[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Thanks Vijay. Even when touring I take these along in my top bag for easy access. I have a very nice waterproof Dainese set. But the inner lining keeps coming out when you take them off,aking getting back into them while straightening out the fingers a real chore.
Cut the inner fleece glove liner out of both now. That was keeping on getting dislodged. Now I can either wear it as a seperate inner, or not. There was a in between layer of scrunched up large white colored material, that I'm guessing is the waterproof layer, too, which is now going bye-bye.

Dainese stripped like a Chinese smoodle. Doc, that little guy in you has woken up from that slumber with a thunderous stomp, so much so that you're literally re-shelving every aspect of what was, brilliant. Textile apparel have one single advantage per me, they are easier to hoard, they dry off pretty quickly when wet, especially on the ride. Leather would take time, make your hands feel that hypothermia given the wrong weather and ride conditions primarily because I've been though this parody many a times. And drying a drenched up leather glove is a tale altogether different

Leather literally outshines a full-textile glove in every other aspect especially when it comes to preventing slide induced road-rashes, they retain their grain even after a significant slide, whereas a polyester/nylon based would simply melt during a slide to expose the flesh given the wrong circumstances. A pair of textile and a pair of leather for those long-ish rides, would set the bet perfect.

Quoting your other post doc, with respect to how lackadaisical and senile other road users are, especially "Activa-ted Aunties" tethering their extremities for that extra anchoring is beyond me. Once you know how sinisterly the Duke cloaks its speed, one needs to be really vigilant and "have a horse vision" especially with the users our roads are littered with. You'll get it, take it easy and ride on safely Doc.

Originally Posted by arjpillai

So, I'm not sure how the 1st-gen Dukes are fetching that kind of price. The price creep of the newer Dukes might have a role in that though, as could the 'cult' that has grown around them, as VJ says.

And @VijayAnand1, your prosaic and in-depth posts are as enjoyable and educational as ever!

Indeed. The slowly yet steeply creeping prices, coupled with complicated electronic drudgery accosting Murphy's Law and everything else in between and the fact that those Gen 1 bikes were simple, raucous, temperamental made it a cult among the purists, just like the good ol' RX100, it screamed, it punched above its weight, it killed people, it made people feel like they've never felt before and this, sadly is missing in the current crop of Dukes post 2018-ish. The 2023 seems to be a reminiscent of the old ones, as the venerable Schumi put it. No wonder, he still owns the old 2015 Duke 390 after riding everything on two wheels and owing Ducati behemoths. He soulfully and wondefrully narrated and put it out in his channel MotorInc, as to why it still makes him smile.

Apologize if it's already posted, but worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DmoAOguGbI

Thank you so much for your kind words, I really am not sure if I deserve it, but if it helps someone, somewhere, it really is a honor. Thanks again!

Cheers!
VJ

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Dainese stripped like a Chinese smoodle.

Cheers!
VJ

I know. Sacrilege for most. But these gloves have been lying unused with me since 2012 when we got Baby Duke 222 and thrashed her to Goa. For specifically this inner liner reason. Might as well cut it off and use the shell at least as a day glove. Coz with all that fancy tech inside, it never got used. When you ride, you want to enjoy the ride. Not worry about how to put on your gloves again. And I went online and checked. Till Gore Tex and gear manufacturers started bonding the Gore Tex layer to the shell (Grip Dry, etc.) this is a common complaint around the world. Regardless of how expensive and niche the gloves are.

Cheers, Doc

[doga]

congrats on getting your Bike back @ebonho. Sorry not aware of the history- what had happened to it?I remember reading your duke 200 posts on the other forum some 10 years ago. I too had picked a 200 from the first lot and used to share my ownership experiences there- those were some nice times!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by doga

congrats on getting your Bike back @ebonho. Sorry not aware of the history- what had happened to it?I remember reading your duke 200 posts on the other forum some 10 years ago. I too had picked a 200 from the first lot and used to share my ownership experiences there- those were some nice times!

