2020 KTM 390 Duke

Light. Nimble. Fun. Three adjectives to describe KTM’s 390 Duke. With a claimed 329-pound weight, 53.4-inch wheelbase, and a 373cc single-cylinder engine, this small naked bike provides plenty of maneuverability and power for beginner riders to enhance their skills while offering smile-inducing compact flickability that any skill-level rider can enjoy—reason enough for our editors to select this naked as a Ten Best winner two times in a row. In short, don’t let the displacement and friendliness allow you to pigeonhole this to beginner riders. Its WP Apex suspension plants comfortably into the corners of your favorite twisty back road while the 44 claimed hp and 27.3 pound-feet of torque will get you to and from the office with a smile on your face.

When contributor Corey Alexander rode the revised 2017 390 in Italy he found that, “Handling is light, and chassis feel is great, especially with the updated WP suspension front and rear. Both the shock and fork provide a good balance of midcorner support and comfort on rougher sections of pavement.”

In an entry-level naked bike smackdown between the Honda CB300R and Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, “the KTM offers the best overall bang for the buck. It delivers the same sort of rowdy riding experience as its Super Duke R big brother, only in a smaller and more manageable package.”

In Cycle World’s Ten Best of 2015 the 390 Duke won the Best Lightweight Streetbike category because of its, “Pure flexible fun for all kinds of riders,” and in 2016, “The 390 Duke’s real trick is taking that easy-to-ride nature and sliding in a major dose of great power (40 hp on our dyno) and a chassis that works great even for an expert-level rider.”

Naked bike competition includes the Kawasaki Z400, Honda CB300R, and Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen 401. If you are looking for faired competition, look to the Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM’s own RC390, or Suzuki’s GSX-R250 R.

In 2017, the 390 Duke saw sharper styling, new fork, and Brembo brakes to more closely align it to the machine we see today. No major changes for 2020. The 390 Duke is available in orange or white with a starting price of $5,499.