2024 KTM 390 Duke Lessons Learned - Hooligan Heaven!

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My current motorcycles are:-
2014 BMW R1200GS
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Please be aware I am not a professional journalist or otherwise claim to be an expert in any way in motorcycles or anything else. I'm just an ordinary biker like you probably are. Please regard my videos as entertainment only and if information presented is important to you, please verify it via a knowledgable third party....the videos I post are just my opinions and are no more valid than anyone elses.

[MotoTourIreland]

No to subscriptions for unlocking things I already paid for.
Nice lookin bike though.

[ColinJHMorton]

I was out for a drive recently in rural Norfolkshire, beautiful sunny hot day. A guy shot past me on one of these with inches to spare, he lacked any roadcraft or finesse, was thinking to myself that nutter is coming off, and sure enough 2 mins later up ahead he was on the road. So very lucky he wasn’t killed, he landed on his backside in front of oncoming traffic on a busy A-road, Sunday afternoon. His bike shot off up the grassy embankment. Always inspiring to see how the British public step up in an emergency; loads of folks out to help him, cars stopped, guys moving his smashed up bike, he limped away in pain, but still in the game. Stay safe out there, beautiful bike for sure. Tame your inner beast though! 😊

[michaelrieser]

I had a stroke at 57, I was bouncing back getting my legs back under me and cleaning up my speech. Ready to start to begin riding again I found my 2007 990 ktm superduke was too heavy at least moving it on foot. I had lost a lot of muscle mass during recovery. So I wanted a lighter bike, the 390 duke reviews of this and the previous model were really good. Had a 2023 and 2024 right next to each other. The 23 at $4299 and the 24 at $6299. The 24 fit and finish was noticeably better, many improvements, no quickshifter for the 23 and the quickshifter for the 24 was said to be a huge improvement over the 21-22 version. I got the orange 2024 I’m 6 foot I fit fine, the seat is good for 2 hours. It is like a dirt bike, a compact set up compared to a 1000 cc naked bike.I think the engine runs the same before or after the break in, they just want you to keep the rpm’s below 7000 rpm’s until after 600 miles. How it rides….. from a stop you go to 1st to second and then 3rd pretty quick getting to 35-40mph. The gears are a bit short there. I assume this is because it is a 390 and not a 990. You ride the backroads and twisties in 3rd of 4th at 35-60mph. 3rd is pretty torquey at 50 plus, 4th is smoother. You ride at 4000-8000 rpm’s and have great torque all the time. Maybe it’s like a bigger bike in rain mode power wise. It’s a light smaller bike but pretty fast enough, freeway you can do 65-85mph no problem. Power to pass, but it’s not a 990, some times I down shift to increase my passing torque pull. Wind protection on the freeway I’m not going to get into, it’s a naked sport bike if you want a tourer look for a different type of bike. But I do 30 minute freeway rides no problem. The quickshifter is flawless. It was $250 extra. You get a lot for $6299 on this bike. The new 990 duke does make you pay for a lot but they have free deals available, make a deal, wait for a deal! I have my muscles back and I ride my 2007 ktm 990 superduke as well. The 390 duke is an awesome really fun bike for a beginner or an experienced rider. If my budget allowed I would trade the 990 in for a triumph street triple 765r and keep the ktm 390 duke as a second bike. If you have a motorcycle you know it sucks when your bike is out of commission. So the 390 duke is that fun that even moving on to something else you would want to still have it to ride. Beginning able to compare both dukes I would say the 390 performs maybe like a 600cc bike, you can rail it that much. But I’m going to go to a one motorcycle barn and trade these two for a 765rs, I had a speed triple and a 675r Daytona. The triumph triples are really fun. Let me add that riding this 390 duke has made me a better rider. All I had before was larger bikes and I got a lot from this 390 duke experience.

[leanit]

I have been riding for 48 years and recently got one of these. It is really a brilliantly done little bike. For what it is (little thumper), it is pretty awesome. Great handling, super nimble and light, great suspension for riding fast, and the power delivery of the little engine is pretty much optimal. The dash is great. For really going after it, I would like some more front brake, but for most uses it is more than adequate. And personally, I think it is a very good looking motorcycle.

[markdawson]

My cat work me up at 2:00 AM on a Saturday, so here I am. Glad to see you've already posted today. This and a cup of tea will help my attitude immensely. Hello from Atlanta, GA.

