Launch: 2013 KTM 390 Duke

Don’t be deceived by the KTM 390 Duke’s modest engine capacity, valued-packed price or ‘made in India’ origin – the marque is giving the all-new model its full attention, as company PR rep Thomas Kuttruf was quick to point out at the 390 Duke’s international press launch held recently on the firm’s home turf in Austria.

“We are treating this model with the utmost priority,” he said, before briefing the assembled journos on the marque’s roadmap for success in coming years. KTM is on a roll. It sold 107,142 units in 2012, that figure representing meteoric growth of 32 per cent and also pushing it past BMW to become the highest-volume Euro marque.

Some 8000 of those new models can be attributed to the KTM 200 Duke which, like its smaller 125 Duke sibling (not available in Oz but in fact the top-selling 125 in Europe last year) is made in Bajaj Auto Ltd’s Chakan manufacturing facility in Pune, India. The new 390 Duke is also produced at Chakan, the model effectively bridging the gap between the ‘tiddler’ Dukes and 690 Duke/Duke R and 990 Super Duke, the bigger bikes made at KTM’s Austrian HQ at Mattighofen. The partnership between KTM and Bajaj is seen by both parties as crucial to their on-going prosperity – read the sidebar at the end of this story for more information on the arrangement.

SMALL AND FUN
The basic brief given to the designers, developers and engineers charged with creating the 390 Duke was simple: it had to be light, compact, agile and fun. It also had to be easy to ride and easy to live with, with minimal running and servicing costs and a broad appeal that would attract buyers in all 76 of the various world markets in which it is destined to be sold. The 390 Duke is the first KTM to be sold in every market in which the marque operates.

It was a tall order, but the 390 Duke’s project team had some clear guidance in the smaller Dukes it had already produced – the trick was going to be adapting the package to handle the higher output of the 375cc powerplant.

A single-cylinder unit with electronic fuel injection, liquid cooling, a double overhead cam and a four-valve head, KTM says it weighs a paltry 36kg and produces 44hp (32kW) at 9500rpm and 35Nm at 7250rpm. While those figures are fairly modest in terms of naked streetfighters in general, KTM says it sees the 390 Duke in competition with a diverse range of other two-wheeled fare, from Kawasaki's Ninja 300 to BMW's G 650 GS, Honda’s new trio of half-litre machines to Yamaha’s new TMAX 530.

What puts the engine output into perspective is the 390 Duke’s mass. With a claimed weight of 139kg (with all fluids bar fuel) it’s a real featherweight and well under that of bikes like Honda’s ABS-equipped CBR250R (a claimed 165kg wet) and Kawasaki’s Ninja 300 (a claimed 174kg wet). Falling under the umbrella of the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme now in place across Australia, it’s bound to garner plenty of interest from the learner brigade, along with commuters and anyone on a budget who wants a basic but fun city bike and weekend machine.

CLEAR PASSION
Listening to the various presentations made by the 390 Duke’s designers, developers and engineers, their enthusiasm for the bike and for KTM in general was clear. I was itching to ride the thing too, even if the snow-capped alps ringing Salzburg were fading in and out of view as drizzle and light showers swept over the countryside.

Looking at the 390 Duke up close, it was clear KTM had at least got the ‘compact’ bit right. It’s small, that’s for sure, and that feeling is only underlined when you hop on the thing. The 800mm seat height will be manageable for most and even if you still can’t get a foot down its light weight means it’s anything but intimidating.

On thumbing the starter the single spins up with a slightly gruff yet friendly note from the diminutive underslung exhaust. An early-morning start isn’t going to bother the neighbours, that’s for sure, and an Akrapovic slip-on pipe in the KTM Powerparts catalogue will cater for those looking for a few more decibels.

