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The Duke 390 has more power and torque with punchy top-end
Performance – The Duke 390 has been dominating the Indian market ever since its debut back in 2013. It offers a lot of bang for your buck, for the kind of performance it delivers. The 373cc motor produces 43 BHP and 37 Nm of torque in a lightweight package of just 163 kgs, which is maddening. The Duke hits the ton from nought right under 6 seconds while the slipper-clutch works like a gem too. We have always been a fan of the high-compression high-revving motor but the refinement isn’t the best when compared to the Japanese motor. Both the powerplants in comparison here are liquid-cooled but the Duke dissipates more heat as compared to the Honda CB300R. The Honda, on the other hand, has a smaller block of 286cc, resulting in less power and torque figures at 30 BHP and 27 Nm. It also has a better tune to suit the low-end in the rev range compared to the Duke 390.
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The CB300R has a better low-end grunt and feels lively in the mid-range
CB300R does have an exhilarating motor but not as much as the Duke 390
Thus, it is easier to ride the CB300R in city traffic with a calmer and more refined engine. The throttle response on both the motorcycles is quick but the CB300R feels a lot more responsive than the Duke. It is, however, slower than Duke 390 with 0-100 km/hr timing of around 7 seconds. Both the motorcycles get a 6-speed gearbox but the CB300R misses out on a slipper-clutch. While both redline close to 10,000 RPM, the exhaust note of the CB300R is a lot more pleasing than the Duke 390. One can expect similar mileage figures from both the motorcycles, which is between 26-30 km/l but the CB300R has a 3-litre smaller fuel tank than the Duke giving it a lesser riding range.
