2019 KTM 390 Duke | Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2019
- KTM UK very graciously let me take their lovely little 390 Duke home for a week. Here's my thoughts and feelings about this plucky little motorcycle!
For all things KTM in the UK:
www.ktm.com/gb/
All my music is sourced from Epidemic Sound:
www.epidemicsound.com/
For more please subscribe and follow my other social media channels:
Instagram:
@englishbikerdan
Facebook:
EnglishBikerDan
For enquiries please contact me at:
lfxproductions1@gmail.com - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
As a 50 something year old that is returning to riding after a hiatus of 20 years, your review has helperd convince me the KTM 390 duke is the one. I have literally just ordered one and cant wait to get back on two wheels on thhis bike. Thanks for a great review.
I just turned 60 and purchased the Duke390 after 30+ yrs of no bikes, I`m so happy to own this machine, I`m already thinking about the Duke890 next year. Did you get the 390 and what do you think of it?
@@jonomasonILoveU I did get the 390 and it is everything I expected and more. I absolutely love it . I have had it for nearly two years and and have no way ‘out grown’ it. If I change bikes in the future it will be change for change sake. So many other bikes I’d like to try and yes the 890 is on my mind to 😀
@@mrsimon2304has it been reliable for you? Have you had any issues at all?
I found this bike to be 100% reliable. I have not have any issues with it at all, not one 😀
@@mrsimon2304 Same here, I`ve just traded my 22Duke on the blue 24Duke390, its twice as good and I absolutely love it😁.
im 38 yo, 183cm and 94 kgs. i feel like im 21 whenever i ride my duke, fun bike with good quality instruments. and have tons of option to pimp it up
Similar specs to yourself and made me feel like a younger version of myself! :D
Makes me feel I'm gonna fall off the bike Everytime I accelerate. So uncomfortable...
Krout adjust your rear suspension according to your weight
you're a big boy, dude. I'm 29 yo, 173 and 70kg. I was torn between the Yamaha MT03 and the Duke, went with yamaha in the end.
Is the duke reliable? I've thought of switching in the future, was always worried about KTM reliability compared to Japanese bikes.
@@copa593 it is not a japan, but i believe any twin witj 14k rpm shouldn't last long, i was in dilemma between r3 (r25 in my country) and duke, went for duke for fuel efficiency and seat height, 13k kms on the clock atm, still works like a charm
Exactly why Im looking at getting a 390 as a "come back to riding" bike after 20 years away.
God, I wish that I could ride one of those duke one day, my truly dream bike
Adi Setyo i own an rc390, amazingly fun bike mate!
Buy one. It’ll be in the garage being fixed more than you ride it 🤣
Julius - so you’ve confirmed what I’ve said then. Unreliable all round. Thanks for my sanity check mate
@@julius9695 iv had maney Japense bikes, did maney thousands of miles, thing broke ,, none needing replaced none
I own one and absolutely LOVE it! my first bike too and what a great little thing it is
It's reviews like this that convinced me to buy the Duke 390. I took delivery of a new one in Sept 2019 and it's an absolute blast to ride. I've done about 900 miles on it and had no reliability issues other than the engine cut out a couple of times when coming to a stop. I've owned about a dozen bikes over a 40 year period, but this is the most fun. Plenty of poke too! Thanks EnglishBikerDan :o)
Such a lovely review man! Every bit you say about it, makes my smile go even wider with the pride and joy of owning it! ♥️
I love it how much he enjoys the bike. I mean you can hear it in his voice, his screams, how he laughs. He sounds so happy.
When you get to that point in life( midlife crisis) were you dont know how you are feeling about your self....... May be you just need to Duke it out😊 I'm getting that itch 😌 been wanting this for 2 years now
Once a great English biker said. "the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yeald to it"
I’m 60yrs old now and my days of 1000cc are over.You are correct saying, having a bike that you can use all of it’s potential is much more fun.I love my 390 Duke and don’t feel like I’m just a throttle blip away from losing control of it.I like knowing I can pick it up if I ever did drop it.Nice review,I agree this bike is a blast to ride.
