We list all the 2017 Duke 390 changes – major or minor…
KTM has been a bike maker which has showered a lot of love on the smaller capacity bikes or let us say entry level performance motorcycles. And it were these motorcycles which were instrumental in getting their financial books straight.
They announced the naked blitzkrieg at (and around) EICMA last year which included unveiling of a series of motorcycles from their streetfighter Duke range. KTM launched all the motorcycles including the Duke 390 in India a few months back. While we did see the inclusion of slipper clutch earlier let’s have a look at all the changes that have been brought in…
2017 Duke 390 Changes – Old vs New
- Engine: The 373.2 cc 44 PS engine churns out 37 Nm of torque now, which is 2 Nm more than the older version. Both the power and torque peak earlier as well.
- Emission Norms: 2017 Duke 390 complies to the latest Euro4 emission norms and the India-spec motorcycle adheres to the new BS4 norms.
- New Exhaust: Assisting this is a new side mounted exhaust system including a link pipe and a canister. The 2015 edition sold in India has a compact three chamber underbelly canister.
- Disc brake: The front wheel gets a 320 mm disc in the 2017 edition, whereas the older version had a smaller 300 mm diameter disc. The rear continues to be a 230 mm unit.
- Fuel Tank: The fuel tank in the new motorcycle can store 13.4 litre of petrol which is a generous jump from the puny 11 litre unit of the old Duke.
- Ground Clearance: The ground clearance in the 2017 Duke 390 is higher at 185 mm than the 170 mm of the older 390. This may be because of the removal of underbelly exhaust.
- Weight: Yes, that’s one area where KTMs have always excelled. With BS4 compliance and bigger canister exhaust, the weight was bound to increase. However, the engineers have been able to restrict it at 149 kg (dry). The 2015 version had a dry weight of 139 kg – which means a 10 kg increment.
- Suspension Travel: At 142 mm, the front suspension has slightly lesser travel as compared to the 150 mm of the outgoing version.
- Ride by Wire: The new Duke 390 also gets ride by wire which helps it gain a crisper throttle response.
- Headlamp: Like Dominar 400, the headlamps of Duke 390 are all-LED now and offer better illumination. This is a much needed upgrade as a lot of the older Duke 390 owners complained about the inadequate light throw of the old model.
- Cockpit: The new TFT display is a mini computer and outputs tons of information. It is also more readable than the LCD unit of the older motorcycle. Controls for the new display are placed on the left handlebar.
- Smartphone Connectivity: The optional MyRide multimedia interface provides smartphone connectivity, which allows the rider to use the screen as a navigation display.
- Adjustable Levers: 2017 Duke 390 also gets adjustable front brake and clutch lever.
- Design: Last but not the least, the ‘Corner Rocket’ gets a body style which makes it look sharper and meaner than the outgoing bike!
Despite higher GST rates, prices of the motorcycle have reduced in most states. You can check out the latest prices here. KTM-Bajaj has officially announced the introduction of Duke-390 based Husqvarna motorcycles in India as well as the new 390 adventure!
