The Naked Motorcycle That Makes City Riding More Enjoyable Than Ever
What is a commuter bike? For most motorcyclists, it’s a simple, comfortable bike that is easy to ride, sips fuel at a snail’s pace, and is easy to flick in tight spaces. That would typically draw the picture of a boring old Honda that may be the most logical choice but hardly a fun one. With the growth of the segment, though, a niche of fun commuters has come into the picture. They do everything mentioned above, while adding a layer of hooliganism to the mix that brings a grin on your face. Here’s a prime example of that, and it’s an orange little naked bike from an Austrian heavyweight.
The Three Integral Elements Of An Enjoyable Commuter Bike
There’s no denying that public transport remains the most eco-friendly and affordable way to travel in the city. However, for those of us who enjoy the freedom to travel as we please without relying on schedules, there’s hardly anything better than a motorcycle. They have a much smaller carbon footprint than a car, and they can zip through traffic with ease. If this is your priority, the motorcycling world has some incredible options for you, including the Honda Super Cub, Honda NC750X DCT, or Kawasaki Versys 650.
But what if you want something a bit more fun than a sensible commuter motorcycle? In that case, you need a bike that ticks three essential boxes. The first is accessible yet fun power. The bike should never feel overwhelming to ride in the city, nor should it feel like it’s not perky enough to be fun. It should have the power to pop a wheelie once in a while or handle a spirited weekend run up a canyon road. At the same time, it should run cool enough not to cook your legs if you get stuck in traffic.
The next box it needs to tick is that of sharp handling and agility, which has a two-fold benefit. First, agile handling is fun, whether you’re messing around in a parking lot or going up a mountain road. And if you know what you’re doing, you can keep up with much bigger bikes on the road. Second, agility works in your favor in the city, as you don’t have to fight the bike in tight city streets or congested traffic. A compact, agile bike is just easier to live with.
Unlike a track weapon that you’ll use occasionally, a city bike is something you’ll use more often. It will see a lot more miles, so it should be economical to run long-term, in terms of fuel economy and maintenance. Here, the decision comes between a fun little engine or an understressed large-displacement engine. If you want to enjoy your commute, the former is the right option. You get to have fun without sacrificing fuel economy. And there’s one naked bike that ticks all these boxes better than any other today.
The KTM 390 Duke Is Built For Having Fun During Commutes
KTM claims that the 390 Duke is built to make the world around you your very own gymkhana. Ride the bike once, and you’ll see why the company claims that. This is an exciting motorcycle, offering a peppy sub-400cc engine that makes enough power to have fun. In its current iteration, it’s a lot more tractable, too. That’s paired with exceptional agility and lightweight handling, along with adjustable suspension and advanced rider aids. So you can have fun on your commutes and, come weekend, drag your knees up a mountain road.
It’s called the Duke, and it looks the part, too. Staying true to KTM’s aggressive design language, the 390 Duke looks sharp and ready to have fun. It’s unapologetic in its design, complete with shark-like edges, external LED positional lights, and a hunkered-down stance. And staying true to its naked lineage, the bike puts its hardware on full display, with the frame and subframe offering a neat contrast and the LC4c engine hanging under it. It’s a 100 percent Duke by design and performance.
Prices Start From $5,499
The KTM 390 Duke starts at $5,499, making the bike totally value for the money. Sure, it still lacks a parallel-twin mill like most of its rivals, but it more than makes up for it with punchy performance, capable hardware, and advanced electronics. It also undercuts most of its rivals, including the Kawasaki Z500, going for $5,699, and the Honda CB500 Hornet, going for $5,899. The only rivals that undercut the KTM are the Yamaha MT-03, going for $4,999, and the CFMoto 450NK, going for $5,399.
Hardware That’s Designed To Have Fun On The Road
At the KTM 390 Duke’s heart is the latest-generation LC4c engine. KTM says this engine draws from years of experience in the small engine game, and it offers more power, smoother acceleration, and lighter overall weight compared to the older unit. The engine displaces 399cc, producing 44.38 horsepower and 29 pound-feet of torque, and it’s mated to a 6-speed manual. Unlike its predecessor, the engine feels more tractable in the low revs while still retaining the high-RPM rush that the 390 platforms are known for. That combination makes for a perfect city bike that can both chill in traffic and have fun when the road opens up.
Sharp Handling, Courtesy Of A Trellis Frame And WP Hardware
The engine hangs in a frame featuring a 2-piece construction, with a steel trellis main frame paired with a pressure die-cast aluminum subframe. KTM says this frame is designed to improve dynamics, offering excellent torsional rigidity and improving feedback and agility. The setup sits on WP Apex suspension, featuring a 43mm open cartridge USD fork up front with adjustable compression and damping and a separate piston shock with rebound and preload adjustment.
Combined with the bike’s weight of just over 363 pounds (curb), the package offers the bike exceptional handling characteristics and agility. In the city, it allows you to make quick directional changes without letting you feel the bike’s weight. Out on a twisty road, the bike handles sharply and predictably, inspiring confidence without being unforgiving. Helping this handling is a set of lightweight wheels wrapped in grippy Michelin rubber. Braking comes from new WP FCR4 brake calipers. The front is a radial four-piston caliper gripping a large 320mm rotor, and the rear is a single-piston caliper gripping a 240mm rotor.
Enough Comfort For City Riding And Plenty Of Electronics
The bike is lightweight and compact for sharp, agile handling, and the bike’s ergonomics are designed accordingly. That means the bike features a relatively tight riding triangle, which may feel cramped for taller riders. However, it gives you a commanding position on the bike, making it feel easy to maneuver in tight spaces and in corners. KTM also says the lightweight forged aluminum pegs ensure uninterrupted grip during a spirited riding session. As a result, the bike should feel comfortable for city rides and weekend mountain runs, but it lacks space for longer rides.
Plenty Of High-End Electronics
What the KTM 390 Duke does not fall short on is electronics, starting with a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. Then there are three ride modes, including Street, Rain, and Track. The last of which changes the display graphics to be more track-focused, enlarging the rev counter, showing the laptimer, and reducing the size of the speed readout.
The track mode also allows you to activate launch control, which peaks the engine at 7,000 RPM with a wide-open throttle. All you need to do then is dump the clutch! And to make sure you don’t lose grip or taste dirt, the bike also comes standard with cornering-enabled traction control and ABS with Supermoto ABS. Switch to Supermoto ABS, and you have a little naked bike that will let you have fun and leave a tire mark on the road.
Source: KTM
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