KTM Duke 390 Vs Benelli TNT 300: Battle Of the 300s

Note: Both prices ex-showroom Bangalore

The KTM is priced much cheaper than its Italian competitor.

Design:

KTM Duke 390:
The KTM Duke 390 is a naked streetfighter. The Motorcycle has very little body work and has tiny bikini fairing around the headlight. Apart from that the orange tubular space frame chassis made from steel wraps around the engine shows the motorcycle's power house. The exhaust is tucked under the belly.

Design:

Benelli TNT 300:
The Benelli TNT 300 features similar styling as well. This motorcycle too has minimum bodywork with an exhaust tucked under its belly. The trellis frame is well designed and enhances the look of the motorcycle.

The Benelli is the better looker of the two, but the KTM is not a bad looking at all.

Key features:

KTM Duke 390:
The KTM is equipped with WP upside down front fork and a monoshock at the rear, both with 150 mm travel. It also has a fully digital meter console and is equipped with a 110/70 front tyre and 150/60 rear tyre, both mounted on 17-inch wheels. The KTM has a 11-litre fuel tank.

Key features:

Benelli TNT 300:
The Benelli features inverted front shocks as well and a horizontal offset mono-shock. It features a analogue cum digital meter console and gets a 110/70 front tyre and a 150/60 rear tyre, mounted on 17-inch rims again. Benelli offers a slightly bigger tyre option with Pirelli tyres. The Benelli has a 16-litre fuel tank.

The KTM has an upper hand on the features part.

Specifications:

KTM Duke 390:
The KTM has a 373 cc, single cylinder, water cooled power house that generates an impressive 44 bhp at 9500 rpm and 35 Nm torque at 7250 rpm. Mated to a six-speed gearbox, it has a saddle height of 800 mm and weighs just 139 kgs. The KTM has a single disc brake up front and one for the rear.

Specifications:

Benelli TNT 300:
Powering the Benelli is a 300 cc, liquid cooled, parallel twin-cylinder engine that produces 38 bhp at 11500 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 10000 rpm. The Benelli too is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The saddle height is 795 mm and weighs 196 kgs. The Benelli has dual petal discs up front and a single disc brake for the rear.

Now this is an area where the KTM thrashes the Benelli. The Duke 390 offers much more power, torque and is a very good handler. It is a featherlight rocket.

Safety:

KTM Duke 390:
The KTM comes equipped with a single disc brake for the front and rear. It also features ABS as a standard option.

Safety:

Benelli TNT 300:
The Benelli features dual front discs and a single disc brake at the rear. It does not have ABS even as an option.

Verdict:

Now, to the most important part—the verdict. The KTM has been in the market for a while now and has seen so many other models come, lose and go. Its strength is its engine. KTM is somehow able to deliver the performance of two and four-cylinder engines, using just one. The Benelli TNT 300 has to work a lot harder to knock off KTM as the segment leader. But at the moment, KTM still rules and looks like it will for a very long time.