Exciting New Rivals: Comparing The Himalayan, Continental GT And Duke 390

Will the Himalayan break new frontiers? Read to find out what the comparisons to the Continental GT and KTM Duke 390 have to say.

Also Read: Comparison Of Royal Enfield Classic 350 vs Classic 500

Design

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an adventure tourer from the first look of it. The motorcycle features the set-in seat and the higher positioned handlebars help in upright riding position, ideal for long distance rides.

Also Read: Carberry Enfield V-Twin Cylinder Manufacturer Moves Production To India

The chassis is double-cradle design and the position of the mono shocks, 220mm of ground clearance help it weave through tough terrains easily.

Royal Enfield's Continental GT is a pure cafe racer with its Xenophya designed look. Harris Performance in the UK helped in the development of the motorcycle.

The bike is meant to go fast and it has been proofed with low slung handlebars and the long tank. The turning radius is shorter and you might find it difficult in city conditions.

KTM's Duke 390 is a naked frame design, there is hardly any body work, the orange colour frame accentuates the motorcycle very well.

The exhaust is located right at the bottom of the bike and you might wonder if there is one. KTM has designed the bike with performance in mind and you can see it even its exterior design as well.

Overall Design Rating

• Himalayan 8/10
• Continental GT 8/10
• Duke 390 8/10

Engine Specifications & Gearbox

The Himalayan is powered by a new single cylinder LS411cc 4-stroke petrol engine which produces 24.5bhp at 6,500rpm and torque of 32Nm at 4,000 to 4,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh manual gearbox and fuel is pumped through carburettor with throttle position sensor.

As for the Continental GT, the single cylinder 4-stroke engine is powered by 535cc, punching out 29.1bhp at 5,100rpm and 44Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. This is mated to 5-speed constant mesh transmission and the fuel is injected through Keihin Electronic Fuel Injection system.

The KTM Duke 390 is powered by a single cylinder, 4-stroke 373cc engine, producing an impressive 44bhp at 9,500rpm and 35Nm of torque at 7,250rpm. The Duke 390 engine is mated to 6-speed manual gearbox and Bosch EMS technology for the fuel injection.

Overall Engine Rating

• Himalayan 7.5/10
• Continental GT 7.5/10
• Duke 390 8/10

Features

The Himalayan is an adventure tourer to take you off-road, hence, Royal Enfield has featured it with mounting points to carry your luggage be it hard panniers, soft luggage, and jerry cans. The motorcycle also comes with speedometer, tachometer, ambient temperature, time, service intervals and trip meters.

As for the Continental GT, the exhaust has been tweaked to perform, digital and analog combination instrument cluster, ECU (Engine Control Unit) has been tweaked to perform, and Paioli shock absorbers for the rear wheel gives you added confidence at high speeds.

The Duke 390 sports a complete digital instrument cluster which provided information on fuel consumption, engine heat temperature meter, and remaining range. The motorcycle comes with ABS made by Bosch and an upside-down fork to compliments is racing pedigree.

Overall Features Rating

• Himalayan 8/10
• Continental GT 8/10
• Duke 390 8/10

Safety

The front wheel of the Himalayan will come with 300mm disc, 2-piston floating calipers and the rear will sport a 240m disc, single piston floating caliper. The front tyre is 21-inch to give you optimum ride when off-road and the rear wheel comes with 17-inch to help get off the starting point.

On the other hand, the Continental GT comes with same brakes specifications as the Himalayan or rather the Himalayan comes with the specs of the Continental GT. The tyres are of Pirelli Sport Demon which is mounted on a completely new lightweight and strong hub to make you feel more confident.

As for the Duke 390, this is the only bike of the three which sports ABS on the 300mm disc, 4-piston floating calipers for the front and 230mm single-piston caliper for the rear wheel.

You can disengage the ABS if you are more into stunt biking. The tyres are from Metzeler and the wheels are light alloy, which makes it agile yet grippy.

Overall Safety Rating

• Himalayan 8/10
• Continental GT 8/10
• Duke 390 8/10

Pricing

*Prices are ex-showroom (Delhi)

Verdict

The Himalayan is a true blue adventure tourer and it comes with best after sales service with the service intervals at every 10,000 kms. The motorcycle is nimble and easy to ride and handle when it comes to an adventure tourer. Also, the price factor compared to other adventure tourers is a bargain to buy.

The Continental GT is one of a kind and keeps you hooked to racing on a Royal Enfield motorcycle. However, it lacks when it comes to urban riding condition and does not a look good with a pillion seat.

The KTM Duke 390 is a faster bike compared to the other two, the motorcycle lacks on the torque front which makes it difficult ride in lower rpm. On the other hand, the bike is much quicker than the Royal Enfields.