KTM RC vs Kawasaki Ninja  vs KTM Duke

KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Duke 390: Three Sunrises

Handling & Feel

KTM RC390

KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs KTM Duke 390 (33)

The suspension on the RC 390 feels different than the one on the Duke. Changing the steering rake and reducing the wheelbase has made this faired iteration of the 390 a motorcycle which you can ride from home, directly on to the track. Out on the open road, the motorcycle feels sure footed, sorted and stable, even on the limit. The aero bits do a fine job of keeping drag at a minimum and the entire package will take you closest you’ve ever been to an internationally respected motorcycle.

KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs KTM Duke 390 (118)

The RC will give you lessons in telepathy and every positive input from the rider will return in a reward that will bring about a wide grin inside the lid. The suspension didn’t feel bone breaking hard but surprisingly absorbed undulations on the tarmac quite well by sports bike standards. Braking hard and then getting back on the throttle doesn’t make the RC pitch as much as the Duke 390, and at any given point of time, it is the RC 390 which will instill more confidence on the limit in comparison to the Duke. In everyday traffic, it is the Duke which comes out trumps as it has a shorter turning radius, upright seating position and a wider handlebar.

Kawasaki Ninja 300

KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs KTM Duke 390 (14)

The tubular diamond frame along with the twin fork front and gas charged mono-rear suspension on the Ninja 300 offers a solid, sure-footed ride on the run. While it’s absolutely rock solid on the straights, the Ninja 300 has a charm of its own around the corners. Having said that, it’s not as flickable as the KTM’s. The Ninja is a potent machine but the entire package makes you feel so much at ease, it didn’t surprise us when Rikin, the owner of the Ninja confessed that it was his first ever motorcycle purchase. The high revving engine is at home across the spectrum of its power band, whether it is in the city, around faster bends or out on the open roads. But it all boils down to the price, where the RC 390 manages to make the Ninja feel overtly priced, more on that later.

Duke 390

KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs KTM Duke 390 (95)

The Duke 390 is a completely opposite machine in comparison to the other faired bikes here. It is an extremely flickable streetbike which instills a lot of confidence in the rider from the word go. The engine is hung off the light weight tubular space frame, and coupled with WP USD forks up front, WP monoshock at the rear and pin-jointed die cast swing-arm give the 390 its sure footed handling characteristics. Coupled with the sticky Metzeler rubber, you don’t have to spend a long time with this machine to start having fun. The front is light and some induced carelessness with the throttle will see it pointing skywards in the first initial gears. The stiffly sprung suspension has been the major complaint from its buyers thus far, and its in this department where the RC really brings much respite, while still bringing more composure and sure-footedness to the table on the limit.

>>Next page for brakes>>

1 thought on “KTM RC390 vs Kawasaki Ninja 300 vs Duke 390: Three Sunrises”

  1. I agree that the Duke has the initial pull, or its atleast equal from what I could make out at the BIC trackday, Noida.

    However, I did ride the Duke 390 (road+track, I own one) and Ninja 250 (on the road), and I believe that an important point is that the Ninja has a wider powerband.

    That means if you get distracted or have a corner ahead, and over rev the Ninja beyond its max power point, there’s still a long way before rev limiter…. So, no problems here.

    But should the Duke miss the Max power gearshift, its rev limiter right away. And you go back by 3-4 bike lengths normally….

    For racing, more cylinders are always better. On road, I believe its Vice Versa, seeing the SuperDuke 1290 and the Duke 390 too.

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