[Amey Kulkarni]

Hi,

I had owned a KTM Duke 390 White and had almost 16,000Kms run and would like to review and share a few insights on what I perceived the bike to be.

Before I begin, I am 185Cms tall which is a considerable point when it comes to a naked bike.

Positives -

Best value for money deal at just above Rs 2 Lakhs
Brutal acceleration with no bike in-line for competition (At 43 BHP (@9000 RPM) & 35 Nm (@7000) of torque).
ABS by Bosch is standard and effective (did not observe fish-tailing anytime)
Metzler tyres both Front and Rear (A life saver).
Intimidating at high speeds but great thrill.
Very stable at corners.
Top speed - 172Kmph
Short gearing till 3rd gear and then the gap widens.
Street bike and comfortable tourer till 350Kms-400Kms.
Flick-able but lesser than RC 390 being fully faired and slip-on handles.
Cheap spares and fairly ok cost for service.
Exhaust sound opens up a bit after initial run.
Slipper clutch - An add-on benefit (although I did not have it on my version MY14).

Negatives -

Surprisingly, I could only notice one thing which I felt the most important and to be considered is the wind blast post 110Kmph.
It becomes difficult to cruise post the above speed on National Highways

Tail design could have been better.

Cheers!
Amey

[unk9ja]

Got my Duke serviced at the IndiMotard yesterday. I would recommend them for the excellent work they have done. But be prepared to drive into the worst part of the traffic jungle in Namma Bengaluru. The one ways and the traffic would torment you to full extent. A prior appointment is a must at this place as they have huge following.

It was almost six months but not so 2700kms on the odo which prompted me to give the bike for the service. Till now, the bike was always serviced at KTM Mekhri circle. I had no grouse on this place, but wanted to explore some outside world too. The first and the foremost name on my mind was Indi.

Dropped off the bike on 27/07 afternoon. On the list were brake bleeding, coolant flush, keyset replacement and oil weep from the top cover along with the general checks. I was kept informed on all accounts by the person in charge. The oil weep was due to loose top cover screws and they asked if they need to replace the gasket or tightening the cover would suffice. Since this place is quite far off, and travel time is high, I asked them to replace the gasket.

The bike was ready on 29/07 but the rains made the life miserable and the Saturday was day off for the Indi guys. Sunday was a weekly off. So after a delay, got to lay my hands yesterday.

The bike is peppier than before, the chain noise is redundant, the brakes have a sharper bite now with less movement of lever. The radiator was flushed and the coolant was replaced with Wurth. Need to see how it works out. The radiator was overworked yesterday due to a long traffic jam and the temperature never rose beyond 10 bars. During the delivery, they informed me that the handlebar was set to optimal and not to exact as it is bent. This is a minute detail which I have never seen any SVC do.

Overall this is a great experience at this place and I will sure return to this if a need arises in future and also recommend this to fellow Dukers too.

[Amey Kulkarni]

Originally Posted by Kameshwar

Check the rim for damage. Depending on the size of the leak it might actually be a case of cleaning the rim and checking for cracks in the worst case scenario.
Tyre shop in viman nagar (opposite Hyatt) said metzeler would need to be ordered and they don't stock them. Michelins and pirelli readily available apparently.

Hi Kameshwar,

I would suggest you to look into Michilin Pilot Street radial.

I had those on my Duke as well.

I feel Medium compounds are better for Indian roads especially on concrete roads and doesn't slip on gravel.

In-terms of cost, these are half the price with double the durability.

Cheers,
Amey

[Siddy]

Originally Posted by Amey Kulkarni

I would suggest you to look into Michilin Pilot Street radial.

True! The Michelin's are cheaper and durable. The Metzeler's are softer & I've experienced lateral movement on gravel and slips while doing a little off road. I would definitely consider the michelin's during a replacement.

Amey, do they corner well as compared to the metzeler's? Please share your thoughts.

[Amey Kulkarni]

Perfect for cornering Siddy. Did not feel any difference on my Duke 390.

[ashwin1224]

Took Icarus on a small offroad expedition to test the effectiveness of the front fender. Happy to report that it works really well. There is still the issue of mud accumulating on the engine and radiator but it isnt much.

I also got custom handlebar risers fabricated for the bike out of aluminum. They give 2" lift to the handlebar. The difference in the bike's character is PHENOMENAL!

It is no longer a street bike. The riding stance is now even more upright, removing all the weight from the front thus making the front lighter. Earlier I could scrape the footpegs going 60kmph on an empty wide corner. Now the bike is so much more stable that I can scrape the footpeg going 20kmph on a U turn (Or so it feels :P).

The bike has become a bit lazy, it doesnt want to lean in and out of traffic like it used to. Nor does the acceleration affect you as much. I suspect the top speed has come down as well due to the weight coming off of the front end. Which is good for me coz I rarely go above 150kmph or ride super aggressively in traffic.

It suits touring and off roading a lot more now. Over all, I am super stoked with the modification.

This is before the risers:


And this is with them:


Here is a picture offroading with the fender(no riser)

[gharika]

Originally Posted by ashwin1224

Took Icarus on a small offroad expedition to test the effectiveness of the front ...

Ashwin, can you please share the picture of the riser. Where was it procured from and how much did it cost?
Any problem with the cables due to the riser?

[ashwin1224]

Originally Posted by gharika

Ashwin, can you please share the picture of the riser. Where was it procured from and how much did it cost?
Any problem with the cables due to the riser?

