Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 vs KTM Duke 390: Dyno tests reveal TRUE power [Video]

The folks at CycleWorld have put both the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and the 2019 KTM Duke 390 on the dyno, and have recorded videos that show both motorcycles being dyno’ed. Here are the exact power and torque numbers that both motorcycles produce at their respective rear wheels.

The 2019 KTM Duke 390, which gets claimed power and torque outputs of 44 Bhp-37 Nm, makes 41.21 Bhp of peak power at 8,640 rpm and 36.47 Nm of peak torque at 6,860 rpm. These figures are at the rear wheel, which is the most accurate representation of the exact amount of power and torque the motor puts onto the road. The figures of the KTM Duke 390 are very impressive, considering that the bike’s motor loses less than 10 % of its peak outputs to transmission losses.

Coming to the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, claimed power and torque numbers stand at 47 Bhp and 52 Nm. On the dyno, the engine of this motorcycle pumps out 44.36 Bhp at 6,840 rpm and 51.91 Nm at 5,100 rpm. Again, these numbers are very impressive, and go on to show that Royal Enfield has really come of age with this engine. In the past, Royal Enfields were known to have massive transmission losses, losing over 30 % of claimed outputs before the power and torque reached the rear wheel. Things have really changed for the motorcycle maker, and it shows.

The 647cc parallel twin engine of the Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT is a clean sheet design. The motor is the most advanced unit that Royal Enfield has ever put together. Four valve heads, an overhead camshaft, fuel injection, a parallel twin layout, a 270 degree crank, air-oil cooling, a 6 speed gearbox and a slipper clutch are key highlights. The smoothness of this engine has impressed reviewers and buyers alike, and is perhaps the biggest selling point of the new Royal Enfield twins.

The 373cc, liquid cooled motor of the KTM Duke 390 is a totally different beast. Built to be ridden hard, the engine makes most of its power at higher rpm, staying true to the ‘hooligan’ character of the Duke range. One of the most powerful engine on an affordable motorcycle sold in India, this motor is tech packed. From twin overhead camshafts to a four valve head, DiaSIL cylinder and liquid cooling, the KTM Duke 390’s engine is built for high performance. The engine is also found on the fully faired KTM RC390, and will soon be offered on an ADV motorcycle from the brand.

Coming to the real world performance of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650/Continental GT compared to the KTM Duke 390, it’s no surprise that the KTM manages to get its nose ahead in an out-and-out drag race. Here’s an illustration of the same with the Interceptor 650 taking on the Duke 390 rather than the similarly spec-ed Continental GT 650.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ6Nfou3jvQ

This is because of the fact that the KTM Duke 390 is a lot lighter than the Royal Enfield twins, which tip scales at about 200 kilograms. At 154 kilograms, the KTM Duke 390 is a full third lighter than the Royal Enfield twins, and this translates into faster acceleration. This said, the Royal Enfield twins are no slouches. They manage sub-7 second 0-100 Kph timings, and 160 Kph+ top speeds – in other words, luxury car beating performance.