.

**nomad** · 07-25-2013, 02:18 AM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

[QUOTE=GT007;971174]Thats great news man. Where have u booked ur bike?? Im have booked mine at ktm wakdewadi. Btw how reilable is the information coz I havent heard anything from the showroom guys yet.

Maybe because you're way back in queue. pune alone has 100+ bookings......i booked mine at the bundh garden ktm store(next to ruby hall)

**chickyheart** · 07-25-2013, 10:49 AM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

i have also booked a Duke 390.i am also one of the earliest in odisha. Excited about the bike as i haven't ridden a 43.5 bhp bike yet.Any more persons from odisha whoever have booked please confirm as i am from western part and after deliveries i will try for a small 500-600 km tour towards coastal areas like chandipur,puri & nearby areas.I don't post much on xbhp but i am very old member of this biking community and always in touch whenever i get time.
Need help from fellow bikers regarding a good and light weight helmet,a riding jacket,and a pair of gloves for my duke 390.

**DukeDey** · 07-25-2013, 11:39 AM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by splus View Post

Exactly. I'd argue that the top speed would even increase since bigger sprocket at the back would bring the top speed closer to the peak power which is at 9000 rpm.
But the problem is that we still don't know if there is any sprocket that will fit D390. Apparently D390's rear sprocket is quite big already...
And I doubt anyone here will ride this thing at 170 kmh speeds... We need a little better roads for that.

Let's wait until KTM finishes with their mysterious delay and fixes whatever they're doing, and then we'll know where we stand.

Friends, any idea about the front and rear sprocket size for Duke 390 and Duke 200? The rear sprocket is big when compared to Duke 200(I am not sure but it appears big) but if the Duke 200 front sprocket is any smaller than the 390's, it can be a direct fit on the 390.

**THE46FAN** · 07-25-2013, 12:28 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Got a call today morning from KTM Mangalore. They are inviting the first 10 or 12 people who've booked for the official launch of D390 on 27th, saturday. Asked him when i can expect delivery, said it'll take some more time. Looks like not before end of August. Hope to do a test ride on saturday.

**genxt** · 07-25-2013, 12:31 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Another comparison between D200 and D390:

http://www.mybikemyworld.com/article/tips/ktm-duke-390-or-duke200-which-one-should-you-buy.html

**DukeDey** · 07-25-2013, 03:53 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by chinmayakar View Post

Splus its futile trying to make someone understand. I guess lot of folks here are intolerant towards anything against D390 (which in our case it isn't). All they want to hear is, it has amazing acceleration,0-100 in 7 secs, top speed of 160 Km/hr.

All they forget is it is an open forum where everybody is bound by a common interest towards 2 wheels and share the same passion.

It is exact same situation when P200 NS wa launched and a poor soul went to test ride and his experience was not in line what others expected. The way he was attacked after that only shows there's still more time before xbhp has mature followers. And, with this I am out of this conversation as I have realised it is futile to talk sense.

Well, with all due respect I would also like to keep my point. I have been riding a friends Duke 200 since long and most of the time the Bike is with me(around 7k kms done by me). I understand the character of the bike and how it accelerates from the word go.
Now, I went for the Duke 390 test ride, the very first time I was not able to make out much as all I was doing was checking out the acceleration, though I was able to make out that there is a strong surge in acceleration after say 6000rpm. That day I came back home without booking the bike.

I was still confused if I should get the 200 or the 390, not because I was in doubt about the performance but because on the 390 5th and 6th gear are all but usable in the city limits. I gave it some more thought and the abs lured me towards the 390. Anyway I had to book one of them, so I called up the guy at KTM Trivandrum telling him if he gives me a Proper test ride(atleast 15kms) then I would bike the bike after the test ride itself.

Now, this time around I took my sweet time understanding the difference between the 200 and the 390. I for one would say that its not about a weak bottom end on the Duke 390, but that the difference between the bottom end and the top end torque on the 390 is much more evident compared to the 200 which feels like it has an almost linear torque curve(there is a spike but not that noticeable on the 200). And this with the different or I should say taller gearing gives it a much relaxed feel. But here comes the point, Relaxed feel does not mean lack of power or less acceleration at the beginning compared to a 200, in fact I am sure if the dyno charts are compared for the duke 200 and 390, the Duke 390 would definitely show more torque throughout the rev range but because the gears can be stretched longer and shifting gear after gear not being required in the case of 390 it tends to give a relaxed feel.

