KTM Duke 390 Modified Into Retro-Style Track Toy

Spotting a modified KTM Duke 390 is not hard in India, for, there are several examples out on public roads. But, how often would one be able to see a custom-made KTM Duke 390?

One Kush Bhansali might have had the same thought, for he took a Duke 390 to Rajputana Custom Motorcycles to give it a complete makeover.

The finished article is, well, the bike (cheekily called the “Kush”) speaks for itself does it not? For starters, the main frame of the donor bike and the powertrain seem to have been kept as is and the same goes for the suspension as well.

However, the entire bodywork of the stock Duke 390 has been stripped out, lights taken away, fenders disposed off, while the subframe too came off of the motorcycle.

Upfront, there sits a simple fairing, housing the eccentrically placed singular lighting units. The bars are different and so is the copper-coloured fuel tank that has knee grip pads.

Then comes the rear subframe that has been custom-made for the “Kush” and it is a work of art. It houses a very narrow and short seat, a number plate underneath and at the end of it all, an LED tail light that for sure is not the stock one.

As mentioned before, this modified KTM 390 Duke sports the same suspension units as the stock bike. But, the alloy rims have been chucked in favour of wire-spoked rims that are clad in slicks.

While the engine might look untouched, it does feature gold detailing on the casing. Nothing is known about how much more power the unit produces, but, given that it has a custom exhaust, it is fairly likely that a few more ponies were liberated from the motor.

What’s more, the folks at Rajputana Custom Motorcycles also seem to have fiddled around with the vehicle’s braking system, for there is new Brembo hardware on it.

It is hard to put a finger on this modified KTM Duke 390 dubbed “Kush”, as it has modern mechanicals in a retro-styled package. But, the thing that irks one the most is the numerous wires and tubes that have been left for the naked eye to see, and see they will.

This leads us to think about one thing. Maybe, adding some body panels to conceal the ugly bits is not a bad idea after all.