The KTM Duke 390 is an apt bike for the track with its sharp handling and quick acceleration.
Exactly two years back, KTM, an hitherto unknown motorcycle brand, entered the Indian market with the stylish and nimble Duke 200. Ever since, it has been a fairy-tale story for the Austrian brand in which Bajaj Auto owns a significant stake. The critics were impressed, the word of mouth spread and the craving biking enthusiasts of our country suddenly had a genuinely sporty motorcycle at an affordable cost. Needless to say, success followed. But KTM refused to be complacent and used the same formula to an even-bigger effect with the Duke 390.
KTM’s strategy towards its customers is simple – ‘Keep them happy and make them feel special.’ And that’s precisely what they have been doing with events like the Orange Day that was conducted in many cities across India. Taking it one step further, KTM has now introduced the Track Day and Chennai was the first city to host that event.
By the time we arrived, the Madras Motor Race Track at Irrungattukottai on the outskirts of Chennai was all geared up with flags, banners and stick poles splashed in orange. As the organisers escorted us to a media-briefing session, proud Duke 390 owners who were just back from a riding session on the track waved nonchalantly while another group of riders were burning the tarmac in the race track. The next few minutes were spent in the briefing session and the snippets from it are as follows –
- KTM is now the largest premium motorcycle brand in India (brands with motorcycles priced above Rs. 1 lakh)
- Just like the Duke 200, the Duke 390 has become a smash hit as soon as it went on sale
- Waiting period for the Duke 390 has come down from 90 days to 60-odd days
- The next launches from KTM will be the RC 200 and RC 390, both of which are expected sometime mid year
- At the moment, there are no plans of launching bigger capacity motorcycles in India
- Customer interaction events like the Orange Day and Track Day are evoking good response from enthusiastic customers
- Around 80 Duke 390 owners have turned up for the first-ever Track Day at Chennai
- The event has attracted riders from Bangalore, Pondicherry, Kochi and the whole of South India with one each from Mumbai and Pune too.
Previously, KTM had sent out invites to all Duke 390 owners to come and experience the thrill of track riding along with expert guidance and a classroom session on best techniques to be followed while at the track. All they had to do was bring along their Duke 390 along with the proper riding gear, a valid driving license and an active life insurance policy.
The crowd that had turned up was divided into groups after which a classroom session was conducted to get the riders familiar with the track layout, the best techniques to be followed on track and the importance of riding safe and not pushing beyond the limits. Once the riders were all made aware of the rules, regulations and what not to do while on the track, they were allowed to hurtle down the track one by one. While some of the owners were riding like pros swinging from corner to corner with amazing lean angles, this was the first time in a race-track for many others. The best part was that all of them were grinning from ear to ear at the end of each session, which is what KTM had intended to do when the day started.
Representatives from the media were allowed to ride the Duke 390 for five laps around the track which, needless to say, ended in a jiffy. It may have been a short ride, but that was more than enough for the Duke 390 to impress us all over again. Be it the super-quick acceleration, the light-weight chassis, the excellent levels of grip or the extremely nimble handling, the Duke 390 is a machine tailor-made for the track. Triple digit speeds came up easily with just a gentle flick of the throttle and we attained speeds in excess of 120 km/hr more than once in the main straight. The bike was so flickable around corners that, more than we pushing the machine, it was actually pushing us more.
With KTM confirming that they have more events like these lined up, the customers are in for a good time ahead. As we always say, safety should be a top priority which is why events like these hold importance as they let the riders experience the adrenaline rush in the comfort and safety of a race track and be responsible while on the road. Kudos to KTM for taking such efforts and letting their customers experience what many others couldn’t do!