So, that jumpy, I would term it jerky initial response is missing but this is what I call as being properly fast. It has all the character of a street fighter. Braking was way better than what I am used to on the duke 200 and the feedback from the tyres is just astounding. I have never experienced better road feedback on any Indian bike.

To summarize it, the bottom end is not weak but then the difference between bottom end and the top end power is significant. For people feeling that the 200 has better low down torque, I understand what exactly you guys felt. Happended to me too, but then I realised that the nature or rather the character of the 200 is such that somehow it feels way too fast for the speed its doing but then it only feels that way(Not actually faster or a stronger bottom end than the 390). Now it might be because of the engine sound as it reaches the redline in no time eating through the gears or some other factor but it would not come close to the 390 anyday.

The low down feel of the 390 can be improved I would say. Can be done with a little lower gearing but its as much of a hooligan as the 200 but in a totally different way in its current avatar. No matter how much I tried explaining without being biased but just could'nt keep my point in a proper way I guess..arghhh!

My two cents.

**kkamaleshh** · 07-25-2013, 04:17 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by DukeDey View Post

Well, with all due respect I would also like to keep my point. I have been riding a friends Duke 200 since long and most of the time the Bike is with me(around 7k kms done by me). I understand the character of the bike and how it accelerates from the word go.
Now, I went for the Duke 390 test ride, the very first time I was not able to make out much as all I was doing was checking out the acceleration, though I was able to make out that there is a strong surge in acceleration after say 6000rpm. That day I came back home without booking the bike.

I was still confused if I should get the 200 or the 390, not because I was in doubt about the performance but because on the 390 5th and 6th gear are all but usable in the city limits. I gave it some more thought and the abs lured me towards the 390. Anyway I had to book one of them, so I called up the guy at KTM Trivandrum telling him if he gives me a Proper test ride(atleast 15kms) then I would bike the bike after the test ride itself.

Now, this time around I took my sweet time understanding the difference between the 200 and the 390. I for one would say that its not about a weak bottom end on the Duke 390, but that the difference between the bottom end and the top end torque on the 390 is much more evident compared to the 200 which feels like it has an almost linear torque curve(there is a spike but not that noticeable on the 200). And this with the different or I should say taller gearing gives it a much relaxed feel. But here comes the point, Relaxed feel does not mean lack of power or less acceleration at the beginning compared to a 200, in fact I am sure if the dyno charts are compared for the duke 200 and 390, the Duke 390 would definitely show more torque throughout the rev range but because the gears can be stretched longer and shifting gear after gear not being required in the case of 390 it tends to give a relaxed feel.

So, that jumpy, I would term it jerky initial response is missing but this is what I call as being properly fast. It has all the character of a street fighter. Braking was way better than what I am used to on the duke 200 and the feedback from the tyres is just astounding. I have never experienced better road feedback on any Indian bike.

To summarize it, the bottom end is not weak but then the difference between bottom end and the top end power is significant. For people feeling that the 200 has better low down torque, I understand what exactly you guys felt. Happended to me too, but then I realised that the nature or rather the character of the 200 is such that somehow it feels way too fast for the speed its doing but then it only feels that way(Not actually faster or a stronger bottom end than the 390). Now it might be because of the engine sound as it reaches the redline in no time eating through the gears or some other factor but it would not come close to the 390 anyday.

The low down feel of the 390 can be improved I would say. Can be done with a little lower gearing but its as much of a hooligan as the 200 but in a totally different way in its current avatar. No matter how much I tried explaining without being biased but just could'nt keep my point in a proper way I guess..arghhh!

My two cents.

Well and correctly said. This is the real difference between d200 and d390.d390 is a hooligan in its own way and nature. There is no lower torque or power in the initial gears as said by some guys. Guys please take a good and long drive eventually you will notice the nature of the duke390.
It's a gr8 gr8 street machine and also a tourer.

Sent from my ST18i using xBhp Connect mobile app

**surencameo** · 07-25-2013, 04:40 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

As per my dealer, the first lot is going to be distributed between Mumbai and Bangalore showrooms as the number of bookings with them are very high. Only the second lot will be distributed to the south side like Chennai, Coimbatore, and Kerala and that would be by August 20th. Disappointed, but no other go. Bought my SOL metal man (orange), DSG riding jacket (again orange and white), and Cramster summer gloves last weekend expecting this month end delivery...

