Suspension felt much more pliant than my bike.
Bhpian Saikishor recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
I finally got to testride the gen 3 390 Duke. Here are my observations as a gen 2 BS6 390 Duke owner, in no particular order:
KTM seems to have worked their magic with the new 399cc motor. There have been many complaints of how the BS6 KTM’s felt like a damp squib. My bike belongs to the same batch and honestly it felt very slow after I rode the gen 3. Apparently the BS6.2 versions are better than the first BS6 versions, but this 399cc motor is just amazing. There is power everywhere in the rev range, unlike the old motor where it felt dead below 4-6k rpm.
Brakes were surprisingly very strong compared to my bike. I wasn’t expecting this, especially considering the disc is so thin as a result of eliminating unnecessary rotational mass. Very sharp brakes. I don’t remember using the rear brake in the 5km test ride that I had, but the front was just exceptionally sharp and precise. These are the kind of brakes that you need to get confidence to push the bike.
This bike has a lot of gen 1 character in it. The bike feels compact and angry. I haven’t ridden a gen 1 390 Duke, but if I were to compare by reviews, I think the gen 3 is the closest that one can get to the gen 1 if one is looking for a brand new bike.
Handling: its a Duke, and it behaves like a Duke. Sharp, precise and in control at all times. This felt more flickable than my gen 2. Corner rocket legacy still lives on.
The gen 3 feels too compact. I feel taller riders will have a problem on longer rides.
Suspension felt much more pliant than my bike. I’m assuming someone tweaked it to a soft setting.
Instrument console wasn’t straightforward to operate, or I was used to the simple controls of my gen 2. This bike’s cluster shows way too much info IMO.
Quickshifter felt very smooth. However, this is a KTM thing, as all new KTM’s have smooth quickshifters and they tend to get a little rough with usage.
Clutch and gearshifts were smooth. No complaints or compliments here.
Overall, I am mighty impressed. If I had the money this would be my blind choice. This bike is 200% worth the 3.6 lac asking price.
I think this gen is the best mix of gen 1 and gen 2. Refined, but angry at the same time. Angry, but it wont bite your head off. Truly a masterpiece this bike, nothing like this existed before and nothing like this will replace it in the future.
If there is a product that made KTM in India, that is the 390 Duke and Im happy that they’ve been bettering it with each generation and not once did they mess up. Kudos to KTM for keeping their hallmark product in good shape.
Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
