[GreaseMonk]

Originally Posted by shan_ned

My apologies for digging the old posts made on the dyno charts. The dyno chart (for the stock testing) looked erroneous and misleading. I am posting this information so that things are clarified for the guys who are going through this thread.

The guys at the racedynamics seemed to have acknowledged some error in the dyno chart (for stock settings) which was indicating about the drop in power delivery post 8800 RPM. It looks like they have rectified it and posted a new chart. Hope it clears some of the confusion.

For more information, please refer this link :
http://www.ktmduke390forum.com/forum...html#post66226

Based on the new chart, the power curve starts dropping post 9700 RPM. I guess the rev limiter kicks in around 10300 RPM though.

Thanks for the heads-up. Considering these guys are meant to be serious tuners and 'not realizing' the curves were dodgy and just happened to make their product appear to have significantly greater gains has completely put me off picking up any of their products.

Presumably it was the international market questioning their figures that motivated them to revisit it.

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by sharanvenu

I am not here for an ugly spat, but as a fellow rider I will earnestly try to share some little knowledge I have about motorcycling.


Just for the record, Space programs have a 42% failure rate even though they have a lavish budget. Any other research, product or service you can think about would be immediately grounded. But that doesn't prevent many from venturing, right? Well, I am not comparing a space shuttle with our humble 390 here.


I suppose this is where it all went wrong . A biker should make a purchase only with his heart and you are bound to be disappointed if you purchased something because it appeared like a value proposition and if you thought you could give the Bonnie a run for its money. And the one and only point that I had in my mind when I penned my post, was to convince fellow riders that a perfect machine doesn't exist. Its a myth, like our perpetual motion machine theorem. Even The V-Rod has achilles heels all over the chasis. It will never take a nice long sloping rightie. You can check up with somebody who rides a V-Rod. And can you guess its range? It can cover like 120 miles on a tank full And at 80 miles, the low fuel warning comes up. Harley, Huh!


Questions are always welcome. Bear no doubt in mind regarding that. But It's desirable that you do not arrive at a prejudiced judgement before you even listen to a solution or a suggestion from the plethora of informed seniors here. Judging something and describing something as 'terrible', 'bad design' when you don't have the slightest idea of what is happening is rude. That is my point.


I was about to write 2 km initially . And trust me on this, that's all it takes. If you need more, you seriously should think a lot of times before making that purchase.

We are talking automobiles though , if space program or our own fighter jet failure rate were applied to this particular industry , all vehicles will be grounded . Again have I at any point advocated not venturing for the duke ?

I fail to see how it went wrong(and why do you feel it went wrong ? that is a weird observation) , if anything my decision making which I felt compelled to explain clearly shows this is a purchase made by the heart over head as it was made with the knowledge of potential shortcomings and temperamental nature of bike , shouldn't have to go this length to justify something anyways . And this not a case of either this or that , any sensible purchase should be influenced by both . No one is asking for the perfect machine , i don't know why you reached that assumption either . The harley 48 has even lesser range btw , I rode one once and I honestly don't see the purpose to the bike aside from the smashing looks but still is a famous harley product .
I will try to respect your point that prejudiced judgement are not in the best interest and I apologize for instances when I was guilty of that . I am however not a half wit and that is something some of the posts here including yours sadly makes me feel , just as I always respect the replies to my post be that helpful or not , I do feel that I deserve some respect in return instead of assuming that my phrasing is exaggerated and I am merely assuming first gear roughness for something that is not within norm . If I say terrible throttle response , I do take due care before choosing such a strong word to describe a particular situation . And that Sir is just as rude trying to force me to believe what I am explaining is a figment of my imagination or condescendingly suggesting there are 5 more gears .

[giri1.8]

I can see lot of owners trying to defend the duke, but guys why Pulsar 200NS owners are not facing any big issues when compared with the duke twins, please accept the fact that quality needs to be improved so that potential owners like me can make a decision. Instead of supporting KTM we can work together and make Bajaj improve the quality to acceptable levels, so that everyone can taste this awesome machine!

