KTM is an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer owned by CROSS
Industries AG and Bajaj Auto Limited. KTM was formed in 1981. In 1992 the
company was spun off from its parent company KTM when it ran into financial
troubles. KTM was split into four companies, all of which shared the same
"KTM" branding, and at present have many more subsidiaries with the
same branding. However, KTM-Sport motorcycle is most commonly associated with
the KTM brand, because it still continues the flagship business of its parent
company.
If 'dressed to kill' has an
automotive equivalent, it is the 2017 KTM 390 Duke. I loved the way the older
generation KTM Duke looked like and this one only wins me over for the second
time. It's made to look like a baby KTM 1290 Super Duke R and that works
perfectly. The previous generation KTM 390 Duke was aggressive in its
riding posture and this one is no different. The 2017 edition feels a tad bit
more aggressive as you continue to sit upright on the naked Austrian with your
arms falling onto the handlebar. The foot pegs are now further rear set than
the previous model. That is possibly due to the slightly shorter wheelbase at
1357 mm, 10 mm shorter than the older version. The seats for both rider and
pillion are now wider and more contoured than the outgoing model and very, very
comfortable.
I really like the fact that KTM has added more layers to the color
scheme while keeping everything orange. The extended fenders on the tank look
sharp, but the orange monotony is broken by the gloss black finish, while the
new rear sub-frame and rear panels are now finished in white. The alloy wheels
remain orange but now get a black stripe. The 2017 390 Duke LED Headlight
comprises of 20 LEDs of all that's changed, the new LED headlamp cluster grabs
the most attention. It also differentiates the new 390 with the 250 Duke that
carries over the styling from its older sibling.
The 2017 KTM 390 Duke is an enthusiastic bike and loves being
pushed to the redline. Unlike the older version, the overall cooling was far
better on the new model and something that must new Duke owners will be happy
about. That said, a run on actual roads will be a test for the same. Coming to
the 6-speed transmission, the unit is precise and you even have the power
assisted slipper clutch that makes the clutch action easier while making
aggressive downshifts more controlled avoiding rear wheel lock. Another space where KTM has made stark
improvement on the 2017 390 Duke is the braking performance. The 300 mm front
disc has been swapped for a larger 320 mm disc along with a new front brake
assembly. The result is a much sharper bite than the previous generation model
while the progression is felt more strongly this time. The 230 mm rear disc
brake remains the same and both units do a much better job of bringing the bike
to a halt. There is, of course, the new and upgraded Bosch sourced dual-channel
ABS system.
Hope this beast will be launched in Nepalese market soon.
