2018 KTM 390 Duke

I’m sure I’m not the only one whose heart races when they’re in the saddle of a motorcycle. Whatever the displacement, motorcycles get you to your destination in the most enjoyable way possible. Once in a while though, we find a bike that’s so much fun to ride, we look for any excuse to mount up. The Duke 390 has quite the reputation of being one such bike, and I had the pleasure of using one for a week. Here are my thoughts.

- Ren Alcantara

DESIGN

Love it or hate it, it’s hard to argue that this naked bike looks every bit the aggressive road machine it is. The angular headlights, sharp cowl, trellis frame and pointed seat, it’s a different kind of fast-looking from the curvy sportbikes one might be accustomed to seeing. Our model came in a clean white and orange, with reasonably subdued vinyl and a deeply sculpted tank. Being a proper naked bike, there’s little in the way of fairing, and a very vertical stance. Despite this, it manages to look fast standing still. Whoever put this design down with the bike’s wet weight of 362 pounds. You get a tank that carries about 13 liters, with about a liter and a half in reserve. There’s no quick shifter, not at this price range, but you do get a slipper clutch so you don’t have to worry about aggressive downshifts. WP provides the suspension front and rear, and the nice USD forks have 5.6 inches of travel, while the rear bottoms out at 5.9 inches.

The 390 Duke comes with ABS, which you can disable on the massive 5.2-inch, full-color TFT display and a few taps through the extremely user-friendly bike management interface. That on paper certainly got it right. If you’re a fan of the brand, close your eyes, and imagine a scaled-down 1290 Super Duke, and you’ve got the 390 Duke.

HARDWARE