Quoting from an RC390 fanpage:
I have sent a copy of this to the ktm site plz look to this I had purchased my ktm RC 390 from ktm thane on 16.10.2014. I have facing many issues with the bike. 1. The bike concked off on the highway on optimum speed within 24 hours of delivery ,very surprising how a respected company like ktm can provide a bike like this. The ktm service personell did the needed and gave me the bike within 2 days the bike started giving jerks while riding on optimum speeds at 3500 rpm. Also the chain was loose and constantly made noise when went over speed breakers. I again gave the vehicle to the ktm service Center where I kept the vehicle with them for not a day but 8 days. 2. After taking the vehicle from them on the way home the entire gear pad got dismantled by itself with the nuts and the whole gear shifting unit was hanging. This happened at a turn and I could have met with an accident. 3. The plastic panel which covers the battery comes out anytime and is not at all fixed It is very sad to know that such a globally renounced company such as KTM provides such bike to their customers. My consumer satisfaction is none. I will not at all accept a bike like this which has been more in the workshop than home and seriously request for a brand new replacement. I would want you to escalate this problem to a higher level and want the replacement done right away. Yours sincerely, Arjun Banerjee Bike purchased from ktm thane/ shreeram motors pvt. Ltd. Email ID banerjeearjun68@yahoo.com

[mithunvvijayan]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

I can see lot of owners trying to defend the duke, but guys why Pulsar 200NS owners are not facing any big issues when compared with the duke twins, please accept the fact that quality needs to be improved so that potential owners like me can make a decision. Instead of supporting KTM we can work together and make Bajaj improve the quality to acceptable levels, so that everyone can taste this awesome machine!

My younger brother owns a 200NS and lives in pune. The other day, when he was planning to make a trip to cochin, he was aching to ride my bike. I dissauded him, and asked him to wait untill the first service. I told him abt the problems, especially the stalling problem, and he was quite concerned. He went lengths to find out some solutions. I even took pains to get the number of my earlier classmate through a labyrinth of contacts, who is working with Bajaj R&D. Still it is not sorted out.

If you ask me whether you should go for the bike, I will ask you this.

Do you want a top quality product with excellent service back up or do you want a bike that will touch your soul, that provides a grin wide enough to invite stares, for a good price?

390 will always demand attention, dotting and pampering. And the service team will make you think of learning yoga for patience and consider attending anger management classes.

Now I know that reading my post here, there will be people who will come out saying that they have not experienced any of the problems I mentioned and it is the problem of the rider etc etc I have only one thing to say to them. You are very lucky.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by mithunvvijayan

If you ask me whether you should go for the bike, I will ask you this.

Do you want a top quality product with excellent service back up or do you want a bike that will touch your soul, that provides a grin wide enough to invite stares, for a good price?

Many might find this as non-sense, but I feel every bike has a soul and I enjoy riding anything with two wheels and a motor, no I am not trying to pretend anything here, I really enjoy riding a moped as much as riding a fast bike! now don't jump to conclusion that I am one of those street racers with a scooter, I use things only for what they are designed! coming back to topic, for me peace of mind takes priority everything else comes next. Will wait for HX250 or directly jump to Daytona

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

.. for me peace of mind takes priority everything else comes next.

I would whole heartedly suggest you NOT to go for a Duke then. you should be looking for a bike from Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawasaki.

HX250

After hearing about ownership reports of the Hero-EBR designed New Karizma, I am not sure if you would find what you are looking for at Hero either. But I would be very very glad to be proved wrong here!

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

I would whole heartedly suggest you NOT to go for a Duke then. you should be looking for a bike from Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawasaki.



After hearing about ownership reports of the Hero-EBR designed New Karizma, I am not sure if you would find what you are looking for at Hero either. But I would be very very glad to be proved wrong here!

Yes, have seen issues related to the 2014 ZMR, but I wouldn't say I don't ever want to visit workshops ever, I just don't want the bike to give up on me in the middle of nowhere, niggles are accepted as long as it doesn't consume most of my free time. To put things into perspective, I would buy 200NS if I had to, same can't be said for Bullet or 390. But hey, preferences and mind set changes as we age, one day I might bite the bullet and get one

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

To put things into perspective, I would buy 200NS if I had to, same can't be said for Bullet or 390.

Exactly. Always buy the bike your heart chooses. If you do otherwise, even small niggles or adaptability issues will be an uncurable pain in the bottom and a perennial cause of ranting!

[mithunvvijayan]

Originally Posted by ashwin1224

It is in fact highly transparent! I faced the same problem, after a friend pointed out my brake fluid reservoir is empty. I went to the service center and had the mech open the reservoir in front of me, and to my surprise it was full to the brim.

I think if it goes down you will see just a line which is the surface of the fluid.

To my utter surprise, the fluid was filled to the brim!!!

