CARL KTM 390 DUKE
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Crying myself to sleep.”
P eople have always told me that all good things eventually come to an end, and after leaving my beloved 390 Duke with KTM UK I’m actually inclined to agree. I am now roadbike-less, and have a rather large orange void in my soul…
Yes, okay, it wasn’t the most powerful naked you can find by a long shot, nor was it the most technologically advanced, but having a bare-boned machine made up of an engine, chassis and wheels (yeah, maybe a few other bits too) really reminded me why I spank so much time and money on bikes; because it’s all about the fun, and thanks to said perky engine and neat chassis it came in the bucket loads. Even when jumping on and off litre sportsbikes you’d think the little KTM would be boring, yet I can’t reiterate enough that it was exactly the opposite – and for that I’ve got to say the Austrian marque have done a bloody impressive job. As I’m writing it now I have a tear in my eye because this bike powered some awesome times; from taking the girlfriend on some of her very first proper pillions to blasting around Brands Hatch and wearing out my knee sliders. Katie the little KTM has been resilient, impressive and an all-round bag of laughs while handling every ridiculous bit of abuse I could possibly throw her way.
As far as modding goes, there’s only so much you can throw at an A2 bike before it becomes, cough, illegal – which is why we were so constrained on upgrading the old girl. Even so, without a doubt the best change I made was sticking an aftermarket pipe on, and with the Akrapovic slip-on being a genuine KTM Powerpart it seemed like an easy choice. If you own a KTM the Powerparts selection is a good place to start as all the kit was quality, and even a little touch like the handguards makes a whole world of difference in making your machine as personal as possible. Basically what I’m saying is to go and spank all your Christmas money on bike parts, if your kids and Mrs haven’t already drained the wallet. It’s what I’m going to do…
As far as the future goes, it’s back to ripping around on my old school Kawasaki KX125 motocross bike and little Stomp 140cc supermoto pitbike – so you could say life isn’t all that bad. Until the next wave of termers comes in it’s all off-road and race bike prep, but hopefully Santa’s going to be nice and send a V4 Panigale my way. I know it’s a slender chance, but one can always dream…