The new 2017 390 Duke may have taken over from the previous generation model but wait till you find out what’s reportedly been spied at the Austrian headquarters. A unit of the previous generation KTM 390 Duke was recently spied. This 390 Duke, however, wasn’t propelled by its standard 375cc single-cylinder gasoline engine. Instead, it was loaded with an electric motor, cocooned inside a modified chassis. The modified chassis is essentially to accommodate the new electric motor.
Now if you would remember, KTM’s Indian partner and a major stake holder, Bajaj Auto too is reportedly planning to introduce an electric motorcycle by 2020, which would most likely be developed along with the Austrian two-wheeler maker.
Apart from the slightly tweaked frame and the addition of the new electric motor, there aren’t ant visual changes to the motorcycle. So you’d see the familiar, aggressive styling and hardware from the previous generation roadster, including the conventional headlight, upside-down telescopic forks upfront, a mono-shock at the rear, fibre body panels, Bybre brakes, orange rims and Metzeler tyres. Given that it’s an electric motorcycle, you’d also notice that the underbelly exhaust has gone missing. Don’t miss the Wiener Städtische sticker on the rear numberplate holder. Wiener Städtische offers comprehensive protection for e-bikes.
Because it’s the previous generation motorcycle, there’s a good possibility that KTM might just be testing the new electric motor that’d most probably be seen on the future models. But given the fact that KTM is testing the electric motor on the 390 Duke’s hardware suggests that the upcoming motorcycle will be targeted for city use. It even features a clutch and gear levers along with the standard braking controls suggesting that the electric motorcycle may offer a conventional geared ride experience. KTM did not comment on the images or any future plans.
As you might already know, KTM isn’t new to electric power and they already have their E-Ride range. The current range of KTM’s electric motorcycles have a power output in the range of 11 kW (15 hp) to 16 kW (22 hp) and torque of 42 Nm. It’d be too early to comment about the performance numbers on the test mule.
