Honestly, I wanted the cake and eat it too. The only option that satisfied that condition was the Gen-3 Duke.
BHPian dukeofmurphy recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
6 months & 5000km of Austrian Torque for Breakfast
Hey everyone!! This is my first time posting on Team BHP. I’ve been an active follower of the community since 2012. Back then I was still in school but it was always so inspiring to watch this community flourish and help each other out.
I’ve always held a passion for automobiles and my love for motorcycles grew during my college days. I remember the day I fell in love with the 390 Duke. It was 2015 and they still only had the 1st Gen out there. One of my friends took me for a quick spin on the bike since I practically begged for one. It was a very short but extremely reckless speed-run on the Chennai-Trichy highway. When I got off the bike, my hands were trembling and my face had the biggest smile it could physically hold. That was the day I fell in love with the Duke.
Through the years that followed, I even got the chance to work on the 390 BS4 engine as part of a formula student team where I was responsible for engine mapping and cooling system design for the car we had designed. It feels unreal sometimes, how the world brings things together.
A year back, my wife (fiance then) and I were talking about all the rides we should take, given we buy a motorcycle once we get married. A lot of options came up on the list. I mainly wanted something that would be reliable, was made well and was fun to ride. We figured that getting a slower (in relative terms) bike could be kept for our 30s.
Our budget was between 2.5 to 3.5 lakhs and I was looking closely at 4 options.
1. The Himalayan 450
2. The 390 Duke Gen-3
3. The Triumph Speed 400
4. The 390 ADV Rally
Honestly, I wanted the cake and eat it too. The only option that satisfied that condition was the Gen-3 Duke. The 450 was massive, and so was the 390 ADV. Once I test rode the Duke, the Triumph did not stand a chance. Within the first 3 gears, one can tell that the Duke is a rev happy, aggressive, torquey speed machine that moves like a missile. On the other hand, the Speed is much more subdued and eloquent in the way it moves (like I said, for our 30s). Wife & I had a chat the evening I test rode the Speed because I knew we’d get the 390 eventually. And lucky for me, she loved the new design so much that she never really considered any other option.
On 4/4/2024, we booked the bike. It was a one man dealership when I got there but he was quick with the paperwork and the delivery happened in a week. Never owned a bike before this so rolling off the showroom, it was pure elation and joy. It was a full circle moment from my time in college. We named the bike Murphy. Probably sounds odd given what Murphy’s law says. But it just stuck with us somehow.
Here are a few clicks of Murphy in her element:
__________________________________________________ _________
6 months and 5000 odd kms later, there have been no major issues with the bike. The first service was a breeze and the second one is due at 7500km.
Here are a few pros & cons from my experience with Murphy so far.
Pros:
1. Heat management is excellent. Even for short city commutes, with moderate to heavy traffic, the bike has never overheated. It managed to take on the Vadodara heat without any concerns at all. The dual fan mounting was a concern to me initially as I thought it might blow out heat onto my legs but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
2. The bike handles like a missile. It might sound like an exaggeration but every degree of lean and turning of the handlebar is converted into an output motion by the bike. And its not brutal and intimidating. If anything, it is extremely confidence inspiring. Even as a first timer on a 400cc motorcycle, I never felt out of control.
3. I have heard in some reviews that the riding modes are not particularly effective but in my experience so far, rain mode has been a blessing during monsoon. Although the bike does not churn out 39Nm right at the beginning, it still is torquey enough to have wheelspin if there is not enough traction. Rain mode makes the bike much calmer with gradual throttle response. Although I am not aware if its true, I feel like the map has been detuned for rain mode.
4. The 15 liter fuel tank is great for short trips (<350km). In my observation, a full tank of fuel gives out about 350-400kms of range which is plenty, considering it is not too often that I take very long rides. The fuel economy has been more or less around the known figures of 23-28Kmpl depending on your riding style & commute conditions.
