Fans of KTM’s mini-Dukes, rejoice! The 390 Duke, 250 Duke and 125 Duke all return for 2024, with updated engines, new frames and other revisions.
The new frame is probably the biggest news. It’s a steel trellis arrangement, similar to the old model, but with a die-cast aluminum rear subframe and a curved aluminum swingarm. That swingarm comes with a side-mounted WP APEX shock, a new design for ’24 as well. The shock is adjustable for preload on the 125 and 250. The 390 is adjustable for compression and preload. All Duke models also come with WP APEX fork. The fork is non-adjustable on the 125 and 250, and adjustable for rebound and compression on the 390.
Basically, all the bikes share the same chassis, with minor changes in the suspension. The same goes for the electronics. All these machines now have an Inertial Measurement Unit, which powers leaning-sensitive ABS and traction control (the 390 also gets Launch Assist). The 125, 250 and 390 engines also have ride-by-wire throttles, which allows for quickshifter, if the rider pays for it. On the 390, that RBW throttle also means there are STREET and RAIN riding modes.
All these machines get a new 5-inch TFT as well, and on the 390, that TFT comes with an optional TRACK display, with laptimer and other useful deets.
And, all the bikes get overhauled engines. The 250 changes from a DOHC to a SOHC design, and the 125 and 390 both get redesigned top ends as well. The 390 is stroked from 373cc to 399cc, and reportedly gains a bit of power as a result, up to 44 hp and 28 lb-ft of torque. Very modest gains, but the updated top end also means that power kicks in a bit further down the rev range than the current model. That means easier highway cruising speeds, and less mashing on the throttle in the city.
No word from KTM Canada as to when the new bikes will get here, but we’d expect the 390 to show up as a 2024 release sometime next season.
