2013 KTM Duke 390 Review

For my 4 days Malaysia ride earlier this year I rented a 2013 KTM Duke 390 for the trip. Even though it's not a bike that I was particularly fond of, in terms of its looks and character, there's plenty of other 400cc bike that could do worse.

First thing that I noticed was KTM's philosophy & their approach in design. As a company with off-road roots, its DNA transpires through on this bike. From the highly tuned, 373cc single to its featherweight mass it just screams dirtbike. This modern, liquid cooled, high tech single cylinder engine sports a counterbalancer and is tuned for top end power. As a result it felt nothing like the thumpers of yore, its power delivery is more akin to a multi-cylinder bike with linear power and a strong high rpm shove. It also does not vibrate like a Royal Enfield, thanks to its balancer. Overall quite an impressive engine, though as a result of this its maintenance seems to be on the higher side- perfectly in line with KTM's racing philosophy.

The size and weight of this bike is diminutive. It's a small, very light, and- paired with this engine- makes it a sporty and flickable bike. Changing direction is effortless due to its low weight & small tyre dimensions (110 front 150 rear), and the single disc front brake with radial Bybre callipers are good enough to bring down the speed at will. Braking feel was slightly lacking though, and overall braking power can not match a decent 2 disc setup.

During my first few rides I noticed that the rear loses traction quite easily on aggressive downshifts & braking, likely due to lack of slipper clutch and its light weight. Good rev-matching technique is recommended.

In terms of suitability for touring, there are better alternatives. The most obvious issue with this bike is there's virtually no wind protection to speak of. On the highway it was pretty fatiguing with the constant windblast while trying to maintain a speed of 120kmh, hence multiple stops were needed. Also, being a light bike it was a little easy to be blown around by crosswinds and large passing vehicles, although still nothing like riding a dirtbike on highway.

Riding position was pretty good though, with a neutral upper body position and a slightly aggressive bend on the knees/legs. Great for throwing the bike around tight bends, yet comfortable enough to ride hours on end. The seat however, was a little too hard for a comfortable long day's ride.

 

One of the genius in this bike's design was the backlit switches. Like seriously, this simple feature that is available on all kinds of appliances for literally decades took this long to reach the motorcycling world! What were all the other manufacturers thinking? The dash however, is not something that was well designed. It was small, cluttered, and its rev counter was next to impossible to read- I bumped into the rev-limiter on a couple of occasions precisely because of that. 

Overall it is quite a well designed motorcycle, with good power and light weight it was a super easy bike to ride hard. You could pin the throttle and use the full potential of the engine without getting into trouble, unlike most bigger machines. For a beginner bike there's not many other bikes to recommend, though I would have gone for the RC390 sportbike instead. 

Personally though, I just could not bring myself to warm up to this bike. Firstly is how it looks- IMO it must be one of the ugliest bike ever produced, short of Yamaha's horrific cyclops/transformer-eque MT range of bikes. The 2017 update however was much more pleasing to the eyes. That being said, the open lattice design of the swingarm was a flash of genius- what a beautiful yet functional design idea.

Second issue I have with this bike is that it felt like a cheap Chinese (in this case Indian) toy. The plastic panels look cheap, its ride by wire throttle is way too light for any feel, and the exhaust note must be one of the worst- my lawnmower sounds better than its hollow, soulless thuds. This last point could be rectified though- my mate's Husqvarna 401 (which is essentially the same bike in a sharp suit, with same engine) sounded incredible with an Akrapovic pipe fitted.

So my conclusion is this: the KTM Duke 390 a great fun little bike to ride, but the design is way too ugly and it lacks character. If you're looking for the perfect small bike to hoot around and look good on- get the Vitpilen 401. With an Akrapovic exhaust.

LY