Thanks Doga. After my North Sikkim ride with rb2399 late 2016, my 390 got her customary service, and replacement of filters, fluids and some worn out parts. The chain sprocket kit. Brake pads. Spark plug. The off roas tyres gave way to brand new Metzelers. However, during the customary lull and hangover that follows a bike tour, I has started cycling seriously coz I had been realizing for a couple of years that now well into my 40s, I needed to now consciously work on my fitness and that the body couldn't just make do with the residual road fitness and core and full body tone that active motorcycling gave you. Looking at my photos too helped, especially when I compare them to now.



2016 ... 45 year old Doc as a biker



2023 ... 52 year old Doc as a cyclist and budding runner

Either because I was not riding her so regular or because the original battery was anyways now on its last legs, one fine day the battery conked off. And I could not start her. So I cleaned her and put her under a cover till I got around to getting a new battery into her and starting her up. The impetus to do that though was simply absent as I was 100% consumed by my cycling by then. I had already reached the limit of my performance on my current machine, and had bought a new cycle (used, barely ridden, from a techie on Hinjewadi, off OLX). I had started riding with a group, gotten a lot better, faster, fitter, leaner. I soon by the end of 2017 got into Randonneuing and started riding long distance unsupported timed Brevets. 200, 300, 400 km. The motorcycles (by then my Std 500 battery had died too, and she too had gone under covers) were forgotten. Motorcycling means you are essentially a weekend warrior in between tours. With hardcore cycling, weekends were now for long cycle rides with friends.

Then I got injured, with a 6 month recuperation. Then more long distance cycling. Then I met a group of faster cyclists and started training with them. Started racing. Found I was even better at that and liked it even more than long distance cycling. Got into formal Master's racing. Won Maharashtra state. Got to race at the Nationals. Won the Nationals. Then won State again.

Somewhere along rhe way the itch started coming back. Then rb2399 bought the Triumph 400 and got her home for me to ride. I finally broke my lethargy and inertia and got her covers off to see terrified what condition she was in. That story is described here. Day to day. It took me 8 days. From cover off to starter on and first ride. Hope I figure out a way now to fit in motorcycling and cycling both. And over the last year, I've started running too. And want to run my first Half Marathon at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January next year.

Cheers, Doc

[surjaonwheelz]

Welcome back Doc!

You'll be surprised to see the options available today in the riding gear stores in Pune. The boy in Pro-Biker Helmets, Camp is a man now.

Rynox has a flagship store in town (Baner). Remember the store in KP, behind German Bakery lane?

Imported riding gear scenes are still gloomy! Doc, there is a new toy (gear) shop in town, MxStore.in near Sadhu Vaswani Chowk, do check it out!
(Tip: leave your credit card at home)

In addition, how did you feel about Rohit's new Speed 400? In 6-7 years has the motorcycle changed drastically? Has emission norms restricted the fun? Has electronics curtailed the rider skills or aided them?

Or is it the same, two wheels with an engine between them? (Simpler than it sounds)

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Imported riding gear scenes are still gloomy! Doc, there is a new toy (gear) shop in town, MxStore.in near Sadhu Vaswani Chowk, do check it out!
(Tip: leave your credit card at home)

In addition, how did you feel about Rohit's new Speed 400? In 6-7 years has the motorcycle changed drastically? Has emission norms restricted the fun? Has electronics curtailed the rider skills or aided them?

Or is it the same, two wheels with an engine between them? (Simpler than it sounds)

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

Yeah it actually seems like Kumbhakaran waking up. Lol

I might need boots down the line. And gloves. I have a new RST jacket from Australia and a Shark helmet, both of which I've yet to start using. I got them in 2016 on my last trip to Melbourne. Or 2018. Don't really remember.

On Rohit's 400, I loved it. I was however surprised at the power figures and claimed top speed being so high. Did not feel like that. I remember a couple of times or more being slotted in 6th and pressing down for more. Very nimble and really fun to fool around leg out Rossi style in corners and chuck her around. Very nice simple cockpit. Loved the ergos. And the feel of the bike. As well as the pliant suspension .... so soft (yet not saggy or sway-y) compared to my crazy Duke.