5. Brilliant engine. The new LC4c is a magic to ride. It has much better low end torque and the mated 6 speed gearbox does a good job in making sure the powerband is as linear as it could be made. Don’t get me wrong, the 390 is still a very aggressive ride, but, its much more linear than Gen 1 & Gen 2. Tractability is not that great – in city rides you will pretty much toggle around in 1-2-3. But the moment you have a stretch where you can max out the RMP, rest assured that you will giggle like a child when that throttle opens. *chef’s kiss*
6. Overall fit and finish is excellent. The switches are robust and feel premium to handle. The TFT is excellent and has no readability issues even in bright sunlight. The UI is user friendly and there is a shortcut for riding mode change. The plastics and rubbers used all around are made to fit precisely. There are no notable offsets, interferences or gaps. The new headlamps and tail unit are also of good quality plastics and are finished well.
Cons:
1. Vibrations. I’ve ridden the Gen 1 and Gen 2. If that’s your frame of reference, then the Gen 3 is much smoother. But in comparison to the Speed 400 or even the dominar, the bike does feel more vibey. There is a particular spot, between 3500 and 5000RPM in gears 3 and above where the vibes are the most. It isn’t annoying as such but it is definitely noticeable. If you don’t wear riding gloves, you will have tingly hands after 30min of riding.
2. Quick-Shifter. Yes, I know that having a QS in the first place is a good deal at this price point but KTM does need to work on the lever play. And no, this is not because the lever got loose overtime. I asked the workshop folks to reduce the play but they said there is nothing more they could do. Maybe KTM did it to offset the accidental shifts that may occur but from a long term ownership POV, it is a little annoying. Also, just the shifts in general are very choppy when below 5k RPM. Although QS is meant to serve the track, I wonder if it could be tuned to run smooth in cities as well.
3. The turn indicator switch is something I have been struggling with for the last couple of months now. We had some heavy rains here over the last few months and the water seems to have gotten to the bike controls. Either that, or it is a quality issue. It’s a given that console switches are sensitive to pressurized water, but it is disappointing to know that rain could do this damage too.
4. The stock tyres that KTM provided with the bike were Metzeler Sportec M5s. They’re alright in dry conditions but severely underperforms in the rains. Even mild wetness on tarmac makes the tyre lose traction very quickly. I am not sure if this will still be the case if I change to Eurogrip or H1s. During sharp corners with a higher speed, the bike feels confident as long as the tyres are heated up. I noticed a considerable difference in handling before and after the tyres were warmed up. However, given that usual city commutes won’t involve such conditions, you can live with them until they wear off.
5. Although the bike has higher ground clearance now because of the engine being higher up and the offset suspension, the exposed exhaust pipe makes me very anxious. With two people riding, the clearance does come down considerably and an underbelly pan would have been practical to prevent unnecessary scrapes and dents. The new exhaust converter has multiple weld beads around it which makes it easy for dirt to stick on to it.
6. The turn-by-turn navigation is a paid service. That was another disappointment because it isn’t cheap either. KTM charges around INR1200 for this service. I’d rather invest in a solid phone mount and use that for navigation instead (usb-c is provided for charging anyways).
Apart from this, it has truly been a dream come true. I hope you all enjoyed my take on the 390. A lot more miles to cover in this beautiful machine. I do have a few questions to the forum in general about certain upgrades that I wish to make. Would appreciate all your inputs:
1. What is the general opinion on changing to Pirelli MT60 RS? Does anyone have a better alternative?
2. I installed a windshield from MotoTorque and it has been a blessing for long rides. I was also looking to install saddle stays, top rack & rear passenger backrest. Are there good quality products out there that are compatible with the Gen3? My experience with GrandPitstop and Motocare has been bad so far. Call it impatience but I learnt it the hard way.
3. I read up a lot on PPF and ceramic coating. It seems that good timely maintenance of the bike should be enough for the paint to last, but I prefer to keep the shine intact at all times. Is it worth spending 6 – 10k on that?
Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading if you’ve come this far!
Until next time!
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
