The BMW G310r when first launched was super pricey for a single-cylinder bike, but the BMW suddenly reversed their strategy they added a truckload of features and yet priced super aggressively at a price that is significantly lower than the KTM Duke 390. The KTM Duke 390 when was first launched in 2017 it kind of redefined value for money getting all the right goodies well ahead of its segment, and yet came with an unbelievable price tag, but now with constant price hikes and the bs6 update the duke 390's price has shot up way beyond comprehension, and duke 390 still offers great value.
Design and build quality
The design of the KTM duke 390 with the super duke-inspired design still looks well ahead of its time and radical and sporty and truly badass. The BMW G310r with new design update looks classy, elegant, and does look smart and premium justifying the BMW badge. the fit and finish and build quality of both the bikes do impress the quality of paint and the panels feel pretty impressive. The equipment on board both the bikes almost match step to step, both the bike comes with slipper clutch, both get a ride by wire, both of them get led lights all around and both the bikes get a 150 section rear tire, and both the bikes get USD forks. The duke however inches ahead here because it gets a quick shifter plus, which means we get a quick shifter along with an auto blipper which is unbelievable in this price range. this results in clutchless upshifts as well as downshifts however this doesn't really work as a classic quick shifter with a wide-open throttle. the g310r on the other hand doesn't get a quick shifter, also the duke gets the gorgeous full-colour TFT console which the 310 misses out. The KTM 390 Duke has chunky 43mm USD forks whereas the 310r gets 41mm USD forks. now the front end feel is good on both bikes but KTM with their obsession with pure track and race performance inch ahead here and offer more reassurance and confidence, but the gold anodized forks on the g310r look much more premium aesthetically. Both bikes get dual-channel abs, but the Duke 390 also gets the supermoto mode where we can switch off abs on the rear wheel and perform drifts and stunts, and the 310 doesn't enjoy this luxury. the duke 390 gets a steel tank with 13.5 litres of tank capacity, which results in a better tank range. the G310r only gets a 12-litre tank so the duke moves ahead here as well by offering better tank range. The ktm 390 Duke has been coming off late with MRF rubber, the g310hr the beamer on the other hand gets Michelin tires which are just as good as Metzeler and way better than MRF.
Performance
KTM and BMW both bikes come powered by a single-cylinder engine the 310 puts out 34 ps of max power whereas the duke puts out 43.5 ps of max power which is absolutely crazy in terms of torque the duke 390 puts out 37-newton meters whereas the 310 puts out 28-newton meters.in terms of power delivery across the rev band, there's no way of catching the duke even post the bs4 update, and ktm holding back on the sheer monstrosity of the bs3 original duke 390 it still feels quite aggressive now compared to the 310. The initial torque the pickup right off the mark the mid-range surge and even the top end is absolutely awesome on the duke, but the 310 is no bummer either it offers good pickup and a strong mid-range punch the top end is also decent enough. The duke just nukes the competition when it comes to sheer performance what I do like about the 310 is its lightweight and nimble character and the effortless riding experience it has on offer completely fatigue-free it just doesn't wear you down even after long rides. Both bikes are great all-rounders. You can use them for daily commutes, you can have a blast at track day events and you can also tour on these bikes.
Ride comfort
The seats the duke again offers more room for the rider to move around and offers decent room for the pillion, the seat foam on the 310r is of better quality and feels more comfortable however room for the pillion is not as abundant as the duke. The duke also gets a larger 320 mm front disc as opposed to the 300 mm front disc of the 310, the initial bite and feedback are better for the duke. the 310 however is more appealing for shorter and average height riders because of the lower seat height of 785 mm, the duke cover feels taller with a seat height of 830 mm, and the 310 feels very easily flickable, but on paper, the duke gets a shorter wheelbase of 1357 mm compared to 1380 mm of the 310 so either way, both the bikes are brilliant. The chassis of the duke gets a steel trail framed with a bolt-on subframe, whereas the 310 gets a tubular space frame. Both bikes offer good high-speed stability and great cornering stability. in terms of weight, the G310r weighs 164 kgs, whereas the 390 duke weighs 167 kgs. The 310 feels a lot lighter than what the spec sheet reads and the same thing applies to the duke as well, but comparing both the 310 feels a lot lighter than the weight difference that's apparent on paper. BMW has also included adjustable levers on the 310 so the levers can be adjusted as per your finger reach the duke got this from the beginning as well.
Price
The price is where BMW kind of shocked everyone because no one saw this coming 2.45 lakhs for the G310r which makes it nearly 13k cheaper than the duke 390 bs6 which is now priced at 2.58 lakhs ex-showroom and this is an absolute clincher by BMW so overall there's no doubt that duke 390 is comprehensively better than the 310 in every which way possible but what makes this lord BMW is how far they have come down to please their true fans usually with every upgrade there's always a prize increment but this might be the very first time in history we have seen a major upgrade with a significant price drop and also they've given it all the right upgrades with the slipper clutch ride by wire led lights and adjustable levers so though the mind says to the heart yearns to give BMW a chance as a reviewer my verdict says ktm is still the winner but the BMW g310r with its incredible brand value and a strong heart is here to change the game now.
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