Rennie Scaysbrook | March 12, 2024
If you’re into your super-naked motorcycles but are new enough to the game that the idea of a 990 or even 1390 Super Duke R scares the life out of you, you’re in luck, as KTM has just given its entry-level 390 Duke naked roadster a thorough facelift to coincide with 30 years of the Duke platform.
Spunky little rat, isn’t it? Yes, this one is laced with KTM PowerParts, but the base is still an awesome little rocket for new riders.
Photography by Sebas Romero
Designed in Austria and built in India by KTM’s commercial partner Bajaj, the 390 has always been reserved for those who enjoy the harder styles when it comes to (probably) their first road bike.
There’s more of a direct lineage between the 390 and its 1390 bigger brother than almost anything else on the market. The 390 rolls into 2024 with new, unapologetically aggressive styling, a snappy, more powerful single-cylinder motor (it’s gone from 42 to 44 horsepower for 2024), a new chassis, and brand-new electronics that include cornering ABS and traction control. KTM claims it’s 90 percent new, which is a significant number to claim, given the success of the old model.
The new motor receives a new airbox, cylinder head, exhaust, and a revised shift drum for cleaner gearshifts—the latter you’ll want to pair with KTM’s optional quickshifter for maximum close-no-throttle fun.
New extended front panels make the 390 look bigger than it really is.
The biggest thing is capacity has jumped from 373cc to 399cc via a 4mm longer stroke to 64mm, while the bore remains unchanged at 89mm. Power is delightfully smooth from a closed throttle, but there are new Street and Rain riding modes if you want to work your way up to the claimed 44 horsepower. There’s also an optional Track mode that unleashes everything the motor has to offer.
The midrange torque from the little single-cylinder is ultra-impressive. It’s still got that manic rev we all love in a high-performance single, but you can be a bit lazier in your riding and let the third- and fourth-gear torque pull you from corner to corner. But if you want to get rowdy, kick it into the higher revs, and there’s performance some twin-cylinder bikes could only dream of.
The 390 has a drastically changed chassis compared to 2023. The name of the game here is increased stiffness, which KTM achieved with the new steel trellis main frame and new banana-style swingarm that has the shock mounted on the right side rather than the center.
The new shock is now side-mounted compared to the centrally-placed unit of the pre-2024 models to accommodate the larger airbox.
The reason for this is three-fold: the first is to make room for the larger airbox of the higher capacity motor, the second is to help lower the seat height 10mm to 820mm/32.2 inches, and the third is to concentrate all the main aesthetic parts of the 390 to the right-hand side. The brakes were moved to the right side purely for this reason—now the right looks like a tough featherweight UFC fighter. The left side looks a bit weak and spindly by comparison, with nothing of note aside from the chain and sprocket.
Big man, little bike. You’ll want to be a few inches shorter than Rennie’s 6’1” frame to fit comfortably on the 390.
The new chassis is matched to a wheel and a Michelin Power 6 tire set that weighs a claimed 8.8 pounds less than in 2023. That’s 8.8 pounds of weight taken off right where you want it in unsprung mass. The 390 was already a nimble and agile bike, but it took another step in 2024. You must time your corners on the 390 because it’ll jam off towards the apex with just the slightest input in steering—it’s not nervous in its steering, but it’s quicker than most things on the road in this department.
At 6’1” and way too heavy for a bike of this size, the 390 is a bit of a squeeze for me, and it took four turns of preload on the shock for the 390 to start behaving in a manner befitting a KTM Duke. Accompanying preload is five steps of rebound adjustment, while up front, there’s the new 43mm open-cartridge WP Apex fork with compression and five-stage rebound adjustment. I didn’t mess around with the fork while on test, but once I had a bit of preload in the rear, life was instantly more tolerable. The 390 held its line with more precision, not squatting under the weight of those massive 44 Austrian/Indian horses sitting beneath my loins.
Rennie makes his best attempt to stop on the orange line as fast as possible and fails. At least this shows the brakes work just fine.
ByBre’s four-piston brake system was adequate for the task but not mind-blowing. There’s more than enough power, but the feel is a little lacking at the lever. However, it’s not overly worrying considering the general quality of the rolling hardware.
The brakes come with a two-channel ABS, and you can engage Supermoto Mode in the ECU, thus enabling you to do your best Chris Fillmore impersonation and back it into corners.
New LED headlight is reminiscent of the bigger brother 1390.
Speaking of the electronics, they are all adjusted via the new 1390 Super Duke R-inspired five-inch TFT display that allows for turn-by-turn navigation and phone pairing to answer calls and control your music via the KTMconnect app that works for Apple or Android.
And if you want to be extra gangsta, KTM’s launch control now allows you to hold the revs at 7000 rpm, dump the clutch and get near-perfect traffic-light GP starts every time.
A claimed 8.8 pounds lighter wheel-and-tire set makes the 390 almost feel like a bicycle in the corners.
The 390 Duke has certainly matured in 2024, with the looks now more closely aligned with the bigger Dukes in the family. More extended side panels give the bike the look of a larger capacity steed and give it a little maturity. Full LED lighting abounds, and the gas tank has increased in size by 0.4 gallons to 3.9 gallons for a little extra time in the saddle.
The KTM 390 Duke is undoubtedly the hardest-edge “learner” machine you can buy in America, but in the U.S., you don’t have to start on a little bike. You can get a Hayabusa if you want, but I’d strongly recommend against that notion. The 390 is a gem of a machine if you want a sporty little bike with plenty of attitude that allows you to grow as a rider and then graduate onto something a little quicker. That’s the proper way to have a long life as a rider, and there’s hardly a nastier-looking first bike than the KTM 390 Duke on which to do it. CN
2024 KTM 390 Duke Specifications
| MSRP: |
$6299 |
| Engine: |
Single-cylinder, 4-stroke |
| Cooling System: |
Liquid |
| Valvetrain: |
4-valve |
| Displacement: |
399cc |
| Bore x stroke: |
89 x 64mm |
| Fuel injection: |
Electronic fuel injection system, 46mm throttle body |
| Exhaust: |
1-1 |
| Transmission: |
6-speed |
| Clutch: |
Wet, multi-plate, slip and assist |
| Electronics: |
Riding Modes, ABS, Traction Control |
| Chassis: |
Tubular steel |
| Front suspension: |
43mm WP Apex inverted forks, compression and rebound damping adjustable |
| Rear suspension: |
WP Apex monoshock, preload, and rebound adjustable |
| Front brake: |
Single 320mm disc, ByBre 4-piston radial monobloc calipers |
| Rear brake: |
Single 240mm disc, ByBre single-piston caliper |
| Front tire: |
Michelin Power 6 110/70ZR17 in. |
| Rear tire: |
Michelin Power 6, 150/60R17 in. |
| Wheelbase: |
53.4 in. |
| Seat height: |
32.2 in. |
| Fuel capacity: |
3.9 gal. |
| Weight (curb, claimed): |
363 lbs. |
VIDEO | 2024 KTM 390 Duke First Ride Review
