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A KTM 200 duke owner's experience with the 390 duke
“KTM…..
what ?? ATM ??
No…. K..T..M.. It’s an Austrian company.. And the bike is manufactured by bajaj. “
A year back, I used to say this minimum once a day to some random stranger looking at my bike and asking if it’s a modified FZ !!
But the scene has changed now. KTM has stolen the heart of most of the biking enthusiasts in the country. And its not just the bike, but the orange culture it brought along has become a big part of the Indian motorcycling arena.
About 2 years back I thought my pulsar 200 will be my bike for my lifetime as I loved the bike more than anything else in the world. But the day I saw pictures of the duke 200, I was like “WOW, Now that’s a hot looking bike”
. And when I heard the news that its coming to india , I looked at my pulsar with a feeling… a feeling that could be best explained when you are holding hands with your wife and walking and you see a hot lady passing by. After that I went to my pulsar and said “don’t worry you will be my sweetheart always”. Later the bike got launched and one day I was riding through the then probiking showroom in Bangalore , I saw THE sexy naked orange lady standing there and staring into my eyes and calling me towards her. It was 6 in the morning, I stopped my bike and went near the glass and was literally drooling 
like the way small kids do on icecream stores. I stood there and looked at every detail of the bike. And turned around walked to my pulsar with the decision to get a divorce notice for me and my pulsar . The next day I rushed into the showroom took the keys and test rode the bike. Considering mine was already a 200cc bike , I expected the duke to perform somewhere close to my pulsar itself. But boy oh boy.. The moment I twisted the throttle the bike propelled like a rocket. In just 5 seconds I decided , I am ready for my second marriage.
I then went to the same showroom about 4 times to test ride the very same bike. I was that much crazy about the bike,. Dreaming about the duke, changed my phone and laptop wallpaper to duke's pictures , I was literally crazy in every sense. Now thanks to god I finally got ready to buy my duke. And now its been 9 months and 13000 kms with my duke . And I enjoyed each and every minute I spent with her. I loved the handling and the rocket like acceleration and was proud of the fact that I am a KTM duke owner. And I became a big follower of KTMs. But later the big news came.. KTM 390 duke is coming !!!! First when I read the specs of the bike I was in utter shock ! 44 bhp out of the same bike !! that’s is insane !!!
Filled with curiosity I was there for the official Bangalore launch of the bike , and to be frank I was disappointed. It looked like a white 200 duke with its rims and frame orange painted. But everyone there told its not the dress, its what that inside that matters for the duke 390 ! Now badly wanting to test ride the bike and know what it feels like I rushed to all showrooms in Bangalore to ride the bike. But sadly it was unavailable . Only display bikes were there. And then I happened to know that the KTM showroom in Trivandrum (which is my hometown) is giving test ride for the 390. Packed my bags on the weekend and reached Trivandrum . Went to the showroom and grabbed the keys of the bike. Usually he sends a staff as pillion, thanks to the showroom manager , he trusted me and told to go alone .. Just me and the 390 !! And this is how things went..
FIRST IMPRESSION IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST IMPRESSION
As I said both the bike are like twins wearing different clothes. The first change you notice is the orange rims and the orange frame. And the paint quality looked very good. You even get KTM handguards standard on the 390. Something that costs around 5k for the 200 as an accessory . Come close and you notice the new decals, the bar end weights and a slightly bigger engine. It was a bit sad to see the bend in the exhaust pipe from the engine between the fame inorder to house it within the bigger engine and limited space. Now your eyes starts to wander for more changes and you notice new shoes on our lady. The 390 comes with Melzeller Sportec tyres . Both tyres are of same size as in the 200 duke , but they cost nearly double. A set costs a whooping 22 thousand. You then notice some wires exposing out of the frame , which lets down you a bit ,
and those wires belong to the abs system employed in the bike . You even notice the paint quality on the handguards are not good enough and feel like a less quality one, The decals look cheap and the engine looks so plain, I mean the 200’s engine looked better with the engraving on it and had a better finish, touch the 390’s engine and you feel it doesn’t have the quality you expect from KTM. But the showroom people say these issues are there only in the first lot of display and test bikes. When the production ones come all these will be rectified. Overall the changes are minor , park it next to a 200 duke and you wont feel much of a difference.