Picking up a 500 lb bike isn’t hard. There’s literally a video of a 5 foot tall chick doing it 1000 times in a month for exercise.
The sudden hike in power post 6000RPM is insane!! Love the throttle reaction in this bike,it's such a hooligan 🤯
Had mine for 18 months, a clever bit of kit, you would never know it was only 375cc, handles and brakes like nothing else, great value for money and highly recommended.
Could possibly be one of the best videos and presentations ever. For any bike or product. Thanks for sharing.
Been a proud owner of the 2018 D390, this has been my first bike and I absolutely love it. Always puts a biigggg smile on my face when I ride it.
Dikshit Thakuria Bhai what all problems did you face? If any?
I saw this bike at the Edinburgh Exhibition today and don't have a bike license, this bike has made me want to get my license and I want this bike as my first bike.
Fantastic review, really helped me out
Not been a motorbike for ten years brought one of these 3 months ago and loving it really can't see me needing a bigger bike Fantastic fun .
I've owned one of these since 2017 when this model came out and still love it. I've added comfort ergo seats, a power parts screen, tail tidy and a black widow end can. For the money new I don't think you can get a better bike. I do also own a Z1000SX now but still love riding the little duke. Only downside is the lack of wind protection on motorways or duel carriageways at 70 plus can be hard work. Otherwise the bike copes with everything and is fun for anyone regardless of skill level.
I bought one of these secondhand last September in Chiang Rai. 2018 model. Very happy with it. Huge fun and so much faster than a 373 should be. The build quality is superb. Mine has had a airbox mod and been geared up a bit. Very relaxed on the highway.
I've got one and I'm 58,turns me into an old age hooligan when I'm riding it;-)
61 here and love this bike bigtime! Still though....I really like the Ninja 650 for just another $1000 USA Dollars and it also has an upright seating position....so it looks like a Sport Bike but the rider is in an upright position.....Might keep this great bike and might get the Ninja this summer....
@@JQUICK21 The KTM Duke 690 is no slouch at 130 mph and it weighs just a little bit more than the 390.
good man!! I've recently turned into a 50yr old hooligan on my 390 :)
@@JQUICK21 SV650 would be a better choice over the Ninja 650...
@@bestax1 wonderful. I own a new Yamaha SCR 950 but I would like to buy a second motorbike for commuting. I like this KTM 390 Duke a lot. I am 52 years old. My son is 19 he has the KTM 125 Duke. Really great bikes. I also like the Yamaha MT 03, 2020 model for commuting.
FINALLY! Some Quality Content on the Duke!
10,000km`s on mine since last year. no problems to report. I`m an old bloke and this is the smallest "big bike" iv`e owned and its such a blast as a weekend scratcher and fantastic as a weekday lane splitting commuter. Agree to the jerky throttle under 30km/h..
"smiles per mile" Thats beautiful :-)
I like English reviews, my old buddy was English living in the States. He got me into ultralight aircraft and sportbikes. I wish I could get his opinion on this bike as I just bought the Adventure version. Thanks for taking me back to my old friend!
Love your videos, you deserve a ton more subs
Just bought one 3 weeks ago and I love it .... 2018 models have been much improved ... You are right great little motorcycle ... Good review
Nice. The 390 is such an awesome lil beast. Great vid too man.
This was a great review! I'm in the US but I may have to spend some substantial time in the EU. While I'm there I would eventually have to get my A2 license and I was thinking I would pick one of these up while I'm there and send it back here once I'm done. I have been quite impressed by the Duke from what I have seen.
It absolutely is a wonderful bike! I've owned one for 3 months now and it is a joy to ride. Even during break-in (shiftin at 6000 rpm and no full throttle), it's got plenty of power. There hasn't been a moment I wanted more. A lot of people are afraid it's got overheating problems, but there's nothing of that kind.
If you ride in lower rpm's, it will do about 320km on a tank.
One of the things I like the most is the brilliant headlight. It's all fun that it switches from DLR to dip automatically, but it works an absolute charm. It really turns night into day.
Thanks for your comment about your positive experience with the bike. Cheers!