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Many might find this as non-sense, but I feel every bike has a soul and I enjoy riding anything with two wheels and a motor, no I am not trying to pretend anything here, I really enjoy riding a moped as much as riding a fast bike! now don't jump to conclusion that I am one of those street racers with a scooter, I use things only for what they are designed! coming back to topic, for me peace of mind takes priority everything else comes next. Will wait for HX250 or directly jump to Daytona

My guess is that you have already taken a test drive in the duke. But they always ask someone to sit in the pillion. This time insist that no one piggybacks. If fuel level is low, put 1 litre of petrol. And just rip it in an open highway. I think you might change your opinion. You might even take the risk of losing your peace of mind, slightly. But don't give your money away for anything else bro.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by sharanvenu

I was about to write 2 km initially . And trust me on this, that's all it takes. If you need more, you seriously should think a lot of times before making that purchase.

I usually know within the first 500 meters. About the time it takes me to go through all the gears available

[mithunvvijayan]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I usually know within the first 500 meters. About the time it takes me to go through all the gears available

I envy your mindset. Whenever I prepare to rip, whether it is my bike or my car, something holds me back. I am always reminded of the longevity of the engine and mechanicals. After riding fast for a minute or so, I slow down to very low speeds, as if to compensate for the extra wear and tear. If it is a turbocharged car, I think about the life of the turbo.

As for my duke, I have not given it to anyone else for a test ride. Nor am planning to. I know that nothing will happen to it if someone rides it for a few minutes. Still..

[shan_ned]

Guys, I am sorry to post this post, but this is what I am currently feeling after going the last few posts. They give an impression that - Simply own a duke just ONLY for the joy of riding, but at the cost of loosing your complete peace of mind I guess it is little bit harsh, but I would like to stand corrected if I have misunderstood the posts.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by shan_ned

Guys, I am sorry to post this post, but this is what I am currently feeling after going the last few posts. They give an impression that - Simply own a duke just ONLY for the joy of riding, but at the cost of loosing your complete peace of mind I guess it is little bit harsh, but I would like to stand corrected if I have misunderstood the posts.

A motorcycle is a very personal thing. Something that appeals to you might not appeal to me/others. So the only way you can decide is by taking a proper test ride of the bikes you shortlist and identify if that bike is for you. Some people might need 10-15kms test ride while others like Doc (and me to an extent) will be able to gauge if the bike is right for our use case within a very short distance of riding the bike. And if not for the joy of riding why else will you own a motorcycle. In fact when I was hounding the dear Doc over PM before going for D200, my main question was, will I be grinning from ear to ear after each ride?? And the D200 has always managed to do that be it in the city on empty roads or single day 600kms round trips. But to your point, I did not feel that members are suggesting to own the Duke and forget or lose peace of mind. They are just suggesting to take a test ride in all conditions to gauge if you really want the Duke or not!!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mithunvvijayan

I envy your mindset. Whenever I prepare to rip, whether it is my bike or my car, something holds me back. I am always reminded of the longevity of the engine and mechanicals. After riding fast for a minute or so, I slow down to very low speeds, as if to compensate for the extra wear and tear. If it is a turbocharged car, I think about the life of the turbo.

Oh boy. I honestly pity your Duke bro. For some reason I am seeing that OLX ad of Kapil Sharma playing out in my mind .....

As for my duke, I have not given it to anyone else for a test ride. Nor am planning to. I know that nothing will happen to it if someone rides it for a few minutes. Still..

That's perfectly natural. People have been abused and their parentage and sanskar/upbringing called into question for sitting on my bike uninvited .... or for using the RVMs (tilted to the right angle) to comb their disgusting oily tresses ..... or for fingering the throttle and clutch ..... or for drumming their multi-semiprecious stone-ringed pudgy fingers on the tank as they yap on their cell phone, while either perching their obnoxious behinds on the bike while its on the side stand, or planting their hefty elephant sized feet on the footrest. Either way, it rarely ends well and does spoil the rest of their day for them.

[mithunvvijayan]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Oh boy. I honestly pity your Duke bro. For some reason I am seeing that OLX ad of Kapil Sharma playing out in my mind .....

sometimes I wonder why to take so much pains, for someone else who's going to ride it, after I sell it.

Originally Posted by ebonho

That's perfectly natural. People have been abused and their parentage and sanskar/upbringing called into question for sitting on my bike uninvited .... or for using the RVMs (tilted to the right angle) to comb their disgusting oily tresses ..... or for fingering the throttle and clutch ..... or for drumming their multi-semiprecious stone-ringed pudgy fingers on the tank as they yap on their cell phone, while either perching their obnoxious behinds on the bike while its on the side stand, or planting their hefty elephant sized feet on the footrest. Either way, it rarely ends well and does spoil the rest of their day for them.

LOL It's really a headache. Especially when bikes are given crampy parking lots.