THE POWER, HANDLING AND THE OTHER MASALAS
Jump onto the saddle and you notice it’s the same feeling as you sit on the 200 duke. But you may or may not notice the handle has become a tad wider than the 200 duke. And you find “shift rpm” inscribed below the shift light on the display. Everything else is just the same. Put the key and press the starter button. Now the whole thing gets transformed. From the moment you hear the ignition sound , you get a feeling of a bigger engine. There is a rumble, more sort of a bass from the engine. Now the smile on your face widens. Put to first gear and the gear engages with a solid “cluck” sound. The moment you just leave the clutch the bike starts moving. Then you ensure your mind “boy , it’s a 390, not the 200 !!” . And now starts the Masala as you get the bike going. Its literally MINDBLOWING !!
the bike is a powerhouse . If you don’t roll off the bike properly in the first gear , you will surely pop up a wheelie. That much is the torque. A small twist in the throttle the bike propels like crazy. And if you don’t have enough throttle control the bike will surely bite back. You need to hold on to the handle bars tightly or else you might fly away from the bike. And make sure you keep your neck strong . The torque pulls your neck back and if you are wearing a heavier helmet , after few days you will run to the store to get a neck brace ! That much is the pulling power the bike has. You go to overtake one vehicle , by the time you have already overtook 3 vehicles . There is a sudden surge of power after 4500 rpm which makes you piss in you pants. And the handling has also improved significantly, throw the bike into a corner and the bike just takes you like superman rescues you in the sky. The Metzeller tyres provide immense grip that you try to dip the bike as much as you can , it stays planted on the road. I found the front end of the 390 is a bit heavier than the 200. That means turning the bike suddenly takes a bit of an effort on your arms. The 200 was more light to turn around . Another thing I noticed was the engine was getting heated up very much than the 200. U can feel the hot air gushing into your legs. Which will be a very big let down in city driving. Eventhough the 390 comes with a slightly bigger radiator than the 200, the heat dissipation was not good enough.
THE ANCHORS MATED WITH ABS
The power of the bike is the first thing you notice that has gone significantly a lottttttt higher than the 200 duke. But another thing you will notice is the stopping power of the bike has also become much better than the 200. The major improvement is the front discs are now 300mm compared to the 280mm ones in the 200 duke. The rear discs remain the same on the two bikes. But the biggest improvement is the addition of ABS. Try to brake as much as hard you want and the wheels never lock up. I tried all my effort in braking as much hard as I could but the bosch technology fought back with ease. I was riding on a really wet slippery road still the brakes were too much good that you had a feeling of safeness on the bike. I really became a fan of the abs on the duke and I an eagerly waiting to fit it on my 200 duke somehow.
MILEAGE KITNA MILEGA ?
Now riding the duke 200 for about an year I used to get somewhere around 38 kmpl . The bajaj people also claim the 200 gives around that much. But the biggest shock is the 390 is said to give around 33kmpl .! Now that’s a big shock. Double the power and torque , and you just need to sacrifice just 10% of the mileage . Even after ripping the 390 really hard I noticed that the on board mileage indicator showed 22kmpl, which was something my duke 200 also showed in such conditions. And that is pretty impressive. But the real figures can be said only after the bike comes to our hands and we ride it for long term.
THE VERDICT : WILL I SELL MY 200 DUKE AND GO BEHIND THE 390?
Well I have seen a lot of KTM owners desperately trying to sell their 200 and book 390. A huge number of people infact. Well it’s a really good offer. You get the same sharp and light handling bike, the KTM badge, sexy looks and double the power and better safety , for just 60 thousand than the 200. Which is one great bang for buck. Consider that the 200 costs 1.54 lakhs, add metzellers of 22k, then the bosch abs for 30k, then the handguards for 5k, and you end up around 2.10 lakhs for the bike. That means you don’t need to pay for the extra power of the bike. I am sure all duke 200 owners who took the bike a month back will be in utter grief. You get such a great package for the money you are spending.
BUT !! If you ask me if I want a 390 in place of my 200, I would happily say No. Well it’s a good bike in all respects. But the thing is the power. I personally feel the bike has so much of uncontrollable power. I feel scared each time I turn the throttle. And by the time the bike gains so much speed , either a car brakes in front or someone jumps onto the road. That just increases your heart rate. I don’t feel its a bike for daily use like the 200. It is not safe to ride the bike on the Indian roads. But if you are one of those who knows that with more power comes more responsibility you can surely go for it. And with a top speed of about 170 kmph it will cover distances in much lesser time than your 200 on long highways. At the end of the day I feel happy with my 200 as my daily commuting bike, and the 390 stays as a fun bike to ride whenever I need an adrenaline rush. Now the search for abs kit for my 200 duke begins..
