2026 will mark the death of one of the greatest and most relevant performance motorcycle engines that India has ever seen. By the end of the first quarter, all the 373cc and 399cc motors in various KTM, Triumph and Bajaj bikes will be downsized to 350cc to comply with the new GST norms.
If you’ve gotten into the motorcycling scene at any point in the last 13 years as a performance enthusiast, there’s a good chance this engine has played a pivotal role in your motorcycling journey. My introduction to KTMs began as a fresh and bright-eyed journalist in 2011. News had just broken that KTM would launch a 200cc bike the following year – a bike that I absolutely loved when I tried it out, but decided not to buy. Why? Because KTM had also revealed that the bigger and much faster 390 would follow in 2013. After just how incredibly fun the 200 was, the idea of the 390 seemed almost mythical, and I decided to use the time I had to save every rupee I could.
By the end of 2013, I’d sold my R15, scraped together some cash and borrowed the rest from my dear grandmother to come up with a grand total of Rs 2.08 lakh for the on-road price – about half of what it is today! In early 2014, I rode my black and orange 390 Duke home, and looking back today, that bike was one of the grand educators in my motorcycling career.
The Duke opened my eyes to what speed can mean, it took me to my first track day, it even scored me my first knee down. It also taught me that performance demands respect and, more importantly, performance is not always easy to live with. It taught me that exciting motorcycles can be temperamental, that they can get hot to the point that it burns, and that motorcycling isn’t always easy. But the struggle can actually add to its appeal.
The downsizing of these engines is sad, but it’s a necessary move for Bajaj to make these bikes competitive given the big taxation benefits. At the same time, I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. With a 25-50cc drop in size, we’re looking at a 2-5hp power reduction, but there’s more to the picture than just output figures. For example, if the company is chasing the smallest power drop possible on the KTMs, it might result in an engine that has noticeably lower torque than before, but with an excitingly peaky top end. That’s just the sort of manic nature that would make for a fun KTM!
Beyond that, I’m also keen to see how the Triumph and KTM engines differ from each other in sound and feel, as well as what sort of tune Bajaj settles for with its own Dominar and NS models. One thing’s for sure, there will be plenty of bikes for us to ride and tell you all about in the next few months. Oh, and if you’ve always wanted one of these angry 390 KTMs, or a ‘proper’ 400cc Triumph, time is running out for you to go get one.
Avik Chattopadhyay
