The rumored KTM 390 Duke was officially unveiled in Milan today, and it certainly satisfies those looking for an extremely lightweight, street-legal supermoto. With 44 hp and less than 330 pounds fully fueled (close to sub-300 dry), the 375cc naked should be quite entertaining. With quality WP suspension and Brembo brakes, it is a complete package.
We expect the 390 Duke to be available in the U.S. next year, but currently have no information on pricing. Here is what KTM has to say about the new 390 Duke:
Reduced to the max! The new KTM 390 Duke has everything that has always made great bikes great: sufficient power, ample torque, and low costs at an extremely low weight. It handles extremely well and comes into its own wherever nimble agility is called for. In short: no other bike offers more riding fun for your money than the 390 Duke! At a full 44 hp from 375 cc of displacement, it’s head and shoulders above its 200 cc sister model, while the chassis has of course been enhanced to cope with the extra oomph. Still, the new 390 Duke weighs in at less than 150 kilograms fully fuelled – not only raising its dynamics above many a higher-capacity bike but also making it a sporty alternative to pricey maxi scooters.
A NEW FAMILY MEMBER
The Duke family tree struck roots already in 1994, when the first fully-fledged KTM street bike, the original Duke, came into the world of motorcycles. To the present day, the Duke has seen four evolutionary stages, reaching its preliminary peak with the R-Version of the current 690 Duke. 2011 for the first time saw a smaller offspring in form of the extremely successful 125 Duke, which promptly went to the top of the European sales charts, selling more than 10,000 units in the first year of its existence. In the spring of 2012, the 200 Duke followed, and now the 390 Duke closes the gap to the larger models 690 Duke and 990 Super Duke R. And we can already tell you – this family is going to get still bigger in future!
ENGINE & CHASSIS
Thanks to the typical, compact KTM design, the 390 Duke’s highly sophisticated single cylinder engine weighs in at only 36 kilograms. Two overhead camshafts, four valves, a forged piston and a Nikasil-coated cylinder ensure, among other things, that the 375 cc are good for 44 horsepower. The power enhancing force feed lubrication with crank case evacuation lowers the crank drive’s rolling resistance, contributing to the powerful torque. The ultra-light trellis frame and cast aluminium swingarm round off a compact package. Top quality suspension components by WP Suspension, disc brakes developed by Brembo and the disengageable 9MB ABS by Bosch are standard and add even more riding dynamics, as well as safety while powering through the twisties.
got my check book out can’t stop wishing please Santa
travelling to austria this week, hoping to sit on one, probably will retain major erection.
in europe it’s already listed at 5,290 eur with all taxes, meaning it’s positioned RIGHT BETWEEN the Ninja300 and the Ninja 300 ABS.
that means Honda will have a very hard time selling those plasticky-feeling Thai-made CB500R, unless they position them well below 5,490 eur – especially having in mind that the NC700S is 5,790 eur in Europe.
for the Duke 390, it’s so desirable that I don’t care even if it was assembled in Zastava-Yugo, I’ll take one.
Why is it we get screwed for twice the price here in Nz just seen the 200 in a car park and I like even more so
The new 390. but no way will buy for this money surposed to be global economy what a joke no way funny
Bye the bye Weber BBQ…. we pay 2.5 x price in US.??? sick of taking this in rear …… Ktm Nz noway will I buy
The Duke 390 will be around Ninja 300 SE price then in NZ. I know which I’d rather have.
As wonderful as it is to have the opportunity to be able to purchase a bike like this is, as a rider since 1954 I would like to point out that 44 hp in 330 pounds is approximately the same specs as Gary Nixon’s 500 Triumph flattrack bike of the 60s.
Nixon’s bike didn’t have full lighting, ABS (discs?), fuel injection, cartridge suspension or radial tires (chassis rigidity?). It also had 125cc more displacement. This thing should also run as reliably as a lawn mower. Modern bikes really are miraculous.
His bike wasn’t street legal, nor did it likely have the frame, brakes, suspension, nor the tires of a modern bike.
The bikes I compare it to are euro spec (more powerful than US Daytona Special) 1979 Yamaha RD400F (also 44 bhp). It’s lighter than the RD though. Weight is comparable to Suzuki’s GT250 X7. Even with 30 bhp mine felt like a 125 on steroids. This bike will be a ball in the hills.
