Can KTM 390 Duke defeat Royal Enfield Continental GT 650
Royal Enfield recently revealed the Continental GT 650 with MY-2023 upgrades in India. The sporty cafe racer model is now offered with two new paint schemes and alloy wheels at a starting price of Rs. 3.19 lakh (ex-showroom). At that price point, it rivals the capable KTM 390 Duke. Which one makes more sense, the streetfighter or the cafe racer? Let's find out.
Why does this story matter?
Touted as one of India's most affordable parallel-twin motorcycles, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 redefined the retro middleweight motorcycle segment in 2018. With the MY-2023 upgrades, the cafe racer has become more capable. However, under the Rs. 3.5 lakh mark, the bike goes up against KTM 390 Duke. How does the old-school motorcycle fare against the modern streetfighter offering?
KTM 390 Duke looks more appealing of the two
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 features a sculpted fuel tank, a round LED headlamp, a clip-on handlebar with bar-end mirrors, a rider-only saddle, dual upswept exhausts, and a semi-digital twin-pod instrument console. KTM 390 Duke sports a muscular fuel tank with extensions, an angular LED headlight with DRL, split-style seats, and a full-color TFT instrument cluster. Both motorcycles ride on alloy wheels.
The 390 Duke is a lighter motorcycle
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 has a seat height of 793mm, a wheelbase of 1,398mm, and a kerb weight of 198kg. The KTM 390 Duke has a saddle height of 800mm, a wheelbase of 1,357mm, and tips the scales at 139kg.
Both are equipped with disc brakes and dual-channel ABS
In terms of safety equipment, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and KTM 390 Duke come equipped with disc brakes on both wheels, along with dual-channel ABS. However, the Duke has an additional "cornering" function for its ABS. The former gets telescopic front forks and dual rear shock absorbers, while the latter features inverted front forks and a preload-adjustable mono-shock unit at the rear.
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 packs a more powerful engine
Powering the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is an OBD-2 compliant 648cc, parallel-twin engine that generates 47hp of maximum power and 52Nm of peak torque. The KTM 390 Duke draws power from a 373cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that churns out 43hp of power and 37Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties on both motorcycles are handled by a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch.
Which one should you buy?
In India, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 ranges between Rs. 3.19 lakh and Rs. 3.45 lakh, while the KTM 390 Duke can be yours at Rs. 2.96 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom). In our opinion, the 390 Duke makes more sense on our shores with its aggressive styling, powerful engine, better suspension setup, and cornering ABS system at a lower price.
