[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

At one point of time i was even thinking of getting Ninja 650 for weekend rides and keeping the ZMA for commuting. somehow i didnt like the full faired bikes like R15 or CBR 250(strictly personal choice no offense to owners). In Ninja 650 it was not only reason because i can live up with the fairing if its a Ninja 650 .

Congrats on your new bike, I just love the way it looks.

Are they giving the 650 for test-ride?

Originally Posted by baddy

Guess that was a loooong report. Hope its a useful review. All in all its a lovely product although with room for improvement. In the end i am a happy customer. waiting to take it to the race track to find its true potential. I will post pictures that i took during the ride as soon as i reach back home in chennai. Thanks for reading

Congrats baddy. Was a nice report.

If you take the bike on the race track do let me know also, I am just waiting for some company to take my bike - R15 on the track too, i.e. if its not too much of a trouble, plus another friend of mine has also purchased a KTM and wants take it on the track as well.

So kindly do let me know when you going to the track, would love to join you.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by black12rr

I was thinking to get it changed at 100 or 150 kms .

BTW Both the front and rear suspensions is hard . Did you notice ?
I am keeping the front tyre at 28 and rear at 29 PSI .

Ya front suspension is bit too hard, but i feel rear is ok, you can adjust the rear suspension to a softer settings. I keep 30 in front and 31 in rear. Check the tyre pressure with a good pressure gauge as most of the time fuel pump gauges are not accurate. One i filled air in my palio and felt really weird ride like it was floating. After 4-5 kms check the air pressure and it was 45 in all four :o

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Unfortunately it doesn't work that well for me. Even if the sun is shining in all its glory it WILL rain if my bike is nicely washed and waxed. You see Mr. Murphy follows me around very closely... and i don't even have a twitter account.

I know man, always happens to me.

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Congrats on your new bike, I just love the way it looks.

Are they giving the 650 for test-ride?

Congrats baddy. Was a nice report.

If you take the bike on the race track do let me know also, I am just waiting for some company to take my bike - R15 on the track too, i.e. if its not too much of a trouble, plus another friend of mine has also purchased a KTM and wants take it on the track as well.

So kindly do let me know when you going to the track, would love to join you.

No test rides for 650 as new model is expected in may-june IIRC.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

The chain sound is due to the chain hitting the swingarm as per the ownership threads here. A rubber bush apparently has resolved the issue.

Its called chain slider (atleast for CBR); KTM ASC should be able to fix when the stocks arrive.

Rahulkool - Congrats; nice review.

[Added_flavor]

Congratulations and a nice report there!

The only ambiguity about this bike for me is it's longevity and reliability, more so because it's a short stroker and a relatively stressed engine!

Being an ex-owner of Bajaj bikes, I am very skeptical of the component quality and reliability.

Wish you lots of happy miles and request you to provide us regular updates of all the niggles (if any).

[black12rr]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

The only ambiguity about this bike for me is it's longevity and reliability, more so because it's a short stroker and a relatively stressed engine!

Be ready to put on the flame shield .You will be bombarded.

Whatever you have said ,is a myth . The engine is lively and you don't feel strained . Even I have a bajaj product. This is nothing similar to bajaj .

Ride it once and report back here .

[Starscream1188]

@ added flavour: Long strike engines are the ones which undergo a lot of stress as in undersquare engines. Short stroke or oversquare engines function without stress. Wondering how a short stroke engine can be stressed. Correct me if I am wrong!!

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Congratulations and a nice report there!

The only ambiguity about this bike for me is it's longevity and reliability, more so because it's a short stroker and a relatively stressed engine!

Being an ex-owner of Bajaj bikes, I am very skeptical of the component quality and reliability.

Wish you lots of happy miles and request you to provide us regular updates of all the niggles (if any).

Yes thats the thing unknown for this bike. Being a new model i have assumed it will have some flaw. Its similar to duke 125 so mechanically there should not be but the same cant be said about engine which is lil different and more in capacity.

Originally Posted by black12rr

Be ready to put on the flame shield .You will be bombarded.

Whatever you have said ,is a myth . The engine is lively and you don't feel strained . Even I have a bajaj product. This is nothing similar to bajaj .

Ride it once and report back here .

Ya engine doesnt feel strained at all, even at 10000rpm.

