KTM DUKE 390 .. Launching by June in India .. Bleed ORANGE !!

Ever since KTM took the covers off the Duke 390, Indians have set their eyes on the bike. If its smaller brother’s prowess is anything to go by, then the Duke 390 is sure to be a cracker of a naked bike.The Duke 200 had a great run it its first year in India, selling over 8,000 units and placing KTM at the top of the most successful premium bike makers’ list in India. The Duke 390 is expected to graduate the novice bikers and form a gateway into the world of power biking.

KTM motorcycles are generally known for their strong performance and agility. Peter Gorbach, the head of engine development at KTM says that there is significant difference between the Duke 200 and Duke 390. He comments that both the motorcycles are for those buyers who need performance oriented riding with more output over the Duke 125. The Duke 200 is meant for riders who ferry around the city and clock up to 100 km/h often, whereas the Duke 390 is perfect for long distance journeys offering good amount of power all the time to overtake other vehicles on open stretches. 

The KTM Duke 200′s frantic power delivery and affordable price tag has made the Austrian marque the most successful of the premium bike makers. KTM’s entry into India with Bajaj’s full support, both in terms of local production and retailing has enabled this achievement.Now with the launch of Duke 390 KTM is sure to take the lead role in the premium segment.KTM has established 70 Orange Stores (retail outlets) across the country which is the highest among the premium bike makers. Not resting on its laurels, the Europe’s largest bike maker is all set to launch two more bikes in India.

The first one will be the Duke 390 which, according to the company, will be launched by June 2013. The Duke 390 packs in a healthy 44 bhp. The light weight chassis means the motorcycle would be a riot to ride. The bike will inaugurate a whole new segment between 250cc to 600cc categories in India.

Coming to the engines, the Duke 125 and 200 share the same base with a different bore and the Duke 390 is fitted with a completely different engine but boasts the same design elements as seen on its smaller displacement siblings. The Duke 390 features a bigger crankshaft, clutch and gearbox because it produces more torque comparatively. The piston is forged instead of cast and the cylinder head is also slightly different over the other KTMs featuring different valves and springs but sharing the same finger followers. One of the biggest challenges for the KTM Duke 390 was to increase the output figures of the similar engine and same chassis as the Duke 125 and 200 with more bench tests to make sure everything works in place with the bigger displacement bike. Currently KTM only offers the Duke 200 in India, which is working well in the market with a price tag of Rs. 1.30 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). The Duke 390 uses a 373cc single-cylinder engine to produce 44 PS of power and 35 Nm of torque. 

Commenting on KTM’s achievements on its 1st launch anniversary Mr. Amit Nandi, Vice President (Probiking) Bajaj Auto, said “When someone wants a normal street bike he has a lot of options in the market but when he wants to buy a thorough-bred racing machine he knows that KTM is the only one. The number of motorcycle racing enthusiasts in India is much larger than what most people think.” This is the target group that KTM has been focusing on. The orange style is set to become a trend with the launch of DUKE 390.

The KTM Duke 390 is set to be priced in the range of Rs. 2-2.25 lakhs, then it would be the best value for money sports bike on sale in India.

Image and Information Courtesy - KTM INDIA