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-   -   The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/138082-ktm-duke-390-ownership-experience-thread-170.html)

What can I say man. I missed my true calling! LOL

Exactly. Especially when throttled up by a ham handed 200 rider ..... who was suitably chastised thereafter.

And needed a change of underpants. :uncontrol

Simply adjust throttle opening and opening point.

Sorry for the delay guys, posting a few photos after the change of tyres to Ceat Vertigo Sport. Have ridden for about 400kms in 2 weeks and I must say I am not missing Metz. Had been to Nandi hills last sunday with a friend of mine and I must admit I was faster through the corners as he found no grip from his Metz on the gravel filled corners. The off roading capability is brilliant and now I dont worry about the potholes or broken sections of road.

The stance of the 2 Dukes. The front one is with Ceat and the one behind is with stock tyres.



With the new rubber



The front tyre.







The jugaad for the tyre touching the front fender. The tyre just scrapes in the stock position, so moved the fender by an inch with a bracket.





The rear tyre, Has moved up a few inches from the stock setup. For the first couple of days hit the rear seat/ grab rail whenever I tried to mount the bike due to the increased ride height.







The cost of the tyres worked out to 4500INR, 2000INR for the front and 2500INR for the rear. I am now trying to play around with the air pressure to suit the comfort during riding. 30/32 gave a very light feel of the bike and feels like the front end is wafting over the surface at speeds beyond 80kmph. Now running 28/30 and I feel the bike is more composed. Need to try with full luggage / pillion to arrive at a comfortable ride.

Be careful when riding in the wet. You can aquaplane quite easily.

Also, the speed rating is P, which translates to 150kmph. IIRC the 200 Duke came with tyres rated to 180kmph. Better not go too fast on these, mate.

And don't disable the ABS when riding on these either-they were quite easy to lock up from what I remember.

BTW thanks to the massive engine braking in 1st, it feels like the bike's got Hill Descent Control when going down trails! clap:

I am currently in market for a performance motorcycle and so far have considered only the street 750 due to lack of any other suitable option(Ergonomics rules out pretty much everything) . I am normally averse to sports bike ergonomics but after finding out that the bajaj dealership here at bareilly has now opened a KTM branch , paid a visit and was actually impressed by the duke 390's stance - what I liked was the upright seating posture but didn't find the rear set pegs that comfortable . Not sure how I feel about the aesthetics , it is striking for sure but the decals and the 'loud' orange( that paint quality !!!) alloys are sour points - not deal breaker in any sense though .

Have scheduled a test ride next sunday , they have agreed to bring the bike to my place and if it goes well , I might even take the plunge . I have since spent much time ghosting through different forums regarding pros and cons and I am curious if the following one still exists-
1. bike stalling with clutch depressed .
2. Oil leak from head and sudden coolant leaks emptying the reservoir .
3. Brittle alloys fracturing on mild impact .

I come from a bullet background and I normally ride at a sedate rpm but at the same time prefer having enough reserve power to overtake or just sprint when the opportunity provides itself(hence the willingness to upgrade ) - the street 750 is on paper a very good candidate for that , can the same be said about duke 390 which is basically a high revving sprinter(certain user opinions are the power delivery is rough/in bursts below 4k rpm) ? Also keeping in mind that I have only ever used a cast iron bullet , is it "Safe" to suddenly upgrade to a bike that as some say jumps ahead at the slightest throttle input in the first 3 gears ?

What is the average after sale service like ? the dept. here is only 2 weeks old and I found the staff to be lacking in any concrete information , should this be a concern ? Also bajaj's support of the bike has been satisfactory so far ? I mean things like rectifying commons issues and improving the bike in general , availability of parts , stance towards customers ...


ps: Is the ninja 300 really worth twice the price of this bike ?

The setup is temporary for the upcoming Ladakh circuit ride. After this, it is Metz back in action.
I am being accompanied by a colleague on a Apache, so I would be riding sanely within 90 kmph.
Thanks mate for your concerns. I will keep this in mind during the ride.

Ah I see. Have fun then! :thumbs up

I noticed one other thing: since you raised the front mudguard, the tyre now throws up muck onto the radiator. Try extending the mudguard to prevent this using any means necessary. Cleaning filth from the fins without damaging them is a time consuming task!

Nice one Uday! If we can fit a 120 safely then why not a Michelin Sirac? I had it on my Karizma and it was a lovely tyre even in wet conditions!

Doc, details on where they are available please :)

Hey steer. I guess "man of steel" posted these very links earlier in this thread iirc. I was aware of these and actually checked with many a ktm folks regarding its availability in India. Response - negative. No way am I gonna spend so much money without touching / feeling these.

On a side note - the power parts may be expensive but their pricing is very similar to the ones available abroad. Example - power parts wind screen costs $43 in US. India pricing - 2600. Not bad at all. I don't know how ktm does it but kudos to them.

Everyone - what is better? Memory foam, regular foam or gel pad? Where can u buy a gel pad from in India? How much does it cost? Any specific pads (manufacturer) that's recommended? Can order from the states too if the price difference is a lot. Have heard that both gel n mèmory foam melts n goes mush like butter whilst riding in high temperatures n goes rock hard in case you encounter cold weather. Please advise. Thanks!

There was a dicussion some time ago on geal pads. There is a company up north importing them and selling them as per individual bike seat design (was asking for Bullets and KTM back then). Good stuff. Around 3-5K so not very pricey as well (any rider who rides long hours would not mind spending that much for the relief over the final two hours of the ride ....).

Thanks Anil. Maybe you should start a thread for this so that its easier for users to search for with keyword searches later on. This is a really great link and had the Duke seat not been so good for touring (compared to my earlier Bullet ones) I would surely have gone for one. I had actually spoken to the guy a number of times and exchanged some emails as well. Guy knows his stuff and the stuff looks good quality and is imported (not local me-too jugaad). So its not going to be cheap neessarily. But you get what you pay for.

The online retailer is very trusted in KTM circles, and this is an OE KTM Powerparts item. Ergo seats are available from KTMPP for every model, are of excellent quality and very comfortable.

I do realise its pricey, but if its KTMPP I would buy it without having to touch/feel. This however is based on individual preferences - I've bought almost everything for my bike online, mostly based on reviews by KTM users on specific bike forums.

Please tell me you are not referring to yourself :D

Is it the same company that Anil has provided the link for? You know anyone who uses gel seats on their motorcycle? Does it react differently to extreme temperatures? If so, foam is my best friend. Memory foam is 100% out. It needs to be used in a temperature controlled environment.

Thanks Steer. The "touch / feel" was more around being able to check the pitch of the back seat. Does not help if it does not significantly reduce the forward pitch of the rear seat, irrespective of the padding and / or overall quality. Have tried to look up pics with the ergo seat installed on the 390. No joy.

How to procure these Doc??