The ride position is upright and the relatively flat handlebar places the rider in total control – it’s comfy but commanding, with ergonomics that will prove as handy in the rush-hour crush as they will on a winding country road. The medium-weight cable clutch is matched by a light throttle, with a handful of the latter seeing the Duke leap away from a standing start with pleasing pace. Well, the pace was pleasing until we’d pulled out into Salzburg CBD traffic – then it was decidedly slow, not that that was any fault of the bike’s. Actually, it’s a real winner in a stop-start mess, where it proved so easy to manage thanks to that light weight and excellent low-speed fuelling. There was no jerkiness or snatching, even when making small throttle adjustments at a steady low speed, and the lower gears in its six-speed gearbox gave a nice spread of ratios around town. Again, it’s ideal for learners and commuters.

INTO THE ALPS
Making our way out of the city it wasn’t long before we found ourselves spearing up sinuous mountain roads – it’s impossible not to in this part of the world – and while the rain came down and in parts the road’s surface had broken up (with the odd muddy strip courtesy of the local tractor traffic thrown in for good measure), the Duke took it all in its stride.

With neutral steering and swift but measured turn-in the Duke is a delight through the bends, requiring only the lightest of touches on those broad bars to tip it in or adjust a line. It really was a shame the roads never dried out as I never got the opportunity to push the suspension, chassis and brakes a little harder, but at no stage did they put in anything but a thoroughly competent performance.

The overall level of spec is fairly basic, as you’d expect of a valued-priced model. The BYEBR stoppers provide decent and progressive power and feel but no initial bite – just what any motorcycling newcomer needs. The odd name is derived from ‘By Brembo’, as the Italian brake components maestro has these units made in India under licence.

The ABS worked well and is a great standard inclusion that is increasingly sought after these days. Equipped with a four-piston front caliper, the single front disc is entirely adequate for a bike of this weight and the ABS can be switched off (when stationary) when desired, like when you’re about to tackle a dirt road.

The suspension – in this case made in India by WP, itself a subsidiary under the KTM umbrella – are also quite basic. You get a non-adjustable front fork and a monoshock that’s adjustable for preload via an easy-to-access threaded collar, and together they provided a stable platform over some of the crappy alpine back roads we tackled (not that there were many – the generally excellent quality of Austrian roads has to be ridden to be believed). Once again, for the intended usage and market they’re bang on target, and the quality Metzeler Sportec M5 rubber and fairly narrow tyres sizes (110 front, 150 rear) also play their part – they provided good grip in the wet conditions of the day.

SWEET SINGLE
When the road offered an opportunity to up the pace, the Duke’s willing single really impressed me. It’s a rev-hungry unit and it responds well to a caning – add in vigorous use of the light, responsive and slick-shifting gearbox and you’ve got one dynamic package that’s a lot of fun to punt hard in a sporting mode.

While its bottom end and midrange aren’t going to set any new benchmarks – they’re entirely adequate given its brief, mind you – from 7000rpm it’s starting to come on song and it revs freely and easily to its max power output at 9500rpm and then on to its rather abrupt rev-limiter, which kicks in around 10,000rpm.

It’s really refined, too, with minimal vibration despite the single-cylinder format. The vibes that are present are never enough to annoy or even to blur the diminutive mirrors, which remain blur free.

At 100km/h in sixth it’s showing a reasonably relaxed 5250rpm on the digital tacho while I saw a top speed of an indicated 150km/h. It still had a bit in reserve, so I’d think the old tonne would be achievable given a long enough run to find it.

Another reason why it’s such an involving ride is the amount of throttle input required for a given amount of grunt. It’s got quite a long throttle action, and one of KTM’s techs confirmed the twist-grip has 90 degrees of movement, compared to a little over 60 for the 690 Duke. This meant I had to effectively grab a second handful of throttle on some occasions to properly nail it to the stop, not that this will be of any major concern to novice riders – in fact it’s simply another aspect to the 390 Duke’s easy, non-threatening and manageable nature.

