This Duke Chose The Scrambler Life

What does a graphic designer with a 3D printer, a KTM 390 Duke and a lot of patience and passion do in his spare time? Build a scrambler, of course! This particular example is the brainchild of a couple from Mumbai who designed this badass, mud-slinging hooligan by themselves.

People who have gotten their hands dirty or intend to, know that building a custom motorcycle is no easy feat. From prototyping individual parts to finding the right material needs patience, and countless hours of toiling. Akash Das and his wife Garima, designed the custom parts using a 3D software and then 3D printed the prototype parts before outsourcing the machined bits.

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The couple didn’t merely opt for bits and bobs that could fit on the stock bike. They actually designed a new subframe that bolts onto the existing mounting points. This gave the bike a stubbier rear section, with a new LED taillight and a short fender completing the look.

Up front, a J D Speaker-sourced LED headlight with a custom surround was developed. Akash first 3D-prototyped the part before getting the final part machined from 6061 aluminum. The same story goes for other sturdy parts like the fender mounts, front sprocket cover and the fuel tank cover.

If you thought building the subframe was difficult, the story behind the boxy fuel tank will leave you stumped. This is a two-piece unit that has the chunky shell that covers the actual tank that uses the same mounting points as the stock unit. Unlike a few bits that the couple outsourced, the aluminum tank was built in-house. How? Akash modelled it using wood before shaping the metal onto it. The one on the bike was his fourth attempt.

With the intended purpose in mind, the 2018 KTM 390 Duke had to be toughened up. In comes the aluminum bash plate, radiator grill and luggage rack. Of course, the alloy wheels had to make way for 17-inch wire-spoke rims shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres. Paired with the new wheels is a petal disc from Galfer at the front.

The seat too has been moulded in-house and later wrapped in synthetic leather locally. Akash even rerouted and neatly packed the wiring for a cleaner look.

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Already thinking about building a badass version of your bike? You might want to know this build took Akash a whole two years to complete. Don’t feel disheartened though, our curated list of accessories for the KTM 390 Duke will definitely make your bike stand apart.

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