Images by: Sebas Romero and Marco Capelli
Test Ride by: Khaled Karam
On a sunny Monday morning we took our new 2017 KTM Duke 390 out on a test drive, to the beautiful mountains of Turin but let’s be honest… how else would you really test the new Duke than on curvy roads on the mountain, abandoned factories with tricky surprises, spiraled parking ways?… Well the people at KTM gave us all that and more.
Let’s talk about that beautiful and mean design with those extra splashes of orange they added to the fuel tank and exposed sub-frame at the rear. On the Duke 390 is built a full-LED split headlight unit. In addition to that, they geared it up with an all-new TFT color instrument display, a pretty good addition I must say!
The clutch levers and brake are now adjustable to help all riders be more comfortable on it.
The features on the new Duke make it user-friendly. A screen – that can be used easily – is available and presents all vital data to the rider, and it is where you can also control and use all smartphones, calls and audio. The screen can also adjust the brightness to adapt to the light, making it easier for the rider to read the stats. Ok I saw this feature on the catalogue but when I entered a tunnel and the color changed… there was a grin under the helmet.
Now the kick in this little fella is no joke, yet it rides ever so smoothly. The new ride-by-wire throttle addition gives the Duke 390 the right amount of control over the power delivery.
And it can go fast, like seriously fast! Going 0-100 kmph in under 6 seconds. The bike is literally 10 kg heavier but this weight has played to its benefit with more torque and horse power, it’s simply amazing. You, the Duke, and some empty highway roads… we’ll leave the imagination for you. Ok some will comment that they’d rather have the Super Duke but well I do not know how many of you guys would love the super duke in traffic and for everyday but anyway this will not be our conversation
We also tested the nickname that was given to the new Duke 390: ‘The Corner Rocket’, and we were not disappointed or were we surprised when it lived up to its name. The control and stability the Duke possesses on extremely curvy corners were brilliant and quick; with extreme synchronization between all the parts in the bike that responded perfectly to every bend. I am not your perfect rider nor am I the famous Rok Bagoros but I can tell you a thing or two about Dukes. This is the Duke of Dukes!
To all speed lovers, curve-benders, and control freaks, and for those who want to use it for everyday rides to work, college and more, this is the bike for you.
pst pst and to all you stuntmen out there you might want to give it a try.
The new 2017 KTM Duke 390 is a must have.
Stay tuned for some video action and some more details about the bike soon.