We reported in great detail when Bajaj Auto Ltd launched the new KTM 390 Duke in India in June this year (Click here for our launch report; Click here for KTM 390 Duke Review). The new KTM 390 Duke is on sale in India in just one paint shade- White (with Orange highlighting the frame and wheels). However, this might soon change as KTM recently introduced a black paint option for the KTM 390 Duke in international markets. Good chances that the new paint option will be here before the advent of 2014.
Much to everyone’s delight, the KTM 390 Duke went on sale for an introductory price of INR 1.8 lakhs (ex showroom, Pune)! The decidedly mouth watering price tag is courtesy the high amount of content sharing between the 200 and the 390 Duke.
Components shared between the 200 Duke and the 390 Duke
- KTM R&D Manager (Street) Sebastian Sekira earlier informed us that the KTM 200 Duke’s chassis is sufficiently capable of handling more loads. So, there is no surprise that the boffins at KTM simply took the 200’s chassis, made minor alterations, and used it for the bigger 390 Duke.
- Both the KTM 200 and the 390 Duke use the same trellis frame. Also, both the bikes have 43mm upside down forks at front and a direct mount monoshock at rear. However, the bikes have different suspension setups.
- The 390’s engine is largely based on the 200 Duke’s motor. Both the Dukes share the crankcase and the gearbox. However, the 390 has got modified gear ratios.
All this means that the Austrian bike manufacturer hasn’t really invested a big sum to make the leap from 200 Duke to 390 Duke.
The KTM 390 Duke has a 0-100 kmph timing of approx 6 secs and can hit speeds close to 160kmph. The 390 Duke can also hit 130kmph in just 10-11 secs. The 390 Duke’s 375cc single pot fuel injected engine has a peak power-torque of 44bhp-35Nm and comes attached to a 6 speed manual transmission.
As we said above, the KTM 390 Duke might soon get the black color option in India. Tell us, would you opt for a the new paint shade over the white-orange combo?
Go to next page for more pics of KTM 390 Duke Black