“KTM…..
what ?? ATM ??
No…. K..T..M.. It’s an Austrian company.. And the bike is manufactured by bajaj. “
A year back, I used to say this minimum once a day to some random stranger looking at my bike and asking if it’s a modified FZ !!
But the scene has changed now. KTM has stolen the heart of most of the biking enthusiasts in the country. And its not just the bike, but the orange culture it brought along has become a big part of the Indian motorcycling arena.
About 2 years back I thought my pulsar 200 will be my bike for my lifetime as I loved the bike more than anything else in the world. But the day I saw pictures of the duke 200, I was like “WOW, Now that’s a hot looking bike”
. And when I heard the news that its coming to india , I looked at my pulsar with a feeling… a feeling that could be best explained when you are holding hands with your wife and walking and you see a hot lady passing by. After that I went to my pulsar and said “don’t worry you will be my sweetheart always”. Later the bike got launched and one day I was riding through the then probiking showroom in Bangalore , I saw THE sexy naked orange lady standing there and staring into my eyes and calling me towards her. It was 6 in the morning, I stopped my bike and went near the glass and was literally drooling like the way small kids do on icecream stores. I stood there and looked at every detail of the bike. And turned around walked to my pulsar with the decision to get a divorce notice for me and my pulsar . The next day I rushed into the showroom took the keys and test rode the bike. Considering mine was already a 200cc bike , I expected the duke to perform somewhere close to my pulsar itself. But boy oh boy.. The moment I twisted the throttle the bike propelled like a rocket. In just 5 seconds I decided , I am ready for my second marriage. I then went to the same showroom about 4 times to test ride the very same bike. I was that much crazy about the bike,. Dreaming about the duke, changed my phone and laptop wallpaper to duke's pictures , I was literally crazy in every sense. Now thanks to god I finally got ready to buy my duke. And now its been 9 months and 13000 kms with my duke . And I enjoyed each and every minute I spent with her. I loved the handling and the rocket like acceleration and was proud of the fact that I am a KTM duke owner. And I became a big follower of KTMs. But later the big news came.. KTM 390 duke is coming !!!! First when I read the specs of the bike I was in utter shock ! 44 bhp out of the same bike !! that’s is insane !!! Filled with curiosity I was there for the official Bangalore launch of the bike , and to be frank I was disappointed. It looked like a white 200 duke with its rims and frame orange painted. But everyone there told its not the dress, its what that inside that matters for the duke 390 ! Now badly wanting to test ride the bike and know what it feels like I rushed to all showrooms in Bangalore to ride the bike. But sadly it was unavailable . Only display bikes were there. And then I happened to know that the KTM showroom in Trivandrum (which is my hometown) is giving test ride for the 390. Packed my bags on the weekend and reached Trivandrum . Went to the showroom and grabbed the keys of the bike. Usually he sends a staff as pillion, thanks to the showroom manager , he trusted me and told to go alone .. Just me and the 390 !! And this is how things went..FIRST IMPRESSION IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST IMPRESSION
As I said both the bike are like twins wearing different clothes. The first change you notice is the orange rims and the orange frame. And the paint quality looked very good. You even get KTM handguards standard on the 390. Something that costs around 5k for the 200 as an accessory . Come close and you notice the new decals, the bar end weights and a slightly bigger engine. It was a bit sad to see the bend in the exhaust pipe from the engine between the fame inorder to house it within the bigger engine and limited space. Now your eyes starts to wander for more changes and you notice new shoes on our lady. The 390 comes with Melzeller Sportec tyres . Both tyres are of same size as in the 200 duke , but they cost nearly double. A set costs a whooping 22 thousand. You then notice some wires exposing out of the frame , which lets down you a bit ,
and those wires belong to the abs system employed in the bike . You even notice the paint quality on the handguards are not good enough and feel like a less quality one, The decals look cheap and the engine looks so plain, I mean the 200’s engine looked better with the engraving on it and had a better finish, touch the 390’s engine and you feel it doesn’t have the quality you expect from KTM. But the showroom people say these issues are there only in the first lot of display and test bikes. When the production ones come all these will be rectified. Overall the changes are minor , park it next to a 200 duke and you wont feel much of a difference.THE POWER, HANDLING AND THE OTHER MASALAS
Jump onto the saddle and you notice it’s the same feeling as you sit on the 200 duke. But you may or may not notice the handle has become a tad wider than the 200 duke. And you find “shift rpm” inscribed below the shift light on the display. Everything else is just the same. Put the key and press the starter button. Now the whole thing gets transformed. From the moment you hear the ignition sound , you get a feeling of a bigger engine. There is a rumble, more sort of a bass from the engine. Now the smile on your face widens. Put to first gear and the gear engages with a solid “cluck” sound. The moment you just leave the clutch the bike starts moving. Then you ensure your mind “boy , it’s a 390, not the 200 !!” . And now starts the Masala as you get the bike going. Its literally MINDBLOWING !!