Love the review. Much love from Kenya. Hope to own one soon.
Great vid got one and it so much fun. Can’t stop grinning every time I ride it
My dream bike Duke 390. Super awesome bike. Love from North East India 🇮🇳🇮🇳
I live in small town, hilly area and roads are narrow and zigzags, this is the perfect bike for it. Infact almost too powerful 😂 currently own a 200 Duke, its raw and sensational. Love it. KTM❤️
Awesome review, makes me wanna go out and buy one myself! Can you also do a review on the Kawasaki Z650 next? I feel like your experience on the MT07 and the CB650R would provide great insight
Old video I know, but... I watched every second of it because I just bought one of these yesterday and I'm picking it up tomorrow. Thank you EnglishBikerDan!
I'm 50 years old, I have 4 bikes, the less powerful one has 160hp and the last time I rode something below 600cc I was still 18 years old (there were no A1, A2, etc. classes in 89)... but I tried one of these from a friend last Sunday in a mountain road and that was it, I had to had one!!! The fun factor is through the roof and in a twisty road it's surprisingly fast as well!
Fantastic, enjoy the bike and ride safe! 👍
Absolutely loved my Duke 390s - I had 2, the 2014 model and the 2017 revamp. Sadly my 2nd one was stolen this year by a gang that specializes in nicking KTMs so sadly I have changed brands, but I still miss my baby Duke 😢😭
Omg sorry ... That must hurt my friend
Ow. Yea - sorry to hear that.
How the heck do you only have 6k subscribers.. love your vids man keep up the hard work! Thanks for the vids!!
Thanks Connor, I heard from many people that getting to 10k subs was really hard but easier to get to 100k. I guess I'll see one day! Thanks for watching!
@@Englishbikerdan Lots of progress since this comment - keep it up Dan!
Great review! "Smiles per mile" indeed
It's a great bike to learn the basics on and always a hoot to ride. Got one recently for a daily commuter to work (city + highway) / weekend ride, it's got lots of usable torque and speed.
cheers and ride safe!
Thanks for your videos ! I don’t have my licence yet but you make me eager to get it
Great video, like all of them. But your fun on this bike was contagious I was sat watching my screen smiling like a muppet.
Great review. I the previous had the older version of 390, after your review will checkout this version, I miss the fun factor.
The old one was more punchy than this model
I am doing my full bike licence in the new year. I wanted something a little more eye catching than my Cb125F without going for a massive engine. Reviews like this are making me want to buy a Duke 390. Liked and subscribed.
Brilliant review dan. More please👍🏻
Gotta say, first bike in a while that I hear you enjoy it so much. Not so much so a review as just a video of you enjoying this little beast, which speaks wonders about it tbh.
I had a blast. Brilliant bike!
Had my first ride with it today, it's truly fantastic. It has so much personality, a real gem of a bike. Coming from a Honda Grom, it is quite heavy and tall but any bike is tall and heavy after a Grom. It's definitely one of the best a2 bikes someone can get.
I have a 2017 Grom,would the Duke be a bigger improvement? I weigh 110Kg.
Daniel Mcgrath yes. Grom has about 10 hp? The 390 has 44.
Hey Dan,
I am a Motorcycle reviewer from India and out of nowhere I got a suggestion from TH-cam to check your video. I must say, I love the way you review the Motorcycles. Keep making such awesome videos, hope to meet you someday🤘
Well thankyou TH-cam! I would also love to come to India and do some riding videos. Cheers!
@@Englishbikerdan Awesome 🤘
Hello I’m a very big fan, love spending time watching your videos! You’ve an inspiration me to start my own TH-cam
So ive got my A2 license soon and I've been stuck between this and the mt03 and after seeing this I think the Duke is the one to go for. Brilliant review and I can't wait to get one of these 😁😁
Same here, gonna have my A2 License next Wednesday and test drive the MT-03 and the Duke 390 myself then, keep you updated!
@@pentacx9961 and?
