[ebonho]

Originally Posted by VW2010

There is an alternative to paddle stand. Just use you car jack to raise the rear wheel a little bit. The bike almost acts like a bike on center stand and you can clean up the chain etc.

Where do you fit the car jack to the underside of the Duke?

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

Absolutely yes. The shift gets clunkier with time and gets subdued when chain is adjusted. But is adjusting the slack every 150-200 kms the norm?

Sir in my experience, there is no need to adjust the chain every 150-200 km. I believe one of the primary reasons for chain slack is lack of lubrication and resultant heating and loosening. Hence, I lubricate it religiously every 400-500 Km. Every 1000 km or after every wash/rain ride I ensure I clean it using Motul Chain cleaner and then lubricate it. It's been well more than 1000 km since I last adjusted the slack.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I can surely use some guidance on how to adjust the chain. I have never attempted it myself on the KTM but I now want to. What I need to buy is a paddock stand. The KTM one is super expensive.

Sir I learnt it in the DIY session held in the Indiranagar KTM showroom. It took me a couple of iterations to get the complete hang of it. The user manual is quite elaborate and descriptive.

[VW2010]

@ebonho

I thought i had a picture in this thread. I used to jack very close to the tail part of the swing arm where is some support and my jetta jack has a mild curve that exactly sits on the swing arm. I just raise it enough to life the tire out of the ground. Its a simple solution for me to get the cleaning done.

Another reason why bull is easy. Just two flat stones and the center stand is now a sea saw lever point.

[Cyrus_the_virus]

Originally Posted by ebonho

A question for all the 390 owners here.

Are all your bikes having clunky upshifts (2 to 3, 3 to 4, etc.)?

Except from N to 1 and maybe a slightly less clunky 1 to 2. But after that everything is smooth for me. Or at least nothing noticeable enough for me to notice. Bike is 11 months old

[basuroy]

Guys my duke 390 delivery is expected by end of this month , one of the conditions i placed before the dealer was bike should be from the latest batch without mentioning any month but say post june for example . Anyways I will appreciate it if someone here guided me how to identify the date of manufacture from the engine/chassis number and where is said number located ?

Is it mentioned on any paper that will be submitted to me during delivery ? if not can it be checked in real time at the dealer and does checking it requires an active net connection ( in that case , i will make sure my mobile has a net plan activated ) ?

Thank you .

[unk9ja]

Tomorrow would be the anniversary of Ka, my slithering snake. I was taking it to get a wash today when a moron drove straight at me after dodging a bus on the wrong side of the road. I was between the divider and the bus, tried hard to stop but things went otherwise. The bus just passed me and I tried to swerve to the left after this but the guy was near my handle at that time. Whack and the handle guard broke. Stopped a few meters away and turned to see the guy and pillon sitting on the median. Soon he tried to run away in the bylane. Chased him down and the drama unfolded. No DL, underage, no helmet, not his bike. I was adamant to talk to his family about this. All he said was he had 2k with him which he wanted me to take and let him go. I said damn to the money and stood stubborn. Soon a crowd gathered. There were people who had been witness to this. After 20 minutes of this, I saw a small spot of blood on his hand. Asked him to roll up his sleeves and there was a small cut from the fall onto the divider. I asked him to accompany me to the hospital which was a stone throw away. But he refused asking me let him go. I told him to get a first aid and then move on. And since I use the same road everyday, any more instance of seeing him on the bike, I assured him that I would drag him to the nearest police station.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Now that's a first. It is rare for neutral to 1 to go smooth on my motorcycle. When it does, I smile.



I can surely use some guidance on how to adjust the chain. I have never attempted it myself on the KTM but I now want to. What I need to buy is a paddock stand. The KTM one is super expensive.

For the first time in a little over 10 months with the bike, I visited the service centre (Kasturba road) to get a smashed mirror replaced, chain tightened and lubricated. I highlight "first time" as I don't usually go to the service centre between service intervals for small jobs. They did a good job with the chain adjustment. With the bike raised on the paddock stand, the first thing that was done was rotate the wheel by hand and brush the chain. The brushing was done at the point where the chain is on the rear sprocket. After that, cranked the bike, engaged first, let the clutch out slowly and the wheel starts rotating. Spray away. Five minute job. 3M chain lubricant was used.

I ride home which is about 6km, rear rim covered in chain lubricant.

With regard to tire wear, I hit 5 digits on the odo on Sep 1, exactly 10 months from purchase. There appears to be plenty of tread left and I feel it may go beyond 16k on the odo. I have been riding on good roads for the most part. This probably explains the minimal wear. My riding style is not aggressive too. This can make a big difference. My idea of ripping and riding is 5-6k on the tachometer, cause you are already flying past everything else with this limited throttle input. Going beyond this engine speed in the city cycle is next to impossible.

My personal advice would be to invest in a proper paddock stand, and the stand bobbins that go in the swingarm, yes the spools are a tad costlier, but a one-time installment so does a paddock stand.

