Allan Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 No, it's not an FZ-07. Although he gave it much thought for a while. He decided to go with something that cost a little less to insure and and a lower OTD price. I have to say, I love his bike and am a tad jealous.. He decided to go with the all new to America KTM Duke 390. He loves it so far and I got to say, I love it too. I haven't ridden it yet but I am really looking forward to. I still love my FZ-07, but I got to say, if I was looking for a bike and this was out the same time as the 07, I probably would have gone with this one. Just because it was more realistic to what I would have been able to afford. I'm so happy for him and look forward to go riding with him. Here is his bike: And here is his bike next to the big brother, the Duke 690 on the left: I think it is a great looking bike and a cool thing about it, only 3 of them came into the dealer for the whole year. That means only 3 people will have this bike in about a 200 mile radius from him. Talk about rare! What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member grahamfz07 Posted April 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted April 10, 2015 Awesome, i like the looks of the Dukes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodapas Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 A great bike for sure. I'm really looking forward to the RC390 becoming more widespread. Although I have heard that the buzz of the 390 through the seat and bars is pretty bad. Don't get me wrong, I love my DRZ400 and thumpers in general. Just saying on a longer ride with your buddy he'll most likely be envying your FZ-07. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantheraleo Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I echo vodapas. I rode the 690 before settling on the somewhat smoother FZ. And add, that I found the seat of that bike noticeably less comfy that the FZ-07. While I preferred the FZ, the Duke is a fun ride! You both win, since you can trade rides and enjoy both. O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause...till it come back to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizin Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 KTM's love the maintenance shop and their top ends seem to get rebuilt often. Yamaha MT-10 ForumYamaha Tracer 900 Forum Yamaha Ténéré 700 Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she3pdog Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I really love the look of the KTMs. I got to see a Super Duke a while back and those things are pretty sweet looking. Plus the orange matches my car. My FZ-07 isn't going anywhere anytime soon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The Duke is a good looking bike and I too looked at it before buying the FZ-07. I ultimately made the decision to get Yamaha for the reliability and dealer support. I have never owned a Yamaha that I've been unhappy with. I would own both of them if I had an unlimited budget! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member snowdriftless Posted April 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted April 10, 2015 Duke 690 and 390 are both awesome bikes. I think the FZ is just as much a fun machine as either. I was also looking at the Duke but I went with the FZ for two reasons. One there was no KTM dealer close to me and two the FZ got so many good reviews. P1: Vice? I have no vice, I'm as pure as the driven snow! P2: Yeah but you've been drifting All the gear all the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 I echo vodapas. I rode the 690 before settling on the somewhat smoother FZ. And add, that I found the seat of that bike noticeably less comfy that the FZ-07. While I preferred the FZ, the Duke is a fun ride! You both win, since you can trade rides and enjoy both. This was our thought exactly. If he wants to ride my bike or I feel like riding the KTM, we just switch. It is a win-win. He isn't doing any long range commuting, just 5-10 miles to school. For the price, he got a bike that fits his exact needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest unknown Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 All 3 dukes are awesome. Don't be bummed that you didn't get a 390. Unless you are doing any serious track riding, the FZ is a better day to day bike IMO. I think I may pick up an RC390 at some point in the future for a track day only bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator mjh937 Posted April 10, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted April 10, 2015 I would like to ride one. I am curious how a big single (especially the 690) feels. I am sure it has great torque but wonder about the vibration. Can you give us a comparison after you have riden it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomascrown Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Stuff breaks often on KTMs. I can't imagine how more often things will break once you start building them in India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 All 3 dukes are awesome. Don't be bummed that you didn't get a 390. Unless you are doing any serious track riding, the FZ is a better day to day bike IMO. I think I may pick up an RC390 at some point in the future for a track day only bike.I'm not bummed I didn't get this bike. Haha I just really like it is all. I would LOVE an RC390 to sit alongside my FZ-07. I like the look of the RC better than the Duke actually. I would totally buy the RC as a second bike. If only I had more money... Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I would like to ride one. I am curious how a big single (especially the 690) feels. I am sure it has great torque but wonder about the vibration. Can you give us a comparison after you have riden it?I'll definitely give my impressions about how it feels. I don't really want to ride it until after he breaks it in though. I want to be able to pin the throttle right away and not have to worry about the engine. I want that to be able to happen on my first impression ride, so it may be a while before it happens. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizin Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I think I would choose the new R-3 by Yamaha over the little Duke. Yamaha MT-10 ForumYamaha Tracer 900 Forum Yamaha Ténéré 700 Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted April 11, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted April 11, 2015 I have to say I am not a fan of the way the bike looks. The rear end looks out of balance and the wheels look cheap. Picture probably doesn't do it justice. And you can't beat Yamaha reliability and build quality. I would choose the R3 in a heartbeat too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fzhooligan Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Would be too small for me, I think. If I could get my hands on a 1290 Superduke R though...... the fz might be sold. '15 FZ-07 '93 Honda XR650L (supermoto/pig) (SOLD) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I have to say I am not a fan of the way the bike looks. The rear end looks out of balance and the wheels look cheap. Picture probably doesn't do it justice. And you can't beat Yamaha reliability and build quality. I would choose the R3 in a heartbeat too. I'm sure the R3 is a great bike, it just that I wouldn't want every bike in my garage to be a Yamaha. I mean don't get me wrong, I love Yamaha's, but I want some variety when it comes to my bikes. It just like having every car in your garage being a Honda. I have an 04 Accord and I love it to death but I wouldn't want my fun car to be a Honda too. I would rather get something different or exotic like a Ariel Nomad or KTM X-Bow or something weird like that. To each their own I guess. I love my Yamaha's I've had (3 so far) but I like a little variety too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted April 11, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted April 11, 2015 I totally agree, brand loyalty can lead to blindness. 8-) And I like to sample different brands to although I often end up with a relatively small variety of brands I prefer. For instance, we own 3 different brands of cars. As for bikes, I'd love to own a classic Triumph or maybe Duc. I have to admit that I do tend to lean towards Japanese. To get back on topic, this [span style=font-size:10pt]KTM just doesn't do it for me.[/span] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 @guru I get that. If you don't like a bike, you don't like it. We all have different tastes and preferences. I know you have a Subaru, and a Toyota, what's the third brand I'm missing? Haha Anyways, today we went out and he still has his permit so my step-father and myself took him to a big parking lot to practice maneuvers and get him acquainted with his new bike. It was cool teaching him and helping him out that way. After that we went to a local sub shop and got food. All with the temp being in the low 40's. Thank god for jackets and gloves because it wouldn't have been too fun riding in that temp for a few hours straight. The bike in the back is my step-dads Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Nomad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted April 12, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted April 12, 2015 ...@guru what's the third brand I'm missing? Haha A Volvo ! (rofl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 ...@guru what's the third brand I'm missing? Haha A Volvo ! (rofl)Ah. But of course! Those Germans sure can make good cars though. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Guru Posted April 12, 2015 Global Moderator Share Posted April 12, 2015 You mean Swedish, although my S40 was made in Belgium haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 You mean Swedish, although my S40 was made in Belgium haha! Actually I did mean German.. Lol All these years I honestly thought Volvos were German.. Wow.. I feel silly now.. Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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