I got my A2 a couple of months ago and I had the same ''problem'' with you mate. I am pretty sure that the duke is better than the mt03 as it provides more torque and more punch because of the single cylinder and it may be the best option out of the two for commuting. It also has all this equipment such as racing syspension (White Power) , ABS , full LED lights , ByBre brakes ( a company owned by Brembo wich are the best beakes out in the market) and the TFT display screen. I think it's clear between the two , which is better.
Thanks Dan, bought one today to live with my XSR700 and fulfil the commuting into London duty!
Great review. Thanks Dan.
was listening to your review and realised I do that road every day for work (Woking - Farnborough)....hehe! nice review btw
Just got my A license and looking to get my first bike, used to the Mt 07 as we used them at the driving school but this Duke 390 has caught my attention as it seems like a great first bike to get even better at riding before I step up to the bigger ones. Great review might have decided now to get one
I know this is an old comment, but did you buy one then?
Gr8 review Dan...im gonna test ride it because of this review😊
I had this bike a week ago and it is AMAZING!!! So much fun to ride, and super easy to ride. One problem though the heat from the radiator fan on my legs. I saw a video recommending replacing the radiator fan from Duke 390 to RC 390, I will talk to the local dealer about it. Else, it is really really fun bike ;)
I am an experienced rider. Never had a sporty bike though. Always cruisers or UJM's. Rode a friend of mines Duke 390 and instantly fell in love with it. Does everything I ever wanted. Just as good at higher speeds than my old sportster 1200 was while feeling 1000x lighter. Just a quick as my old silverwing 500. and right at home with my 82 KZ750. Such a potent little engine, coupled with a light weight chassis and some of the best stock suspension I have ever ridden. I am buying one of these bikes. I was looking at used 690's but for 3k cheaper for the 390 and my needs, I do not see a reason to spend more.
I just bought used ktm duke 390 in QLD after watching this review. I’m picking it up tomorrow. Wish me luck
Nice one Roy!
I have a 2018. Great bike to ride and commute around in the city.
Superb little bike bought mine on a whim as they were discounted..seem to ride it more than my big bikes it's just proper fun and it's so well balanced and light..very good review this
Where did you get the bike? Was it recently?
@@tonyv75 December 17..just over 7000 miles no problems
That Zack Courts reference though😄🙌🏻
Oh, 390duku !!!
from Japan
Just picked mine up the other day havnt stop smiling since!! Bike is to fun 🙌🏿
Glad you're enjoying it! I am looking at KTM's for my next bike too. Cheers!
@@Englishbikerdan you dont have cb650r?
I’m 44 and just done my cbt. Got the 2017 duke 125. Great little bike for a beginner like me have realised now that I need more power so need to get a2 done so I can get the 390 duke
Done 11k miles on my 2017. An absolute hoot. It's just great. Owned two £10k bikes since but they are gone. This is my bike.
Very fun bike just got one in white love it so far 🔥🔥🔥
What should be the height to ride a Duke 390 perfect height,?
Love you editing :) carry on
Cheers Johno!
Subscribed , great vid ! 💯
Nice review, love the enthusiasm & the bike as well. I really think smaller bikes is where it's at presently. Personally I'd rather use a smaller bike to it's full potential than tip toe about barely scratching the service of a bigger one. A lot of it is ego & posing on the big bikes as hardly anyone ever has the skill or opportunity to go anywhere near their potential on road or even the track tbh. Been there & done it myself many times over the years. Great to own but almost a waste really, for me at least. As bikes get bigger, more powerful & more expensive as well as there being endless chances to lose your license, something like this shows there's still plenty of cheap & cheerful legal fun to be had. The Kawasaki Ninja & Z400 seem to be along the same lines so may be worth you trying them out too. Although the KTM is supppsedly quicker, but it's definitely prettier & cooler imo.
Yes agree on all points! I have this bike since October and just went out today in 50 degree weather, first ride in a few months with winter here. I must say though that I REALLY like the Ninja 650 which also has a rider upright seating position. So it looks like a Sport Bike but it has the upright position. And that 2019 ORANGE ninja 650 is beautiful....if I upgrade, that will be the bike for sure
Great points. 😎👍🏻
Great vlog Dan. I've just purchased the same bike in exact same paint scheme, it's getting delivered Monday, parking next to my bmw k1200rs 😆
blurring the speedometer.... nice.
