Triumph Speed 400 vs KTM 390 Duke comparison: Family feud

My first impression when I rode the new Triumph Speed 400 in isolation was, of course, that it was a very capable and impressive motorcycle. But also that it felt quite a bit like a KTM 390 Duke. This was in terms of how quick it felt, its lightness and agility, the sound it made and even how slim it felt between the legs. To gauge the true extent of the similarities, we got the two bikes together and tested them back to back. And, as it turns out, they are both actually rather distinct motorcycles with unique characters and personalities.

Triumph Speed 400 vs KTM 390 Duke: engine and performance

At the heart of the differences lie the hearts of the two bikes. All that drivel on the internet about the Speed using the engine from the Dominar or the 390 Duke? Utter hogwash. And one back-to-back ride will convince you immediately. The KTM 390 motor is one that we’ve known and loved for many years now for the thrilling performance that it offers, but it has always been an engine that you have to work pretty hard to get the best out of. And this holds even more true in the BS6 era. For all its manic top-end performance, the KTM sure feels lethargic and gutless at the bottom of the rev range – you need to feed it lots of throttle to get around at low revs, and it feels clattery, judder-y and generally just rather unhappy. It’s only from about 4,000rpm that this engine begins to wake up, and from that point on, the higher the tacho climbs, the happier this motor feels. All this reaches a wonderful crescendo right at the top, where you get a lovely rush from 8,000-10,000rpm that never ceases to entertain.

Triumph’s new 398cc TR-series motor is the chalk to KTM’s cheese. There’s no high-RPM rush here, but where this engine shines is in its tractability and mid-range. Right from idle, it comes across as a very smooth, willing and eager motor. It’s very happy to carry you around at low RPMs in the city with very small throttle inputs, and the fairly light clutch only adds to the pleasantness. And then, once you get to about 4,000rpm, it properly comes alive. There is real gusto in the way it darts forward, and this meaty wave of torque can be surfed all the way up to about 7,500rpm, after which it gradually trails off as you climb to the 9,200rpm redline.

At the end of the day, the KTM is still a little more powerful and a little lighter. So when you go chasing flat-out acceleration from a standstill, it is still the quicker bike here – over 1 second quicker to 100kph. In fact, the KTM is quicker to 100kph than the Triumph is to 90kph. But that doesn’t tell the full story.

In our in-gear acceleration tests, it was actually the Triumph that emerged quicker every single time. And this paints a much better picture of real-world usability. The Speed’s much more accessible powerband means that you can use more of the performance, more of the time, with much less effort. You’re less likely to need a downshift when trying to claim a gap that just opened up in traffic, or overtaking on the highway, and this means that the performance here feels more effortless than it does on the KTM.

Triumph Speed 400 vs KTM 390 Duke: Seating comfort, ride and handling

The Duke makes its intent clear right from the off, even in the way it seats you. You can immediately feel you’re on a taut and aggressive motorcycle – the handlebar is close to you and the foot pegs are quite high up and rear-set. The seat, though spacious, is also rather firm, and overall, the 390 Duke certainly isn’t the most welcoming and accommodating bike out there. Jump on the Triumph and you instantly get a sense of more space. Most apparent is the much larger seat-to-peg distance, which means your legs are much less folded up, and taller riders will definitely be more comfortable here, even though the Speed has a lower seat. The seat also feels much plusher and your arms have more room to move around as well. That said, the position here is still just about sporty enough to keep you engaged when you want.

What will also keep you engaged is the lovely chassis package on the Speed. Show it some corners and it’s a very willing playmate, with the wider handlebar offering more leverage and lighter steering than the Duke. Handling is very predictable and easy, backed up by an excellently judged suspension setup keeping the bike composed at all times. The slightly soft setup is also wonderfully supportive of hooliganism behaviour; you might find wheelies and bunny hops creeping into your riding habits. But when you get serious about the business of going fast, the KTM comes to the fore. There is a sense of being tuned in to the machine, it’s very communicative about everything that’s going on, and this, combined with the support of the firmer suspension set-up, gives you more confidence to push hard in the twisties. Of course, as a result, the Duke isn’t quite as absorptive when the going gets rough (though nowhere near as unforgiving as it used to be either), while the Speed glides quite effortlessly over poor stretches of road. The KTM still also has a rather sensitive front end and there’s always the lurking doubt that a tank slapper isn’t far away when you hit a sudden bump or bad patch.

Triumph Speed 400 vs KTM 390 Duke: price and features

Sitting at Rs 2.33 lakh, the Speed 400 is in many ways doing what the 390 Duke did when it first arrived on the scene: offering an incredibly capable motorcycle at an almost unbelievable price. The Duke, meanwhile, has gradually crept up in price over the years, and now sits at Rs 2.97 lakh, making it over Rs 60,000 more expensive than the Triumph. That said, it does throw in some fancier features, including adjustable levers, a bi-directional quickshifter (more of a convenience aid than a performance aid, in this case), and an info-rich Bluetooth-equipped TFT display. Triumph has given the Speed a simpler dash with smart digi-analogue clocks (sans Bluetooth), though it does get traction control which the KTM misses out on.

Design is, of course, a subjective matter, but it’s hard to deny that the appearances of the two bikes reflect their overall identities. The Triumph has a more universally acceptable and pleasing look, while the KTM is definitely the sharper, more aggressive-looking bike here. Objectively, the Speed comes across as a better-finished motorcycle, with exquisite attention to detail all across and wonderful materials and finishes wherever you look. While the KTM certainly isn’t a poorly built motorcycle, it can’t match the feeling of specialness and premium-ness that the British brand has managed to offer.

Triumph Speed 400 vs KTM 390 Duke: verdict

At the end of the day, there are simply too many factors in the Triumph’s favour, and it has to be the winner of this comparison. It feels quicker and more effortless in the real world, it’s a good deal more comfortable and easy to live with, and it’s a great deal more affordable than the KTM, even if it does miss out on some of the Duke’s fancier features. Overall, it feels like the better all-rounder and the more complete package.

That being said, the KTM is definitely still the more thrilling and exciting motorcycle, and if those are your top priorities, then this is the bike for you. These are the buyers who are riding their bikes very hard, very often – the ones doing track days, regularly riding mountain twisties and doing high-speed highway blasts. The KTM is very much the more characterful, hardcore motorcycle here, and therefore, still the choice for the more hardcore motorcyclist. And let’s not forget, there’s a brand-new 390 Duke coming soon that promises to bring the biggest update to the bike since it was first launched ten long years ago.

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