Autologue Designs has garnered significant popularity in the Mumbai-Pune motorcycle community recently for their smart and trendy machine kits and body parts for performance motorcycles available in India.
The KTM 390 Duke is such a popular motorcycle in India and such a common sight on our roads that owners usually seek new ways to add a dash of individuality to the Austrian. And since it’s already a brightly coloured motorcycle, just a small tweak is needed to make this mean brawler stand out in a crowd.
Like all decisions in life, there are two options – the red or the blue pill. Basically you either walk the simple path and pick up the usual KTM Powerparts from the dealerships, or go for something radically different, something from lesser known but fairly reputed custom parts builders. Something that the likes of Autologue Design has to offer.
Autologue Designs has plenty of options, right from customizing entire motorcycles and cars to body paint and wraps. But the most impressive section seemed to be the Motorcycle Machine Bits. Which, in simple English, is an array of small custom parts that has been designed to be a straight, hassle free fit for your motorcycle. These not only look much cooler than the standard fitment but also add just the right amount of zing that your bike needs.
For now, this desi motorcycle custom part start-up has Machine Bits for popular models like the KTM 390 Duke and 200 Duke and some parts for the Hyosung GT650 and GT250. The options include front and rear brake reservoir cap in bright colours, sprocket cover and even frame sliders.
And, as these pictures suggest, we got our hands on the KTM 390 Duke frame sliders which are priced at Rs 4782 for a pair and can be bought from the official website or from bigger online shopping portals like Amazon.in and ebay.in.
It comes neatly packed in a black box, something similar to what touchscreen tablets are packed in. Pop open the lid, and you get a pair of well-finished sliders which come with a set of connectors and bolts, all slotted nicely in the foam base. This makes for a good first impression, hinting at Autologue Design’s professional approach. The only confusion is that our box came with 3 set of bolts and only two sets can be used. There’s no mention about the extra bolts even in the manual.
The smart looking black sliders’ top is made up of Delrin, which is essentially a highly-crystalline polymer that has high stiffness and strength. It’s quite well finished, with soft corners, and looks more expensive than it is. The top fits on an aluminum connector which can be bought in either black or orange. We picked the later because it goes really well with KTM’s orange theme.
It takes not more than 15 minutes to fix the sliders and is really easy to do it yourself. All one needs, is remove the company-fitted leg guard and bolt on the Autologue Design one, which can be done using the KTM-provided Allen key from the toolkit. The same Allen key can be used to tighten the bolts provided by Autologue Design, which really is a thoughtful touch by the custom parts builder.
Once bolted on, the bike looks a lot more streamlined and neat compared to the utilitarian crash-guard, and at the same time the frame sliders provide decent protection in case you drop the bike. Besides, if you just need a specific part, the lads at Autologue will be happy to provide it, so you don’t have to buy the entire set all over again. Another advantage to go with a reputed custom parts builder is that they offer one year’s warranty with manufacturing fault replacement.
So if you’re still wondering what are the pros and cons for this then let’s spell them out right now.
Pros:
- These are well thought out products and have been designed especially for the KTM 390 Duke and 200 Duke.
- It’s a straight fit and can be done at home with the bike’s tool kit.
- The frame sliders enhance the style quotient.
- Offer fairly decent protection for the fuel tank.
Cons:
- Although this is cheaper than some international products, it can be an expensive option for few.
- Though the original crash guards look crude, they provide some protection for the rider’s legs, which the frame sliders don’t.