**nelson_sanjoy** · 07-26-2013, 02:09 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Looks like in the last 2 pages we are discussing everything except Duke 390 .
Guys - can you please take your discussion to the right threads . @ Mods - would request your attention.

Back to topic - I think i am getting a bit impatient with the current state of things in KTM showrooms in Bangalore. No info on test rides, no info on delivery even no review on Xbhp too but maybe there is a rationale for that.
No idea on whats going on in Chakan. Are KTM deliveries affected? Why are the reviews held up everywhere? And the rumors aren't helping much.
Its high time Bajaj-KTM issue an official statement or clear the air.

According to the booking receipt if it doesn't arrive in 90 days I will get back my entire amount if I cancel else 4k would be deducted. Thoroughly confused with my existing bike sold and surviving on a borrowed bike. Sorry if it sounds like a rant ...

**socialdistortion** · 07-26-2013, 02:17 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by nelson_sanjoy View Post

Looks like in the last 2 pages we are discussing everything except Duke 390 .
Guys - can you please take your discussion to the right threads . @ Mods - would request your attention.

Back to topic - I think i am getting a bit impatient with the current state of things in KTM showrooms in Bangalore. No info on test rides, no info on delivery even no review on Xbhp too but maybe there is a rationale for that.
No idea on whats going on in Chakan. Are KTM deliveries affected? Why are the reviews held up everywhere? And the rumors aren't helping much.
Its high time Bajaj-KTM issue an official statement or clear the air.

According to the booking receipt if it doesn't arrive in 90 days I will get back my entire amount if I cancel else 4k would be deducted. Thoroughly confused with my existing bike sold and surviving on a borrowed bike. Sorry if it sounds like a rant ...

It was clearly mentioned that there is a maximum waiting period of 90 days. So KTM/Bajaj is not liable to deliver the bikes well before time (if it does good, else nothing against them).

And there is really nothing that Bajaj/KTM need to say about the bike anymore. Everything is out there. How it looks and the specs? And meanwhile they are quietly building the bikes despite the ongoing strike at their plant.

Regarding lack of reviews, there must be a reason or understanding between the publishers and manufacturer. In any case reviews are not our right.

Nothing to rant about here.

**GT007** · 07-26-2013, 03:15 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by nelson_sanjoy View Post

Looks like in the last 2 pages we are discussing everything except Duke 390 .
Guys - can you please take your discussion to the right threads . @ Mods - would request your attention.

Back to topic - I think i am getting a bit impatient with the current state of things in KTM showrooms in Bangalore. No info on test rides, no info on delivery even no review on Xbhp too but maybe there is a rationale for that.
No idea on whats going on in Chakan. Are KTM deliveries affected? Why are the reviews held up everywhere? And the rumors aren't helping much.
Its high time Bajaj-KTM issue an official statement or clear the air.

According to the booking receipt if it doesn't arrive in 90 days I will get back my entire amount if I cancel else 4k would be deducted. Thoroughly confused with my existing bike sold and surviving on a borrowed bike. Sorry if it sounds like a rant ...

+1 there should be some communication from bajaj.

Sent from my GT-P3100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**senotrius** · 07-26-2013, 03:22 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Well, since there is no more news and only rumours/rants might as well lock up this thread temporarily until xbhp publishes its review.

**genxt** · 07-26-2013, 03:41 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by socialdistortion View Post

It was clearly mentioned that there is a maximum waiting period of 90 days. So KTM/Bajaj is not liable to deliver the bikes well before time (if it does good, else nothing against them).

And there is really nothing that Bajaj/KTM need to say about the bike anymore. Everything is out there. How it looks and the specs? And meanwhile they are quietly building the bikes despite the ongoing strike at their plant.

Regarding lack of reviews, there must be a reason or understanding between the publishers and manufacturer. In any case reviews are not our right.

Nothing to rant about here.

You sound like you didn't book one yet.

**socialdistortion** · 07-26-2013, 04:04 PM

re: KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

Originally posted by genxt View Post

You sound like you didn't book one yet.

I have. Just that I have my bike and quite happy with it :P

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KTM Duke 390 Launched in India at Rs 1.8 Lakhs: xBhp News

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