the bike is a powerhouse . If you don’t roll off the bike properly in the first gear , you will surely pop up a wheelie. That much is the torque. A small twist in the throttle the bike propels like crazy. And if you don’t have enough throttle control the bike will surely bite back. You need to hold on to the handle bars tightly or else you might fly away from the bike. And make sure you keep your neck strong . The torque pulls your neck back and if you are wearing a heavier helmet , after few days you will run to the store to get a neck brace ! That much is the pulling power the bike has. You go to overtake one vehicle , by the time you have already overtook 3 vehicles . There is a sudden surge of power after 4500 rpm which makes you piss in you pants. And the handling has also improved significantly, throw the bike into a corner and the bike just takes you like superman rescues you in the sky. The Metzeller tyres provide immense grip that you try to dip the bike as much as you can , it stays planted on the road. I found the front end of the 390 is a bit heavier than the 200. That means turning the bike suddenly takes a bit of an effort on your arms. The 200 was more light to turn around . Another thing I noticed was the engine was getting heated up very much than the 200. U can feel the hot air gushing into your legs. Which will be a very big let down in city driving. Eventhough the 390 comes with a slightly bigger radiator than the 200, the heat dissipation was not good enough.THE ANCHORS MATED WITH ABS
The power of the bike is the first thing you notice that has gone significantly a lottttttt higher than the 200 duke. But another thing you will notice is the stopping power of the bike has also become much better than the 200. The major improvement is the front discs are now 300mm compared to the 280mm ones in the 200 duke. The rear discs remain the same on the two bikes. But the biggest improvement is the addition of ABS. Try to brake as much as hard you want and the wheels never lock up. I tried all my effort in braking as much hard as I could but the bosch technology fought back with ease. I was riding on a really wet slippery road still the brakes were too much good that you had a feeling of safeness on the bike. I really became a fan of the abs on the duke and I an eagerly waiting to fit it on my 200 duke somehow.
MILEAGE KITNA MILEGA ?
Now riding the duke 200 for about an year I used to get somewhere around 38 kmpl . The bajaj people also claim the 200 gives around that much. But the biggest shock is the 390 is said to give around 33kmpl .! Now that’s a big shock. Double the power and torque , and you just need to sacrifice just 10% of the mileage . Even after ripping the 390 really hard I noticed that the on board mileage indicator showed 22kmpl, which was something my duke 200 also showed in such conditions. And that is pretty impressive. But the real figures can be said only after the bike comes to our hands and we ride it for long term.
THE VERDICT : WILL I SELL MY 200 DUKE AND GO BEHIND THE 390?
Well I have seen a lot of KTM owners desperately trying to sell their 200 and book 390. A huge number of people infact. Well it’s a really good offer. You get the same sharp and light handling bike, the KTM badge, sexy looks and double the power and better safety , for just 60 thousand than the 200. Which is one great bang for buck. Consider that the 200 costs 1.54 lakhs, add metzellers of 22k, then the bosch abs for 30k, then the handguards for 5k, and you end up around 2.10 lakhs for the bike. That means you don’t need to pay for the extra power of the bike. I am sure all duke 200 owners who took the bike a month back will be in utter grief. You get such a great package for the money you are spending.
BUT !! If you ask me if I want a 390 in place of my 200, I would happily say No. Well it’s a good bike in all respects. But the thing is the power. I personally feel the bike has so much of uncontrollable power. I feel scared each time I turn the throttle. And by the time the bike gains so much speed , either a car brakes in front or someone jumps onto the road. That just increases your heart rate. I don’t feel its a bike for daily use like the 200. It is not safe to ride the bike on the Indian roads. But if you are one of those who knows that with more power comes more responsibility you can surely go for it. And with a top speed of about 170 kmph it will cover distances in much lesser time than your 200 on long highways. At the end of the day I feel happy with my 200 as my daily commuting bike, and the 390 stays as a fun bike to ride whenever I need an adrenaline rush. Now the search for abs kit for my 200 duke begins..
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