Its a lovely bike. Bit small to look at. But once astride, I fit quite well on her. And Rohit is nearly my same height. Lovely brakes too. But now with new rotor and pads and bleeding and new fluid and Sheri's fine fettling, mine are very very strong and confidence inspiring too. I prefer a single saddle over the two piece sharply stepped one like the Duke that anchors you into one position front to back. Nice exhaust too. Very yummy golden racy fork legs. My only gripe is the too busy tank decals. They look best in the black one. Which no one seems to be buying. Sheri and the other bawas at his workshop agree. And they too are all praise for the bike and its tech and overall fit finish and performance.

The icing on the cake is the unbelievable price! For a 40 bhp 400 cc Triumph?!!!! No way! Guaranteed price creep inside two years. Will give it in writing on a stamp paper sir. I loved the bike. She's already in my eyes a Scrambler, so I don't understand the different threads I see here of a new Scrambler version thats being planned and yet to come. To my old school eyes, this is the look we turned out Bullets into for dirtrodding!

Cheers, Doc

P.S. A bike to me is always the two wheels, the chassis and the engine in between. Don't have too much interest in all the electronicary and jazzery that gets added on.

[ebonho]

Enjoying the bike thoroughly man. Oh I love her!

Two bugs that are mildly annoying are the headlight where I'm having to ride in the high beam coz the low beam is simply not sufficient (maybe my eyes are now also 6 years older, maybe the up down focus of the headlight is a tad off and the low beam is too low and the high beam is acting like the low beam instead therefore).

Also got a pair of LED clusters from my Aussie friend (like those Mad Dog auxiliary lights a lot of guys are using nowadays), that I plan to mount on to the Duke for touring, with a cut-out and switch. Any ideas as to preferred mount points for the Gen 1 Duke 390, as well as good mounting brackets if available readymade?

The second bug is the horn switch is bit non-responsive at times. I mean, in some positions when I press it, or some times, the horn does not sound, but sounds when you try again, re-applying pressure or simply in a different axis. What could be the issue? Horn tuning? Switch contact cleaning (paper? wd40?).

My personal Santa rb2399 has given me a bottle of magic juice to mix in a tank of fuel. Waiting for a longish ride, with a full tank, to drop that potion in. Lol

Cheers, Doc

[DevilzzzzOwn]

I fell in love….again!!

Thanks to Doc, the one and only, ebonho. This post and more importantly, the restoration, would not have happened without me reading posts about how he brought back his D390 from hibernation. Thank you Doc!!

To start off with..

I welcomed my D390 back in 2016. I fell in love with it during the very first test ride, within the cramped interiors of Planet Bajaj, Wakdewadi (which is now Bajaj Brand View), unable to engage even the 2nd gear, I was unable to resist the pull. This was inspite of owing a P220 which hadn’t even completed it’s 10K Kms and ongoing emis on it. The itch to upgrade was so strong that I paid off the pending loan on the Pulsar 220 (with a penalty) by borrowing from dad and booked the D390.

D390 was booked, P220 was sold off and I began searching for a bank that would give me a loan.
Reason? I come from a Middle class family. I was working in a BPO post my Bachelors in Hotel Management. Barely enough salary left at the end of the month to eat out. My credit score was in tatters. No bank was willing to give me a loan. Against all logic, I went ahead with a personal loan of INR 1L from an NBFC. Using 2 credit cards and the residual amount from the sale of P220, I finally managed to scramble the On-Road cost of the bike.

There was no looking back after that. The next 4 year were a complete joy. By the time Covid hit, the bike had clocked close to 34K Kms. Most of Pune and the surrounding areas were explored on it.

Snapped near Thosegar with a friend's Benelli, circa 2019:


When the C19 disaster struck, the 390 was beginning to show it's age. It was always serviced every 7500 Kms at Sai Service KTM, Phugewadi. Things soon went into a downward spiral. Lockdowns were followed by more lockdowns and restrictions.
I had a stable job in Healthcare IT by then and my company went into 100% WFH mode.

The Katoom was reduced to a shell of it's former self over the next 3.5 years. During that period, I barely got out of my chair and the 390 rarely got to leave the parking.

