THE 390 DUKE HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A cult classic in the world of motorcycles. Personally speaking, I have owned a first-generation model for over seven years, so it was good fun putting this one to the test.
The new design language is a drastic departure from the previous model's and now it is a substantially larger motorcycle than before. The styling has been inspired by their flagship Super Duke 1290. It now makes use of a 15-litre fuel-tank with sharp shrouds jutting out on either side. The split seat is larger and we also see the pillion seat much higher up than before. The front end gets sharp LED DRL, the rear end is devoid of the tyre hugger and gets an underbelly exhaust unit to keep the look as slick as possible. Even though this is a larger motorcycle, it has a kerb weight of just 168 kilograms.
A couple of weeks ago when I was riding the new 250 Duke, I did mention that I was personally not a big fan of the proportions. However, after seeing more of them around, this design language has begun to grow on me, too, and I somehow quite like this blue colour scheme. I still think the first-gen looked the best, but this futuristic one is sure to appeal to the youth of today. The bike sports a five-inch TFT screen, which is surely one of the best in this class. The startup animation sequence is pretty cool, while the layout of information and navigating through menus is very user-friendly. It has three riding modes: Street, Rain, and Track.
This story is from the January 2024 edition of Bike India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2024 edition of Bike India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Bagnaia Stamps His Authority
The 2024 MotoGP World Championship starts where it was left off as Francesco Bagnaia reminds the field why he is the reigning world champion
Apaches on a Go-kart Track
TVS invited us to their Apache Racing Experience GP. We had a lot of fun and we also learned a lot. Here is how the experience was
A Visit to Harley's Indian Home
It is always fascinating to watch things being put together. This time we got to watch X440s come to life in the \"Garden Factory\"
A Classic Re-energized
Kinetic Green launched the E-Luna recently and we just got our hands on one. We took it around town and here is what we feel about it
Almost Perfect
Anyone thinking of upgrading to a 600-cc-plus motorcycle must ride the Kawasaki Ninja 500 at least once
Xtremely Convenient
We had a ride on the Hero Xtreme 125R a few months ago at the time of its launch in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Of late we had an opportunity to test it out on our roads and here is how the ride went off
The Process of Elimination
The Kawasaki Eliminator has little competition, for it has always belonged to its own niche. We do not see other manufacturers bunging sport bike engines into cruiser chassis, do we?
Reincarnation
The first Super Duke arrived in 2005. Some 12 years after its demise, that magic \"990\" capacity returns to the fray. This time not as a Super Duke-only the gargantuan 1390 gets the \"Super\" tag these days-but simply as the 990 Duke. Here is how our first ride went off
Singularly Purposeful
Ducati produce a road-going single-cylinder for the first time in half a century and enter the supermoto class with intent
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801
Drops All Pretence of Being an Off-roader
