1000 km with my used 2017 Duke 390: 4 quick highway ride observations

Suspension is indeed stiff in the city at stock setting. Loved it for the great handling on highways but have to get it adjusted.

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Completed another 1000 km and 3 months of ownership. Salaga is at 2300 km with a 160 km no holds barred STRR weekend blast (home - Devanahalli - doddaballapura- dobbaspete- home) and a quick 250 km day ride to meet a friend in denkanikottai. Tried the Rocky Ridge cafe, too expensive for what it has to offer.

Please try the STRR once - Bengaluru liter class bike riders have made it their unofficial Le Mans circuit on weekdays. The roads are simply beautiful with long winding corners, though a couple of stretches are a little unsafe, especially the expansion joints that can be unsettling.

The bikes acceleration is manic, proving why well maintained BS3/4 390s are still in demand. The 3rd and 4th gear pulls from 30 kmph to 110 kmph is bound to leave you giggling, like how 2nd will in the city during an overtake. 5th and 6th maintains cruising easily above the NHAI speed limits, provided you can tolerate the enormous buffeting. City use has been a lot of fun in contrast to my experience with the Himalayan.

Things I observed since last time

1. Suspension is indeed stiff in the city at stock setting. Loved it for the great handling on highways but have to get it adjusted, sadly the previous owner lost the toolkit and has never adjusted the suspension in his 26870 km of ownership. So bad that the darned adjuster has rusted and isn’t even turning with the spanner (ended up smashing my fingers on the frame)

2. Got the front brake pads changed to organic ones after I started hearing squeaking noises at 1850 km or so - the difference between sintered and organic is really very noticeable. They took 300 km to bed in, not as great as the previous sintered ones after some time of riding (I felt the ABS trigger more often under hard braking). Felt like the RS457 test ride units brakes that I rode - now I understand the reviewers at the RS457 event chatting about the brakes, especially if they fade. Anyways it will be majorly city ridden atleast until this year end so not a big problem.

3. Wind blast is too much post 100 kmph, have to find something like the Carbon Racing ones on the Dominar and H450.

4. I wish this had the excellent quickshifter/autoblipper of the present gen. Gearshifts feel a little clunky, especially 1 and 2.

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