KTM and Bajaj’s upcoming 390 Duke has been shown at the EICMA show, Milan.
The 390 Duke is a naked, sporty streetbike, with flamboyant, aggressive styling and similar, contemporary lineage as on today’s small capacity Dukes. It’s confirmed the 390 Duke streetbike will reach India by mid 2013, the first of future variants built upon this common platform. The 390 Duke will be followed within 2013 by a Pulsar that uses the same 373.2cc engine. Also to come are a road-going faired-in KTM sportsbike, a relatively comfortable KTM touring 390 variant, and possibly even an on-off road Enduro 390 special. It’s impossible to speculate precise launch dates for any of these bikes at this stage, with development for these models still in its early stages.
The first 390 Duke streetbike uses a four-stroke, 373.2cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine with dual overhead camshafts driving its four-valves. Transmission will be a six-speed, one-down, 5-up toe-shifted box. Furious performance is assured, the 390 Duke tipping the scales at 139kg (kerb), and producing prodigious peak power of 44bhp at 9500rpm.
A beefy, steel trellis frame will hold the 390 Duke together, with riders seated in an upright, still sporty riding posture. Fat upside-down front forks are standard, along with an alluminium alloy swingarm and monoshock rear suspension. There’s a radial mounted 300mm disc in front and 230mm rear disc brake, with ABS brakes on offer.
Expect the 390 Duke to be attractively priced at close to Rs 200,000.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
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