Last time i wrote about the duke 390, i hadn't been much clear about the details and the review was quite superficial. So I've ridden the 390 once again.
The duke 390 has taken the country by storm and has created a new dimension for fast but affordable bikes and given a new meaning to the words 'value for money'.
At Rs. 2 lacs you would think that either i am drunk as a pirate or have gone as mental as a rabid dog saying that this is an 'affordable' amount. But wait till i tell you that the bike produces 44-world-shaking-earthquake-bringing-horsepower! Yes even 2 times as much costlier ninja 300 produces 5hp less than the duke. Now let me introduce you to a new term called power/lac then the 390 scores an amazing 22bhp/lac which is less than only one bike that is pulsar 200ns with 23.5bhp/lac. But the pulsar though being the best Indian bike still is very poorly built in comparison to the duke!
So now that i have proved that the 390 even though for Rs. 2lac is amazing value for money and that i am totally in my senses!
The 390 looks absolutely identical to the duke 200 with just the colour scheme and the decals indicating otherwise. The 390 though has a bit higher riding position than the 200's already high position. There is also not much difference in the exhaust note of the two dukes with the 390's being a bit more deep and loud. The build quality and materials used are of the utmost quality and leaves nothing for you to complain about.
Its when you start riding the bike you realise the difference between the 2 dukes. The first major difference is the engine which in the 390 produce 44 hp, 20 more than the 200! So as soon as you revv the bike hard and the tacho goes past 4000-4200rpm, all hell breaks loose and you feel like instead of having the accelerator in your right hand you have a hyper space jump button. The torque kicks in past 4000rpm and the speed rises much faster than you can cope with. Revv the engine till the redline in 1st gear you get a surprising power wheelie. Trust me you wont like this surprise. 44hp on paper sounds very manageable until you take a spin in the 390. This machine redefines the laws of physics. 60kmph comes in 3 seconds and in 3 more second you reach 100kmph. These are mind boggling numbers.
Its when you start riding the bike you realise the difference between the 2 dukes. The first major difference is the engine which in the 390 produce 44 hp, 20 more than the 200! So as soon as you revv the bike hard and the tacho goes past 4000-4200rpm, all hell breaks loose and you feel like instead of having the accelerator in your right hand you have a hyper space jump button. The torque kicks in past 4000rpm and the speed rises much faster than you can cope with. Revv the engine till the redline in 1st gear you get a surprising power wheelie. Trust me you wont like this surprise. 44hp on paper sounds very manageable until you take a spin in the 390. This machine redefines the laws of physics. 60kmph comes in 3 seconds and in 3 more second you reach 100kmph. These are mind boggling numbers.
And because the bike accelerates so fast it is given very potent brakes which are assisted by ABS so that even if you commit a mistake you are forgiven.The bike sheds speed like a stripper sheds her clothes. The ABS can be turned off but is suggest that you shouldn't take that risk! The bike is very stable during braking in any road condition, but the ABS kicks in very early and takes a bit of joy out of braking, but this isn't very significant and most of the owners won't even notice it.
The Ride
This is one of the most important factors which differentiate the 200 and 390! Because in the 390 the ride is even more harder than the 200. The suspensions has been stiffened to handle the extra weight of the bigger engine. If the roads are smooth enough, the bike is an absolute hoot to drive around town. But if you encounter speed breakers often you'd be angry because as the courtesy of bigger engine and stiffer suspension you have to cross them at the lowest speed humanly possible otherwise you are bound to have a broken back, increasing speed doesn't help. But with stiffer suspension comes the ability to corner like rossi, so you can take a corner at almost breakneck speeds and coming out alive with a smile on the face that is so large, it can be seen from the moon.
This is one of the most important factors which differentiate the 200 and 390! Because in the 390 the ride is even more harder than the 200. The suspensions has been stiffened to handle the extra weight of the bigger engine. If the roads are smooth enough, the bike is an absolute hoot to drive around town. But if you encounter speed breakers often you'd be angry because as the courtesy of bigger engine and stiffer suspension you have to cross them at the lowest speed humanly possible otherwise you are bound to have a broken back, increasing speed doesn't help. But with stiffer suspension comes the ability to corner like rossi, so you can take a corner at almost breakneck speeds and coming out alive with a smile on the face that is so large, it can be seen from the moon.
So overall the duke 390 opens a new dimension into the world of performance where you don't have to sell your house to get decent performance. But, this cheap performance also has its share of drawbacks. Looks similar to duke 200, stiff suspension and high riding position to name a few, but the biggest problem with the 390 is the same thing that is its biggest advantage:power. Because of the price tag a major share of population can buy the 390. Now this major population has never experienced this sort of power ever before. The maximum they have got their hands on is 25hp. So it takes quite a long time to get used to its power delivery and if you are even a bit careless while riding this bike, it can be fatal for you. This is not a bike on which you can trundle along thinking about stuff, this bike needs 100% of your attention and if you don't give it, you'll regret it later.
So the 390 is an awesome value for money and there is absolutely no bike in the market which can give this bike a competition. It is an absolute hoot to ride and is mind numbingly fast. But again you have to be very responsible riding it! "With great power comes great responsibility" is the thought you should always have in mind before riding it. But once you get used to the power there is no stopping and it turns into a dimension jumping machine with a smiling piece of meat on top of it.
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