[gogglehead]

I think the issue of short gearing may be down to the bike being in it's running-in period where it'll redline at about 5000 rpm, when it goes in for it's first service at about 650 miles they recalibrate the ecu/tft and it will rev freely up to about 9000 rpm. A shame that they didn't lend you a run-in one to have all the fun of the full beans, I bet it really rips along!

[niveketihw]

Definitely not a fan of the business practice of locking features behind a paywall. Can't fault the engineers, only the management.

[michaelrieser]

Thanks for doing these videos they are a wealth of information for us when choosing a new bike!

[TheLastCrankers]

At least that 200-something quickshifter fee is actually 200 quid. Plenty of bikes where you have to first buy the part for 200 and then pay another 200 for fitting.
I don’t know how to feel about it. It’s there, but they’re trying to artificially lower the price in the catalogue, which is already quite good. If they simply included it all in price, they would’ve been praised for amazing equipment for money.

[JezNashMusic]

Cracking review, as ever. Nice looking pub, too! Just catching up on your latest vids, Andy, as I’ve been somewhat nomadic for 2 months!

[jonomasonILoveU]

Got this bike, got most of the Powerparts including the Remus pipe, came with QS already. I love kTm😁.

[steveburns]

Great to see these quality small capacity bikes on the market, hopefully will encourage more to get into biking.

[ozzyprogdomino]

I tried the previous model and preferred the Kawasaki Z400 no regrets it’s been super reliable and still love it.

[Peakwanderer]

Andy I also considered the Honda CB300R (which I don't think you've ever ridden?) with these heavier more expensive 400's. In the end I bought the Honda because it is 143kg handles like a dream is only £4549 and IMO looks better.

[davidz]

I have to say if I was in the market for this size bike, it would be the little Triumph for me.

[sergentcolon]

Morning Andy I’m afraid the first two negatives are deal breakers for me. It doesn’t matter how well the bike goes or handles if it’s not comfortable, for me the electronics are just more things to go wrong and the 390 does have a bit of a history of unreliability. As for the looks, personally I prefer the Husqvarna 401 Vitpilen over the Duke. For the competition, I’ve test ridden the Triumph Speed 400 and it’s a very comfortable bike and to me far better looking and as you said 400 cheaper, I think in this the class the Triumph is the bike to beat. One bike you didn’t mention is the new RE Guerrilla 450, which in base model is about £900 cheaper.

[paulfowler]

Its already been said but as an owner of the previous model the short gearing is set for the running in period and then adjusted when its serviced. I loved the old bike and this looks like more of the same. Im 5 foot 9 and never found the old machine cramped I wonder if the riding position has changed🤔One thing thats not changed by the sound of it is the standard hard seat!

[kevinjones]

KTM 390 are one of the best B Road bolsters you can get. I love my previous gen model. I'm bored of bikes weighing 210 kg plus and costing upwards of 15 grand.

[michaelrieser]

Wait for a 400cc comparison, I bet the 390 duke takes the crown! I’m 6 feet and 220 lbs. You need to play with different sag notches on the rear suspension to find your sweet spot. It makes the seat more comfortable and leans into corners like butter. Maybe because the wheel base is so short the sag really can change the geometry a lot . Also it’s great to be able to try different front suspension settings. To make a comparison I test drove a triumph street triple 765rs the other day, now I’m sure the sag set up on that bike was not set for a 220lb rider but it fit like a glove. If I had the 765r for more miles to try different sag settings I’m sure I could find even a better fit for me. I think the cheaper smaller bikes need more adjustments to fit the different sized riders, the 390 duke has a lot of adjustments in the suspension.As far as the seat on the 390 duke I would say it’s not at any point where I would need to throw money at it to get a comfort seat. It’s a naked sport bike 2-3 hours and then you need a break. And the last hour is giving you hints. I’ve bought wheel sliders, frame sliders, Tail tidy, quickshifter and hunting down a good slip on exhaust. And maybe better foot pegs. I’ve bought all that and have not felt the need to find a better seat, but again the sage adjustment helped how I am perched on the seat, and it’s a naked sports bike ktm not a triumph speed 400. But if you take both on a backroad twisty……..The duke is hard not to Love!

[bfarm]

This newer model is on my radar but then again so many are