KTM has unveiled the production version of the Duke 390 to the media in Austria, the headquarters of the brand. We have already covered most of the details about the Duke 390 but now new information has started trickling in. These details were revealed at the press event just before the first ride preview of the motorcycle. Bajaj-KTM will launch the Duke 390 next month and deliveries will start in June. The bike will be priced a shade over Rs. 2 lakhs and will be offered with ABS as standard. The ABS unit is made by Bosch and can be turned on/off when needed.
The KTM Duke 390 gets an all new gearbox, which is not shared with the Duke 200 (most other parts are!). The gear ratios have been selected to ensure the bike doesn’t top off in top gear. Thus the Duke 390 will hit a true top speed of 160 km/hr (speedo shows around 171 km/hr). The crankcase castings are shared with the Duke 200 but the top end of the Duke 390’s engine is all new. The 373cc engine features a chrome plated cylinder and forged piston, similar to its younger sibling.
While the Duke 200 sports MRF tyres, the Duke 390 will come equipped with Metzeler M5 Sportec tyres (even on the Indian version). These tyres are better in both dry and wet conditions, offering superior levels of grip. The Duke 200 exported from Bajaj Auto’s Chakan facility too features Metzeler rubber. We all are already aware about the Duke 390’s stellar performance, 0-100 km/hr takes just 5 odd seconds. The D390 weighs around 10 kgs more than the D200, giving it a terrific power to weight ratio.