I don't know what you mean...... :P
🤣🤣🤣
What speedometer? (wink wink)
It was a glitch in the matrix
@@Englishbikerdan 😂😂 There aren't too many roads in the UK where you can go wild with your bike.
Great video dude, very objective and simple explanations, the music at the background is so nice, thank u very much for this video, I appreciate it. A question, is it a good option for a 1st bike, for a shorty girl?
I love old 390 easy to wheelie sound great
I have a turn signal not working and want to check the bulb out. Do you know if the lens can be somehow popped off while still connected to bike or do you have to take the whole assembly apart?
Beautiful, my future bike
I love my 2016 Duke 390!!
I'm in the process of getting my full liscence and this bike really stands out,looks great!:-)
Love the vids Dan . My 2014 model is still looking good, i love it.. I have lots of fun blasting round the back roads. Ride it like you stole it..
Thanks Rupe! Such fun little bikes!
Done my mod 1 and really struggling what to decide on, have you had any issues with it Rupe?
@@ewanr3602 HI mate, that's one of the reasons why i still have it. the only problems issues i have had where self inflicted.. But no rust or corrosion anywhere and i ride in the wet ect..
I got one yesterday. Lot of fun to ride.
Love the vids, Dan. Between this and a MT 07 which do you think is more fun?
Bought a 2017 390. Owned a few larger bikes, but for grin factor this beats them all, this bike is so much fun around the twisties.
The only downside, is that noisy fan
I never seem to hear the fan on mine, I did check to see it working when i did a service ect.. Very rarely am i stuck in traffic though.. Country life out of the cities
Rupe Wilson The fan only comes on when it’s really hot and you are sitting in traffic, if you are cruising it will remain off
You can change your fan to 2015 model. It's an open back radiator fan, it doesn't have any sound.
The perfect bike for me. 12k miles/'17 plate. Love it. Got rid of 2 'big bikes' in the meantime. This is a keeper
Hi, I have a question, the errors I had before were corrected? or what difference does this duke have as the 2018 model? there are no engine or coolant and electrical problems?
I've heard that KTM have completely overhauled the design of the 390 - the general consensus is the new incarnation has none of the quality issues the Mk1 had.
My dream bike , right there. Currently riding a 200Duke. Will Upgrade soon to a 250 duke or the 390. Where I live narrow roads in a hilly place, all I need is a 200cc actually. But always dream of owning the 390 Duke.
I've got the 125cc version and I agree with everything you say. I'm going to do my motorbike test before the end of the year and I want to upgrade to the 390. On the other hand, this years newly remodelled Honda CB500F is looking quite tempting too (especially the orange version :).
The CB500F isn't bad but just nowhere near as fun as this bike. Plus it's around 25kg heavier.
For the Honda 500 I would get new the CB500X over the other two. But this bike or the Z400 are the best A2 options.
Greetings from Saudi Arabia. I watched almost all the videos about this bike but no one is compared to yours, I am going to buy the bike very soon.
Thank you.
Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoy the bike!
They are doing at the moment some sweet deals on ktm sa(16500SR) I think you should consider buying one very soon b4 it ends and good luck bro
Hey Dan, how does this compare to your cb650r? Looking to buy a bike as a first time rider and really love the retro look of Honda, but u seem to have as much fun on this as the cb. What do u recommend? Love your vids bro.
Would this bike be good for going up a mountain like the iconic mont vontoux in the south of france! Im 13 but when im sixteen i will be able to get a french motorcycle licence because we are buying a holiday home there and i live in england so im looking for a beginner bike and i dont know if this is the right one! I think it is but im not sure! Loved ur review and i subbed :)
You picked the perfect road to showcase what the 390 is all about... and small cc bikes are a huge wedge of fun. The 390 to me was like the old 2T 125's of my yoof, such a giggle. I really wanted to love mine when I had it, but the issues mine suffered with and many other people have also had similar made me doubt it's reliability and survivability. I am not a wheelie kinda guy and mine fried a clutch in under 4000 miles, it needed it's dash replacing twice, the ECU had a meltdown on my second day of ownership and had to be replaced. I really wish it didn't have the slipper clutch, I wish the rear brake was stronger and the suspension was stiffer front and rear. It was an amazing bike, but compared to the previous version it felt very cheap. The previous model felt a lot stronger.
