Motorcycle tests at motorradtest.de

Test: KTM Duke 390 (Baujahr 2019)

Not half a thing

23.10.2019

Photos: Dietmar

Motorcycles for holders of the A2 driving licence and thus with a maximum of 48 hp are considered by some bikers not to be taken seriously. What do you have to do without here? We took the best-selling motorcycle of this class, the KTM Duke 390, for the test.

Bonsai-Duke

Where KTM Duke writes on it, the mail normally goes off. With Ducati you like to compete for the sportiest bike of the respective class. And with the 1290 Super Duke R, KTM has a true PS monster with 171 hp and an impetuous push forward in the program. "Ready to race" is the motto and has been confirmed every time a KTM is in our test fleet.

Well, and then you're in front of the 390 Duke. Something immediately goes through your head: Somehow this Duke looks shrunken. A glance at the data confirms the suspicion: The KTM Duke 390 is short and concise. This is due to the design, which is similar to Ducati's Hypermotard, reminiscent of the SuperMotos, but also to the extremely short wheelbase of only 136 millimeters.

The quality is good

And something else stands out, it's the price. The indian-made machine, which is made in India, is not really cheap at around 5,500 euros, but why should it be? From the colour TFT display to the Metzel tyres, from the 2-channel ABS to the LED light – nothing has been saved here, the production quality is perfectly fine.

Two driving modes are available, the ABS can be switched off – just like the big ones. And there's something the little Duke can do better than some bigger Naked Bike, it's amazing way of sociable comfort. Okay, tourers offer more here, of course, but it's fine what the Bonsai-Duke has to show. The driver is perched at 830 millimetres rather high on the Duke, the footrests sit quite far behind.

Then go to the test.

Turning is mandatory

What one immediately thought, but did not dare to say: The shorter the man, the better the Duke sits under the body. Long-legged representatives of the species Homo Sapiens will have it in the long run a little uncomfortable on the Duke, but it suits the shorter ones. The seat position is extremely far in front, the motorcycle stops abruptly in front of the handlebars.

This, together with the low weight of only 165 kilos, makes the Most Influential Property of the Duke 390, because it is super handy. Before you can only think of turning, the KTM is already around the bend. Thanks to the Metzeler tyres, by the way, quite fast.

The single cylinder does its best to support a fast forward, but of course it is not easy. The single-cylinder engine with only 373 cubic meters has to be turned, the maximum power of 44 hp is reached at 9,500 tours. The narrow torque of 37 Newton is 7,250 rpm, but in practice it has been lost somewhere. To avoid any misunderstandings, the little Duke is not a slow motorcycle thanks to the good power weight, but with the sound and Rabatz one would have expected more output.

What you should avoid most of the time are speeds below 3,000 tours. Then the Duke protests clearly against this unfair treatment. The very low operating forces of the coupling as well as the precise transmission can be completely convincing.

Not cheap, but good

The bottom line is that the KTM is certainly not: it is not half a thing. KTM has made an effort and is rightly rewarded with numerous sales. If you are rather short of length, but are well padded in terms of wallet, you can buy a fast second motorcycle for the city here.

But even as a first motorcycle it will not disappoint the owner.

The test bike was provided to us by Motorrad Ruser.

Vergleiche die
KTM 390 Duke
mit anderen Motorrädern