Right before Covid, I had bought XUV 3OO and then last year I bought the Amaze. This meant the 390 was neglected even further. The customary weekly 2-3 Km rides to nearby shops were reduced to just starting the bike and leaving it to idle for 5 minutes. The bike was in pain. Things were falling apart due to the neglect and dis-use. The Front shocks were leaking. The rear shocker had given up. The cables were falling apart too. I had done just 1 Oil change at a FnG during the last 3.5 years. The bike ran just 500 Kms in that period.

And then ebonho's post happened

Doc's bringing back his beast from hibernation re-ignited the spark I had lost over time. So yesterday I reconnected with my SA and dropped off the bike for a detailed service. Whole lot of parts would need to be changed. All fluids would need to be drained and flushed. The SA asked for 2 days (due to the number of bikes already present, I didn't make an appointment) but I was pleasantly surprised when he called at 5 PM the same day saying the bike was ready. FYI, if you are at Sai Service KTM, Phugewadi, try to get Saurabh assigned. He's awesome. Also, I had expected a bill around 30K but it turned out to be much lesser.

The tyres were knackered too. So I picked up the bike and went straight to Darshan tyres, JM Road. Got the Michelin Pilots (Jan and Feb 23 DOM) and the bike is all set for a come-back. I am a sedate tourer most of the time so didn't want to shell out upwards of 25K with waiting period on better tyres. Now it's time for me to get fit and back on the saddle. 3.5 years of sedentary lifestyle and a lazy person is the worst combination. Not to mention, thoroughly restoring the lid and getting proper gear for riding.

Some snaps..

Rear boot:


Front boot:


With it's stablemates:


Restored to former glory!!:


Rear view of the boot:


Darshan Tyres final Invoice:


Final Invoice for the restoration:


During the ride home, I was astonished by the whole experience. Just by changing some parts, the bike transformed itself into it's former glory. Powerful and Agile, the Scalpel name is appropriate for this bike. The wide grin on my face on my way home reminded me why I loved the D390 in the first place. And I fell in love with my D390 again.. I even vowed to her that I would never ignore her again and she rewarded me by showing 30 KMPL on the MID during the ride home.

Until next time, ride safe!!

[SLK_2005]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

In fact KTM recommends to top up the oil first, observe for 1000 kms before further proceeding forward with the requisites when unusual oil consumption is observed. Running low or prolonged periods will certainly sooner if not later cause excessive engine wear or even seizure given the wrong circumstances.

The engine has run with low oil for around 2.5K kms. Will this cause any premature damage after the warranty period gets over? Now it seems fine but I'm worried about the problems which might occur in the future

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by SLK_2005

The engine has run with low oil for around 2.5K kms. Will this cause any premature damage after the warranty period gets over? Now it seems fine but I'm worried about the problems which might occur in the future

2.5k kms is by all rule book too far a KM reading to be running with low engine oil. Being a little preemptive could have taken the chances out of the equation when it comes to engine wear. But would it cause premature damage? Well, it's hard to tell, mostly yes, sometimes no, but in either case, low engine oil is detrimental to the engine especially high strung engines like the Dukes. Always be wary of your engine oil level.

Originally Posted by DevilzzzzOwn

[i][u][b]I fell in love….again!!
Until next time, ride safe!!

Congratulations. Glad to see the Gen 1 390s waking up to slumber and seeing the rays of sunshine and shiny tarmac.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Enjoying the bike thoroughly man. Oh I love her!

Two bugs that are mildly annoying are the headlight where I'm having to ride in the high beam coz the low beam is simply not sufficient (maybe my eyes are now also 6 years older, maybe the up down focus of the headlight is a tad off and the low beam is too low and the high beam is acting like the low beam instead therefore).

Also got a pair of LED clusters from my Aussie friend (like those Mad Dog auxiliary lights a lot of guys are using nowadays), that I plan to mount on to the Duke for touring, with a cut-out and switch. Any ideas as to preferred mount points for the Gen 1 Duke 390, as well as good mounting brackets if available readymade?

The second bug is the horn switch is bit non-responsive at times. I mean, in some positions when I press it, or some times, the horn does not sound, but sounds when you try again, re-applying pressure or simply in a different axis. What could be the issue? Horn tuning? Switch contact cleaning (paper? wd40?).

