[8] The 390 Duke standard debuted at the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, Italy, and went on sale in India and the Philippines in 2013 and in the US in 2015.

[14] Pierer said in December 2015 that KTM and Bajaj plan to replace the 125, 200, and the 390-series Duke and RC lines in 2017, based on all new platforms, in part tarnavo meet Euro IV emissions standards, and to incorporate new technologies such as ride-by-wire.

[15] In its home market, the 390 Duke's engine size and weight place it in the mid-range category, and it sells for more than three times the average price of a motorcycle in India.

[7][16] As one Indian reviewer put it "The 390 Duke may well be a simple little A2 license commuter for the European rider, but in the environs of Mumbai traffic, it's a proper rocket-powered scalpel.

[13] Similarly, the UK Sunday Times said, "Given that the 390 Duke weighs less than 150kg when it's full of fuel, you have to sit on it to stop it blowing away.

It's as agile in traffic as a push-bike and whippet-thin," saying the bike was ideal for young riders with the A2 license, limited to 47 bhp (35 kW), who would find it easy to ride and confidence-inspiring, while feeling "fast and sporty".

In 2018, KTM updated its Duke 390 with some minor changes, where it added a deflector plate on the left side of the chassis, to avoid exhaust heat near the riders leg.

[24] A sport bike version of the 390 Duke, the KTM RC 390 was presented at the 2013 EICMA motorcycle show in Italy, though most details had been leaked a few weeks earlier.

The same ByBre disc brakes with switchable dual channel ABS, and WP 43 mm front fork and rear shock are used on the RC 390.

The RC 390 Cup has no lights or mirrors, and no ABS to reduce weight, and an upgraded WP suspension, fully adjustable front and rear.

[26] Cycle Worlds's tested power figure was 29.9 kW (40.1 hp) @ 8,600 rpm, and torque was 34.4 N⋅m (25.4 ft⋅lb).