Originally Posted by Starscream1188

@ added flavour: Long strike engines are the ones which undergo a lot of stress as in undersquare engines. Short stroke or oversquare engines function without stress. Wondering how a short stroke engine can be stressed. Correct me if I am wrong!!

Even i thought short stroke engine are less stressed than the long stroke engines.

I was trying to chnage rpm limiter in the display and somehow reset the service reminder :-/. Now it says next service at 5000kms. I checked in the manual and it clearly says at many places not to press the set button for more than 15secs. Thats what i have done i think :(. Anyone know how to solve this problem or will it create any problem in runnin of the bike/engine ?.

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Be ready to put on the flame shield .You will be bombarded.

Whatever you have said ,is a myth . The engine is lively and you don't feel strained . Even I have a bajaj product. This is nothing similar to bajaj .

Ride it once and report back here .

I should have added the disclaimer that my opinions are based purely on my experience and are not meant to offend anyone!

Originally Posted by Starscream1188

@ added flavour: Long strike engines are the ones which undergo a lot of stress as in undersquare engines. Short stroke or oversquare engines function without stress. Wondering how a short stroke engine can be stressed. Correct me if I am wrong!!

You are right and I am wrong.

Theoretically, long stroke engines are considered to be more stressed because of the longer piston travel. But on the outside, they seem less stressed because of the higher torque at lower RPMs and hence the lesser need to rev them higher.

Anyway, the eternal discussion of Short stroke vs Long stroke engines would go on and on, as I am also one amongst those who feel the length of the piston travel (resulting in higher piston velocity) is not the only deciding factor for the stress and consequently wear and tear of the pistons, but the higher RPMs required to produce the same power output in a short stroker will also lead to faster piston wear and tear.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I was trying to chnage rpm limiter in the display and somehow reset the service reminder :-/. Now it says next service at 5000kms. I checked in the manual and it clearly says at many places not to press the set button for more than 15secs. Thats what i have done i think :(. Anyone know how to solve this problem or will it create any problem in runnin of the bike/engine ?.

Head to the service center and have this brought to their attention at the earliest. You wouldn't want them to cite warranty issues and blah blah.

However i am not sure if they can erase and reprogram the ECU to display the "pre-reset" data.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Head to the service center and have this brought to their attention at the earliest. You wouldn't want them to cite warranty issues and blah blah.

However i am not sure if they can erase and reprogram the ECU to display the "pre-reset" data.

I have called them and informed about this already. They said its no problem and will not affect warranty. I am out of chennai, will take the bike to service center on saturday when i am back. my main worry is if it changes anything in the ECU for run-in period :-/


Caution for other duke owners:- do not press the set button on odo mode for more than 15secs

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I have called them and informed about this already. They said its no problem and will not affect warranty. I am out of chennai, will take the bike to service center on saturday when i am back. my main worry is if it changes anything in the ECU for run-in period :-/


Caution for other duke owners:- do not press the set button on odo mode for more than 15secs

Got it checked today and there is no warranty issue because of this. The service center people tried resetting it again but it just goes back to 5000kms.

[Rahulkool]

Yesterday did a long ride in the city, revved it a lil bit more. The best RPM to change gears is 5500, under normal city riding. gear changing is really smooth, i should say its better than ZMA. Once also tried checking if there is a rev limiter at 7500rpm as reported by many owner(in run in period). but in 2nd gear i could cross 7500rpm :-/. can anyone check it in there bike and reply. Just did it once for few secs so i don't think it will harm anything.

[DRIV3R]

Were you on Santhome high road this evening? Congrats on the duke, btw. Lesser runs for the 1.6 eh?

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Were you on Santhome high road this evening? Congrats on the duke, btw. Lesser runs for the 1.6 eh?

ya i was evening, but in car not on bike. ya man, i always get confused what to take in the morning :-/, took the car out today after 3 weeks.

[Starscream1188]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

Yesterday did a long ride in the city, revved it a lil bit more. The best RPM to change gears is 5500, under normal city riding. gear changing is really smooth, i should say its better than ZMA. Once also tried checking if there is a rev limiter at 7500rpm as reported by many owner(in run in period). but in 2nd gear i could cross 7500rpm :-/. can anyone check it in there bike and reply. Just did it once for few secs so i don't think it will harm anything.

There is no limiter that cuts off at all.. I revved it above 8k a couple of times and it still goes. Should mention the sound at 8k is addictive.. Sounds like a superbike.