2013 KTM 390 Duke First Look Review- Photos

2013 KTM 390 Duke – First Look A little roadster with big performance.

KTM has pleasantly surprised fans of lightweight streetbikes with its announcement of the 390 Duke, a bike that promises to be the meanest little beast one can buy for less than 5000 euros ($6400 U.S. at presstime). KTM’s engineers have shoehorned a 390cc, 44-horsepower Single into the compact but strong frame of the 125/200 Duke to produce a roadster with incredible potential for the price.

With its claimed dry weight of just 307 pounds, the 390 Duke looks to have a power-to-weight ratio that should deliver terrific acceleration and throttle response. The dohc Single is highly oversquare, with an 89.0mm bore and 60mm stroke. The compression ratio is a substantial 12.6:1, and the engine breathes
through a 46mm EFI throttle body. Both injection and ignition are managed by a Bosch integrated digital system. The 390 (which actually displaces 373cc) delivers those 44 peak horses at 9500 rpm, and its 26 foot-pounds of peak torque comes in at 7250.

Not only does the 390 share the same 53.8-in. wheelbase, 25-degree steering rake and 100mm front-wheel trail with its smaller brothers, they all use the same 43mm WP fork and shock, as well as the braking system. A single 300mm rotor and four-piston Brembo caliper do the work up front, with a 230mm rotor and a single-piston floating Brembo caliper at the rear.

Based on its specifications, the 390 Duke should deliver outstanding agility, terrific acceleration and easy handling.

2013 KTM 390 Duke - studio front 3/4 view

2013 KTM 390 Duke - studio right-side view

2013 KTM 390 Duke - studio rear 3/4 view

http://twitter.com/MichaelPShannon Michael Shannon

At $6400 it won’t sell. It needs to be $5500 or less.
Lloyd Reeves

Sign me up, it will sell. Finally a killer lightweight street scrambler with some fun power! It has about the same horsepower as the 2013 Zero – that would be a interesting comparison test.
Jim

Well this is a disappointment, $6400? I’d be interested if there weren’t two problems: the new CBR500F is only 5500, and my nearest KTM dealer is 120 miles away.
superman

It should sell although yeah, the Honda is a hefty price undercut. But the Honda is a bit different kind of bike, and weighs a lot more. This Duke is a unique offering and outshines the DRZ (on paper and on looks, anyway)
sandman

I love all the KTM’s this yr. and in yrs past! but the 690 is not that much more $, and has a lot more potential for over the road travel.
Rob

I would imagine it would sell at or below $6400. It’s priced below the DRZ which is an incredibly outdated design, and the new cb500f is much simpler bike with less sophisticated suspension and higher weight. I would love to see this come to the states.
Dave

I would love one but like everyone else is saying the price is got to be lower. I say under 6000. From what Im hearing the Ninja 300 is going for around 5000. Granted it makes less Hp.
I paid 6 for my ZRX 1100 in 1999.
Peter

Looks great. I just got a new Honda CBR250R Repsol Edition. Weight is around 345-360 lbs with full tank of gas and around 25 hp. I f I were looking for a sleeper street cafe racer this KTM is it. Back in 1976 through 1986 I rules the streets of Long Island with my new Triumph T140V Bonneville 750cc and 395 dry weight. I eventually removed the heavy mufflers and turn signal indicators and got the weight down to around 360lbs. I raced for ten years on a totally stock Bonneville even with the original K70H tyers and still was undefeated against every mfr’s street bike. So I know that a light weight and modestly powered good handling bike is actually the fastest cafe bike. Sure other bigger bikes are faster in 1/4 mi and top speed, but there is just so fast you can go on a curvy back road and the kighter bikes can maintain a higher average top speed. I was always in front never follwed in a race. It’s a nice feeling to know your understanding of what makes a good cafe street race bike is correct and the victories keep on coming for 1o years agains all new bikes. But now at age 63 I can enjoy my slower Honda 250cc bike as it’s actually a little challanging to just do the posted speed limits on the back roads. Also I can wave to the Police in friendship rather than fear them because I am speeding over 130mph. Heck untill 2 years ago I used to street race y 2004 Mustang GT at over 135mph on back roads and 150mph (speed governed) on the open highway’s. I was risking my life and my license most of the time. I prefere the 250cc class as I can rip and still be near the speed limits so I’m safer and have no fear of the law.