390 Duke arrives in New Zealand in March and are $9995 Kiwi (around $8200 USD) and meets the new LAM learner regs.
The KTM Duke 390 is going to be about $3500 in India.
It will be interesting to see how much we are [over] charged for the same bike.
The dukes available in India do not have WP suspension nor are they adjustable, no ABS, (that’s about to change soon) nor the brembo brakes (we have some locally made, nissin designed – ones). But yes they are cheap.. so its either cheap and under spec-ed or overcharged but fully loaded.. 🙂
Interesting, but I don’t see how this translates into a bike that costs more than twice as much. Once I get THAT high, I figure I might as well get a 700cc or 800cc bike. Or a really nice used one. I’m intrigued, but it would be nice to have a Duke 390 and a Duke 390R so I could just get the 390. Or at least find out what makes the 390R worth the money.
Twice as much as what bike? Cycle World thinks this will come in @ $6,500 in the US. It sidesteps the traditional cc = $$ equation by being very lightweight while still a true streetbike (not a dirtbike w/street tires). I think it’s really intriguing. Hopefully it’s a big success and the other brands throw something like it into the game.
If it’s $6500, it’ll be like the Yamaha WR250X. Nice bike, but nobody’s going to buy it.
here in india it will sell for arnd $4000.i already bought the duke 200 for $3000 on road abt a month back,but thinkin of upgrading now.
Nice bike. The only dealer in this area listed in the KTM dealer locater never has any KTM bikes on the floor.
390cc would be a better alternative tahn the 200cc. Its a bike to commute and would work perfectly.
I’m living on Ecuador, ad the price for the 200cc is $6.450 american dollars, so the 390cc will cost arround $7.199
Is there some international law written that such bike must scream “ticket me” to every law enforcement officer?
I know it goes against marketing paradigm, but would it not be cool if cosmetics were something more akin to Honda’s MOR (middle of the road) CBR250R?
After years of drought, it’s quite amazing to see such a huge slew of great new bikes arriving, of which this seems to be the best. Hoping for a dual-sport adventure bike with this motor.
Hello BMW…I wait anxiously for something like the 2008 show bike Cafe Racers based on the new liquid cooled R1200 boxer twin…
These smaller bikes are aimed at young Europeans and Asians who like loud colors. It would be nice if the US version came on a second, more subdued color for sure.
like the clean orange and white on the RC8. You could easily peel off the stickers on this bike and really improve the looks – that and add a round headlight.
-todd
love all m/c’s and find this one interesting BUT what the hell is with the styling…especially these days the huge gap between the rear tire/wheel and fender. I get why its that way but god almighty is it ugly……
re: “BUT what the hell is with the styling…especially these days the huge gap between the rear tire/wheel and fender.”
because no gap with one’s arse perched atop the rear tyre is a CRUISER styling queue… is it not…?
no. Just look at all the standard and sport bikes up ’til about 1995 or so. This is more of a trend, like when all the guys added booster springs in the back of their muscle cars.
It’s not a gap, it’s gone. The rear ends of this type of bike (think Speed Triple) are so truncated that the volume of body work that used to fill that space is no longer there. Look at the boom that holds the tail light and license plate. Those are new too..
I want one. Minor quibble: the tank only holds 2.9 gallons of fuel.
That is not a minor quibble. There is nothing worse than filling the tank, and wondering where the next station is. Been there done that, spent a ton of money on an over sized tank.
This bike will be cheaper than many people think. Visordown in the UK reckon about 4,500 pounds. The 200 Duke is 3,995 pounds. Here in New Zealand the 200 Duke is NZ$7,995. That would make the 390 NZ$9,000. A 300 Ninja is NZ$9,469, weighs more and makes less power. Remember it’s made in India. P.S. The 200 costs about NZ$2,800 in India!!!!!!
4,500ukp = $7,133usd. That’s a lot for a small displacement street bike from India. It’ll depend on what it has to sell against to determine if that’s acceptable in the US market but I don’t have a good feeling about it.
It is misleading (or worse) to compare this bike to the general group titled “small displacement street bike.” Just for starters, what other “small displacement street bike” includes “disengagable 9MB Bosch ABS” and “top quality WP Suspension?”