The only other issue I detected in this bike was its small size – at a lanky 188cm (6ft 2in) tall, my knees bumped into the middle of the tank cut-outs rather than fitting comfortably into them. The legroom wasn’t huge either, but then it’s far from a touring bike – although the seat itself is excellent, and very compliant. If you’re of average height or below it’ll be perfect, but there are better naked-bike options (even LAMS-compliant ones) for tall riders.

ECO WARRIOR
I didn’t get a chance to fuel the bike up at the end of the day but according to the trip computer it was politely slurping fuel to the tune of 4lt/100km, or 25km/lt. With a modest 11-litre tank, that’s a safe working range of around 250km – decent enough for this style of bike. That economy will play a large role in the bike’s modest on-going running costs. With its light weight the 390 Duke will be easy on tyres and brakes while its 7500km oil-change intervals will also help keep costs down.

Style is one thing the KTM 390 Duke certainly doesn’t lack. Kiska studio’s Craig Dent – a Brit – headed up the design side of the bike and what a top job he and his team have achieved. Its lines are angular and aggressive yet somehow organic and thoroughly integrated at the same time – and it’s unmistakeably KTM. The finish is right up there with the bike’s competitors – and beyond it, in some respects – and I could only see a few minor areas that underlined its lower price tag (the cheap handlebar levers and the plastics of the switchgear, for example). Quality control for Australia-bound bikes is carried out under KTM’s watchful eye in India, while the Euro-bound bikes are checked back in Austria before they go on to dealers. I think the whole package looks brilliant – it’s a bike that will make any owner proud.

And just because it’s built in India and to a budget price doesn’t mean it’s completely devoid of niceties. As mentioned, you get fuel injection – one of the latest Bosch set-ups, in fact – and ABS, but the LCD instrumentation is pretty damn comprehensive, too. A fully digital display, in addition to all the regular stuff you get average fuel consumption, actual fuel consumption, average speed, trip time, and a range-to-empty readout. There’s no storage under the tiny pillion seat but you do get a toolkit and, on these Euro demo bikes at least, a small first-aid kit. Oh, and the horn’s brilliant – it's an item that’s often overlooked on cheaper bikes, which is a shame given a horn’s added importance on an entry-level machine.

Pillions? Yes, there is a seat and two decent grabrails, but it’ll only do for shorter, around-town trips. In a bike this light and with this output, a pillion won’t do wonders for the bike’s performance or handling.

SUMMING UP
I’m sold on the 390 Duke’s handling, performance, looks and price – it will hit Aussie dealerships mid-year at $6995 plus on-roads. That’s competitive, and it will give potential buyers plenty to think about. If you’re not too tall, it’s a great first bike, commuter or weekend fun machine. With Bajaj Auto Ltd’s volume-production might and KTM’s technical expertise and stringent quality control – and Kiska’s design flair – the 390 Duke could well be the Austrian firm’s first truly global hit.

MADE IN INDIA
KTM’s Indian partner, Bajaj Auto Ltd, first acquired a 14.5 per cent share of the Austrian manufacturer back in 2007. Bajaj is said to be the world’s fourth-largest motorcycle manufacturer – and the second largest in India behind Hero Motocorp – and it has gained a progressively larger share of KTM in the years since.

In early 2012 it increased its slice of KTM to just over 47 per cent, although KTM Managing Director, Stefan Pierer, has gone on record as saying the Indian firm will never be a majority shareholder. That position – currently with a 51 per cent slice – is held by CROSS Industries AG, an automotive-focussed holding company co-founded in 1987 by Pierer and another current KTM executive, Rudolf Knuenz.

The relationship is a healthy and harmonious one. Bajaj Auto was seeking additional technological expertise while KTM wanted an entry into high-volume, cost-effective production – the union has brought those desires to fruition for each party.

The 390 Duke is the third KTM model to be produced at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan facility, the first two being the 125 Duke and the 200 Duke. Rest assured it won’t be the last.

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed weight: 139kg (all fluids except fuel)
Seat height: 800mm
Wheelbase: 1367mm
Fuel capacity: 11 litres