That's a shame but I've had an MT07 that had hideous issues from day 1. I think the KTM's are a lot better these days. Cheers for sharing your experiences though. 👍
@@Englishbikerdan I don't think that they have learnt from the issues that the 390 has as they have fitted the same dash to the 790 adventure too and I have seen the waterfall of condensation in that too. These issues are not a problem while under warranty but once it expires you are looking at over £600 to replace the dash! I loved riding my 2017 390 Duke, but I'd not recommend one to a new rider sadly.
@@HippoDrones Maybe they sussed out the problems for 2019?..I'm a complete beginner on road and will be getting one soon...Can't wait!..It will sit nice next to my '18 300 XCW..
@@michaelsteven1090 maybe, but there have not been any changes to the model since launch. They are also sadly using the same dash in the 790 Adventure and I've already seen that suffering with the same condensation issues the 390 has.
I love this video sounds you had fun on the Duke, I was looking at it as a possibility for my first bike but all so looking at the Husqvarna Vitpilen 401. But either way great video :)
Thank you! I certainly did enjoy myself. I might be able to get a Vitpilen to test. Thanks for watching.
@@Englishbikerdan No probs man. The 21 year old in me loves the Duke, The more mature side of me likes the Vitpilen.Time will tell but I would be curious to hear your thoughts on it.
Just got a Svartpilen 401, and love it.
Hi mate, just watched your video. I've owned a 2017 Duke 390 for about 4 months now & agree with everything you say. the throttle can be a bit snatchy at times but other than that it's great & holy shit!!! when you want to give it some beans it's damn good fun!
Good review dude, you always do a good job. Could you review the HONDA CBR500R 2019? Since there’s hardly any press about it and all the reviews so far on it are none English
Yeah, it's high on my list actually!
EnglishBikerDan OMG thank you!!! Can’t wait to see that review since I’m going to be getting one, ads more hype 😄
Split the difference, Kawasaki Z400. More fun, lighter, and more affordable than the Honda.
Great review thank u 👍🏻
I'm looking at one tomorrow for my wife's first bike/my lightweight canyon runner bike when not on my BMW. Very impressed so far
Awesome. Hope she likes it! I'm picking up the 390 Adventure on Monday 😁
Yes. Because we needed this review 3yrs after the bike was launched...
Great logic.........
😂
Does the rear shock spring drop over time?
So you recon it'd be a good bike for some one wanting to take up biking after a two decade break????....or is it something that you think one might outgrow pretty fast for another bigger one???
You are having way too much fun! I am jealous. We can't any duke 390's till 2022?. Anyway thanks for taking us on a ride. It was fun.
I loved this little bike, I'd like to ride a newer one so maybe that'll be another video soon! Thanks Patrick!
Thanks so much for the review! Btw, what’s your helmet mic setup? Maybe the best helmet audio I’ve heard yet!
Thank you! I use a Sena S10 boom mic.
@@Englishbikerdan Awesome, thanks so much!
Is that seat comfortable or is there one that we can buy that is much better? Because I thought I heard someone state that the seat is not too good......
i have one and i agree it is a bit snappy in 1st and 2nd. A tuner will fix that. They have emossions so lean that a tune will richen it up a bit in low gear and remedy that as well as add longevity to the engine. Lean runs hotter, so a little richer is great for the engine.....
I’m 77 and bought a Honda Cb125f last month (20/7/20)so disappointed that I’ve traded it in for the KTM390 Duke ,picking it up 1/9/20 , really underestimated my capabilities,can’t wait to get on a real bike again ,last one was a Triumph thunderbird 40 years ago !!!
Looks like a new Firmware version on the TFT. Orange rev counter and selectable day/night mode. Intriguing.