KTM 390 Duke vs BMW 3-Series 320d drag race: Who’s FASTER? [Video]

KTM Duke 390 is a pocket rocket. It is the quickest accelerating bike in the segment and can outrun the mass segment cars easily. However, is the 390 Duke quicker than the premium cars too? Well, here is a BMW 3-Series 320d, which an entry-level sedan from the Bavarian brand in India. The result? Well, you can check it out in the video below.

The video has been posted by Ayush Verma on an empty stretch of road. The BMW 3-Series sedan seen in the video gets a lot of M3 badges but it is a regular 320d underneath. It gets an all-black, rims and other slight modifications but the engine is in stock condition. The video shows both of them starting the drag race on the empty stretch of road.

The drag race starts on the third honk and the KTM 390 Duke can be seen zooming past the sedan at the starting line itself. The video shows the bike staying ahead of the BMW 320d all the time and even gaining distance. In the end, the KTM 390 Duke could be seen much quicker and crossing the finishing line much more comfortably. It should be noted that that KTM 390 Duke rider pulled a wheelie in between, which puts an impact on the acceleration and still it won the race comfortably. There was no camera placed at the finishing line but the video shows a clear win with over 2 seconds lead.

The BMW 320d is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine option that generates a maximum power of 184 Bhp at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 380 Nm between 1750-2750 rpm. The KTM 390 Duke, on the other hand, gets a 373.2cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that generates a maximum power of 43 Bhp and 37 Nm of peak torque. It may sound like a fraction of the power of BMW 320d but the real answer lies in the weight. The BMW 320d weighs a massive 1,490 kg, which makes it difficult to accelerate quickly. The KTM 390 Duke weighs only 166.6 kg, which gives it a massive advantage when it comes to acceleration. The BMW 320d gets a power-to-weight ratio of 123 Bhp/ton, which is much lower than the KTM 390 Duke’s power-to-weight ratio of 271.76 Bhp/ton, giving it a massive advantage.

However, the BMW 320d has a much higher speed than the KTM 390 Duke and of course, being a car, it is much more stable at the higher speeds. Officially, the BMW 320d can reach a top speed of 235 km/h while the KTM 390 Duke can reach an officially claimed top speed of 167 km/h. On a longer run, the BMW 320d will surely outrun the KTM 390 Duke but on the shorter runs, the KTM 390 Duke will always win because of the power-to-weight ratio advantage, which ensures a quicker acceleration. Officially, the BMW 320d can do 0-100 km/h in 7.2 seconds while the KTM 390 Duke can do it in 5.6 seconds.