I for one, use a paddock stand to lube, clean the chain myself, helps and gives a peace of mind. The way mentioned in the manual is a real pain in the posterior considering the fact that motor movement is really really limited. Get yourself a paddock stand, don't go for KTM PowerPart ones, as usual they're pretty much a bong on the pocket.

Get yourself a paddock from RJays and Bobbins from

http://jcmoto.in/shop/ktm-duke-crash-protection-set/

And Google Bachoo Motors for universal paddock stand, worth the investment if you ask my opinion.

Cheers!
VJ

[ashwin1224]

Hi all,

What is the mileage you're getting on your bikes? I get an indicated 25-28 when I ride casually on open roads, 30-32 while riding cautiously but 19-20 in most of my rides in the city with mixed traffic conditions(while riding with a bit of spirit). How close is the indicated figure to actual figures?

Another question I have is, how much fuel is there in the bike after the range shows 0kms? Ive seen my Polo go about 8-10 kms after range ends, so I am curious as to what is the case with the Duke.

Regards,
Ashwin

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by ashwin1224

Hi all,

Another question I have is, how much fuel is there in the bike after the range shows 0kms? Ive seen my Polo go about 8-10 kms after range ends, so I am curious as to what is the case with the Duke.

Regards,
Ashwin

The fuel tank will have about 2.5 ltrs when the low fuel warning comes up. With no marks on the fuel indicator, it is about 1-1.5 ltrs. But it is strongly recommended to refill when the low level indication comes up lest you are stranded with a conked fuel pump in your ride. The fuel pump requires a min level of fuel to work properly and will fail if it is starved.

[VW2010]

How close is the indicated figure to actual figures?

If you see the fuel indicator light up, it tells you you have another 20odd kms in traffic to find the next stop.

Its a WARNING to be taken seriously. I would never mess with my 500 or the KTM when the fuel goes to reserve.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Its a WARNING to be taken seriously.

I think MOST if not all old timer Bulleteers (especially the 500 guys) have at least once in their lives run their bikes dry (in spite of Bajaj style tilt and blow) and had the honor of pushing their metal ladies for a good distance.

Its a rite of passage. One of many when you own a Bullet.

Even better if its late at night, when most pumps are shut, and you get a few bridges and flyovers on the way to spice things (and heart rates) up.

And nothing like it if its also raining buckets as you go through the marked territories of packs of street dogs on every corner.

Especially if there is a particularly nasty alpha male who knows your scent and has never liked the roar of your Bullet when you usually thunder past and he is obliged to chase your heels ...... only this time you are on foot.

Aaaaah wonderful days!!

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

My personal advice would be to invest in a proper paddock stand, and the stand bobbins that go in the swingarm, yes the spools are a tad costlier, but a one-time installment so does a paddock stand.

Thanks for the advice. I am surely putting my money on what you have suggested.

What is the difference between a stand bobbin, spools and a crash bobbin. Are they one and the same? If I look at the mount points for a crash bobbin, I can't figure out how it manages to save the bike during a tumble You are still going to have lots of broken bits.

The RJ paddock stand lifts the front end too?

Originally Posted by ashwin1224

How close is the indicated figure to actual figures

I have never checked the digital read out with regard to economy. I get a consistent 26kmpl in the city cycle which I think is awesome,brim to brim measurements. Can't ask for more.

Originally Posted by ebonho

I think MOST if not all old timer Bulleteers (especially the 500 guys) have at least once in their lives run their bikes dry and had the honor of pushing their metal ladies for a good distance.

I've had one instance. I usually plan and know how far I can go. This happened on the Managalore highway, that too bang in the Sharadi ghat. No scope for pushing or tilting. I was not too worried though as tharian and a couple of other folks were riding along so I borrowed some fuel just to clear the hill section.

[hellraizer]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Where do you fit the car jack to the underside of the Duke?

Doc, taking q from this, I tried mounting the jack on the underbelly exhaust. It's a pain to get the chain lubed by rotating the wheel manually. So, I thought, let me give it a try.

Since the mounting area of the car jack is usually small, I tried to place a wooden plank on top of the jack and lift it up, thereby distributing the weight of the bike on the plank. I then lifted the jack; could start the bike, engage it in gear and lube it in under 10 sec. I needed help from another person. I asked my wife to hold on to the bike and told her in case the bike falls down from the stand, press the clutch immediately so that bike doesn't move forward and crash

With this kind of mounting, you cannot independently clean the chain, but you can at least effectively lube the bike.

[ebonho]

Be careful to keep your fingers FAR away from the rotating chain and sprocket when you do this. And always work on the section of chain that is moving AWAY from the sprocket.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by hellraizer

I then lifted the jack; could start the bike, engage it in gear and lube it in under 10 sec.

It might take a few minutes more but please don't engage in gear and clean or lube the chain.