I followed Deelip Menezes' blog to the T. He has documented the entire process very well in this post, much better than what I can achieve.

Project 390 Adventure

There were a few things though, Deelip used 100mm allen bolts however I required 130mm ones, which were a tad costlier. I dont know how 100mm ones could have fit since they were quite short. Another thing, my SVC has one very brilliant mech who routed the cable really good, however I think he used the clutch cable off a 2014 Duke(mine is 2013), routing the same cable was not possible. Fitting the same risers on a 2013 200 seemed difficult and he had to bring the controls closers inwards for the cables to reach them.

All in all it costed me 300rs for the risers inclusive of the bolts and 390rs [] for fitting.

Another thing that Ive been feeling is that the risers have made the handlebars come closer to me. This means me elbows are now always bent outwards.

This is the stock seating position on the 390:

Notice the 5 degree lean

This is with the risers:

Notice the lack of any sort of lean angle. Also notice how the elbows are now bent in an awkward angle. And much closer to the body.[Source: Cycle-Ergo]

Over time this makes my elbows start aching. Its not much but I can see it being a problem on a 500+kms day. Im planning to rotate my handle bar a bit forward so that the controls are now further away, meaning less bend on the elbows.

My friend who is 5'10" doesnt seem to have this problem. However, I suspect he doesn't want to admit it even though he is facing it. I suppose everyone needs to get risers according to their height. I am 5'7" and for me 1.5" risers would have been comfortable, but Im not gonna change on the 2" ones since the control is so much better than smaller ones.

[ashwin1224]

MODS: I cannot seem to find the edit button in the previous post, and Im sorry for double posting.

I may have been wrong about the elbow ache issue. Turns out even with the risers, my body was always in the hunched position that it was when the handlebars were lower

This meant my elbows were in a legitimately awkward position causing me pain. I realized this yesterday and corrected myself and now sit more upright. This has made the ride much more pleasant and my elbows no longer ache

[CGB]

Have added 2*20W LED Spot beams for my Duke 390. Ordered the lamps from the following link.

Bhpian @Nitninja have also did the same for his bike.

http://www.amazon.in/Tarsier-Off-road-Driving-Auxiliary-DEGREE/dp/B01GG698O0/ref=pd_sbs_263_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=415bjOfP5yL&dpSrc=si ms&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=143FG VHPWDG79WF4P3GK

The light output has been phenomenal and I've set them inline with High beams. Overall, very happy with the purchase. Have added Hella relay and fuse of 5A for further peace of mind.

Post installation, check the voltage using multi-meter and there are no signs of battery drain.

Switch ordered from Amazon.in

Adding pics of the installation.

[sridhu]

Guys,

I have a question :

There is some Coolant remaining from the Duster (see attached image).




The Duke is running low on Coolant. Can I use the Duster Coolant to top up? Any risks?

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Guys, The Duke is running low on Coolant. Can I use the Duster Coolant to top up? Any risks?

Do not mix different makes and types of coolant. I have sent you a PM, please check.

[MM-58]

I've noticed that the top end power of my bike has dropped off a bit. It's two and a half years old and has only run 13,800 kilometres. Earlier, I used to be able to touch 170 km/h (as indicated on the speedometer), whereas now the bike struggles to cross 160 km/h, no matter how hard it's pushed. The amount of time required to reach 161/162 is comparable to the time it took earlier to just cross 170. Is this normal or is there something wrong somewhere? The bike has been maintained well and serviced regularly.
Note: All speed testing was done on a four lane highway with full protective gear and a distinct lack of traffic.

[Shanenanigans]

Originally Posted by MM-58

I've noticed that the top end power of my bike has dropped off a bit. It's two and a half years old and has only run 13,800 kilometres. Earlier, I used to be able to touch 170 km/h (as indicated on the speedometer), whereas now the bike struggles to cross 160 km/h, no matter how hard it's pushed. The amount of time required to reach 161/162 is comparable to the time it took earlier to just cross 170. Is this normal or is there something wrong somewhere? The bike has been maintained well and serviced regularly.
Note: All speed testing was done on a four lane highway with full protective gear and a distinct lack of traffic.

It could be multiple things, right from fuel quality to wear on sprockets to tyre pressure to road temperature.

I'd suggest you check each thing one by one.

[ArizonaJim]

MM-58

My guess is the air filter needs to be replaced with a new one.

Often, the people at the service centers will just tap the filter element to knock the loose dirt off of it. Some may go so far as to blow the dirt out of the filter with compressed air.

While this helps, it does not clean the dirt/dust that is trapped in the paper so the filter is still partially blocked.
Also, there is the possibility that the paper element has picked some oil mist from the crankcase breather. Dirt trapped in a oil dampened filter element cannot be removed by any means.

During normal riding, filter blockage won't be noticed but when your running at WOT trying to get up to the maximum speed the engine will need all of the air it can get.

The second thing you should check is the spark plug.
Often mechanics just brush off any carbon buildup, check the gap and reinstall it.

This can lead to mis-firing at WOT conditions.

If the spark plug was not replaced with a new one, you should replace it.

(The voltage needed to create the spark increases rapidly as the pressures in the cylinder increase.
A spark plug that fires normally at low throttle positions (when compression pressures are relatively low), may develop a weak spark or even fail to spark at all when the compression pressures are high such as a WOT condition.)