KTM Duke 390 - or alternatives ?

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

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Joined
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Manchester
Hi all

I used to own a bandit 600 back in the day and now not at all interested in speed and power now (now sensible and have 3 kids), just after a decent bike that has got a comfortable seating position and nimble enough for commuting and filtering through traffic also good on fuel and will lasts me a few years,

I've seen the KTM duke 390 in the flesh and think it looks like an awesome bike, need to arrange a test ride though.

They go for around £3499 brand new (currently with option for 24 months 0% finance ), are there any other bikes similar or around the same price range ?

Thanks
 
It might be worth reading around. I looked into 390's, but it seems a lot of them have issues with stalls when idling at stops, and a few reviews have talked about very high temps when moving in slow traffic for extended periods of time. This ruled it out as a commuter for me.
 
A 400 or something with around 50bhp is a perfect 'fun' bike - not too fast but still fast enough to have fun :D my CB400 will apparently top out at 120, does 0-60 in 5 seconds and and has plenty of poke for overtaking, but is perfect for commuting as 6th gear 30mph is around 3k rpm, and it'll happily do walking pace in 1st not having to slip the clutch.

Don't just go by engine size though, stuff like the NC700/750 may seem much bigger but they're only 50bhp or so too, they're not the most exciting bike but they have near instant torque and will return a true 80mpg.
 
You can always get a V-Twin if you never had one before, like a Moto Guzzi... lots of torque from the bottom and they aren't really meant to be ridden quick. The power is around 50bhp.

Just don't buy any of the A2 bikes like the Duke 390, they're usually made cheaply... You get what you pay for.
 
I've heard a lot of complaints about the reliability of KTMs & the build quality compared to other bikes (can't comment myself though). As wazza says, if it's what you like, then go look and buy it if you want :)

The Yamaha MT07 looks (and sounds) good and is a similar bike. Build quality doesn't look quite as good as some bikes, but then they are really cheap (although over your budget).
 
lmfy2k said:
Hi all

I used to own a bandit 600 back in the day and now not at all interested in speed and power now
Click to expand...

To be fair, the Bandit was never known for vast amounts of speed or power!

The Duke 390 is a cracking bike by all accounts, but it is quite small, barely larger than some 125s. The quality of welding on the frame is pretty ropey as well.
 
Someone had one on a group ride out a while back, it was surprisingly nippy & looked huge fun to ride. As the others have mentioned, they are not very well finished and reliability may be an issue. Not major stuff like the engine, more niggly like electrical problems.

£3.5k new though......that's a bargain.
 
First time I have seen the words bandit 600/ speed and power used together lol.
the MT-07 has about the same power as a 600 bandit 78bhp v the mt-07 74bhp.
Honda Hornet has way more, about 95.
just get another 600 bandit, after all its you that controls how fast you go on it.
 
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