Loved the performance in my brief ride on my then-riding buddy’s KTM Duke II on Marin County back roads. Unfortunately, engine vibration and coarseness was outrageous, completely unacceptable. One would presume this new Duke will offer somewhat less acceleration, but otherwise handling and braking exceeding even the incredible Duke II. Lower purchase cost (accounting for inflation) and lower cost of ownership (insurance, maintenance, etc), and (hopefully) acceptable engine comfort is an overall huge net win.
Till proven wrong, it seems fair to presume acceptable fuel range in spite of the small tank, much better than the Duke II, which routinely (IIRC) nets as low as high-20s mpg, averaging only mid-high-30 mpg. One does not normally ride such bike in cruise mode.
It may be made in India but design and quality control are from KTM. As far as I know there’s been no quality issues with the thousands of 125 Dukes sold in Europe (basically the same bike). Don’t forget that the CBR250R and Nijna 300 aren’t made in Japan.
Also Dave remember that the UK has different taxes to US. Therefore it’s better to compare it to other bikes on the market. Ninja 300 is ukp 4,799 in Britain. Coincidentally it’s $4,799 in the US. I predict the Duke 390 will be cheaper than the 300 Ninja in most markets.
re: “I predict the Duke 390 will be cheaper than the 300 Ninja in most markets. ”
Point taken, the UK and US markets are very different and I think you’re right that it may cost less than the UK price. That said, there is no way it will cost less than a Ninja 300 in the US with the spec listed above.
The suspension and brakes are made by White Power and Brembo’s indian branches. The brakes are actually labelled “ByBre”.
Top quality components make it worth the asking price.
I do wonder about the weight, though. The 350 EXC-F weighs about 242 lb. and is street legal. Where does the extra 60 lb. come from?
“I do wonder about the weight though.” You got to be joking. This is sarcasm right?!? Name another modern street bike (designed to be ridden on the street) that has either 375cc’s or or more…or 44 hp or more…that weighs LESS than the wet weight of this bike at around 329 lbs.
The Honda CBR250R (with ABS) weighs 30 lbs more and has 18 less hp and most consider the CBR250R to be an incredibly light-weight street bike. The Ninja 300 has 5 less hp and weighs at least 50 lbs more! Heck the 390 Duke is only 27 lbs heavier than a 2011 CBR125R!!!! You can’t compare this to the KTM – which is essentially a dirt-oriented bike – that merely has a licence plate attached to it – and is not much fun to ride on the street – and will likely cost much more than this small Duke due to all the high-end expensive components it has to keep weight as low as possible.
I think the point is that if KTM makes the 500EXC which weighs +-250 Pounds, Has over 45 Hp, 500cc displacement, rides fine on the street (I know, I have one) and is a totally great bike, why is this bike so much heavier?
A KTM500exc is a 100% dirt bike. It “can” ride on the street. It does not ride “fine” on the street.
If the Duke 390 has a substantial chassis (for the best tires available in this size) and a sub $9k price (still too much imo), 329lb is nearly miraculous.
@Grunbay: Probably because it will be half as expensive. I’d love a 500EXC, but I can’t afford $10k right now. My old 525 will have to suffice.
Although they are getting better looking, still don’t much care for Duke styling.
The reason why they don’t reveal the price is because knowing it would quickly deflate the “dream bubble” that most of us are now experiencing. It will be expensive for a small cc bike and then you will lose interest.
I want it, PAY ATTENTION OEMs, how hard is it to make a fun, affordable, and lightweight bike. Jeez this is awesome, I just hope that they all allow this for racing.
US please. This is the best new bike news I’ve seen so far.
U.S.?, Price?, Wow, a bunch of interesting new product from Honda, Ducati, KTM, and Kawasaki. Yamaha? Suzuki? Whaaaasuuuup?
I would by this with no issues, fun bike around town. Easier to ride around the my touring bike.
See Honda? Was that so hard? This is going to to be so much better than the 425lb CBR 500.
Dear KTM, Bring this to the U.S. That is all I want for Christmas. Thank you.
And it will be on sale in the US when?
exactly. It seems like KTM announces new bikes but I never end up seeing them on their website. My local Honda dealer also has KTM, so if they have the 390 by the time I’m ready to pull the trigger on a new bike, I might get one; otherwise I’ll go with the CB500F with ABS.