KTM has made waves with a notable price hike for the 390 Duke, now increasing by Rs 40,000. This change comes as Bajaj opts to stop absorbing extra GST-related expenses that have been in play since last September.
When the government introduced a 40 percent GST rate for motorcycles over 350cc last September, Bajaj initially decided to take on that additional tax for affected KTM models, allowing the KTM 390 range to stay competitive without raising prices while rivals adjusted their rates almost instantly.
However, Bajaj has now reversed that strategy, leading to the anticipated price adjustment. The KTM 390 Duke, once priced at Rs 2.99 lakh, now carries a price tag of Rs 3.39 lakh – reflecting the significant Rs 40,000 increase. There’s been no official announcement yet about when other models in the 390 lineup, like the RC 390 and 390 Enduro, will see similar adjustments, but it’s reasonable to expect those changes soon.
This increase in the price of the current 390 Duke may also create a bigger distance between it and the upcoming sub-350 Duke upon its release. Bajaj is reportedly working on reducing the 399cc single-cylinder engine to meet the 350cc benchmark, which would allow it to benefit from a lower GST rate of 18 percent, akin to their strategy with the new Triumph 400 range.
Sources indicate that Bajaj may keep both the 399cc and 350cc versions of the Duke available simultaneously for a while, and only time will reveal how long the 390 Duke can maintain its presence in the market if the smaller-capacity version manages to match its performance.
The recent updates to GST 2.0 have resulted in an increase in the price of the 390 Adventure X, now set at Rs 3.26 lakh. Following this, the bike has seen another price hike, bringing its current price to Rs 3.43 lakh, which is an increase of Rs 17,000 from the previous amount. Given this new pricing, it’s very likely that the on-road cost will exceed the Rs 4 lakh mark in most, if not all, regions across India.