Cheers, Doc

Headlight alignment is extremely easy on the Duke. There's a small Philips screw on the back to the right of the headlight assy, adjusting it levels your the beam perfectly. The Duke's headlight though good doesn't cut it it for speed runs especially at night. Would recommend you get a H4 LED like Novsight or Nighteye or Osram, if you can, they offer great lumens and pack quite a punch vis a vis stock.

The horn switch on the switchgear are contactless-type switches IIRC, so start off by cleaning the horn pins and the connectors with WD-40, 6 years of hiberation could have caused oxidation on the exposed pins. A dab of WD40 on the horn connectors, pin and spraying WD-40 inside the horn switch isn't what I would recommend. Try mildly using a sandpaper to clean the horn connectors connecting to the horn and the horn connector pins.

Fog light. In this picture on my thread, you can see, Amazon bought led fixed with clamps on the fork of the 390. For the Gen 1 most of the folks either fix it on the fork or the crash bar. Clamps are available and I guess your trusty old mech Sheri can also help you with that.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...p-review-2.jpg

Cheers!
VJ

[ebonho]

Had a lovely ride yesterday with college buddies. To Lonavala. Then went up and down the Khopoli ghat just for kicks. A couple of times, because once did not seem enough! Stopped over at Kamats in Khandala on the way back, where after more than a decade I met up with my old Bullet riding buddies Ashok and Dhaval, coming back from a trail ride at Rajmachi. Fantastic catching up with them. Their friend Harpal was there too.

The bike did great. Performed flawlessly. Two up too.therecwaa a rhythmic knocking sound at sloo speeds in choked traffic I heard from below. Went to Sheri to check if the chain is too tight and must have been running tighter with the pillion. Its tighter in parts, jumping at one part, when we put the bike on the stand and put it in gear and run it. Not felt while riding, but only at very slow 5-10 km crawl. He feels it could be a frozen link from standing for so long. The chain was lubed again. And hopefully running her regularly sorts it out.

The side stand bracket bolts were also torqued. The left mirror was folding in at speed with the windblast and vibrations and I had to keep readjusting it on the ride. The screws of it were even tightened to firm it up in its ser position. The right ones stalk was a tad too in, and was not giving me a clear view if the back, with my jacket covering most if the glass. That too was reset.

The Yamalube from Rohit was added to the tankful (filled ubout 6.7 liters to brim her up) in the morning. Had to top up when we had almost reached back, coz I got a Low Fuel warning on the screen, and on twisting the throttle hard, she would starve momentarily. In the old days she would go easy 20-25 km after Low Fuel, to the next fuel stop on the highway, with no issues. Here I saw the reset Low Fuel trip showing just 6-7 km (last two bars, after the Low Fuel break in the fuel indicator display). And I could see fuel inside the tank. So I don't know. Anyways, filling another 300 bucks got it to 3 bars above Low Fuel and sorted it out.

All in all a great near 200 km stretch of her legs, and mine too.

Cheers, Doc

P.S. Both fork legs are showing a very thin weep line of oil and road dust.

P.P.S. I was wearing my old denim jacket (non armoured) with the top 2 buttons open (as in the last photo), and was still overheating in the midday traffic crawl.

[timuseravan]

For all the riders with Gen 1 (and maybe Gen2?) Duke 390, consider changing the sprocket set to the one from D250. The ratio changes from 15-45 (D390) to 14-46 (D250). On paper this is just about 10% increase in torque but the bike feels much more smoother lower down in the range and also accelerates faster. The trade off is that you end up loosing some top speed but I have been able to hit 130+ easily which is more than enough for me.

I have had this setup for more than 3K km now and super happy with it

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by DevilzzzzOwn

I fell in love….again!!

Thanks to Doc, the one and only, ebonho. This post and more importantly, the restoration, would not have happened without me reading posts about how he brought back his D390 from hibernation. Thank you Doc!!

During the ride home, I was astonished by the whole experience. Just by changing some parts, the bike transformed itself into it's former glory. Powerful and Agile, the Scalpel name is appropriate for this bike. The wide grin on my face on my way home reminded me why I loved the D390 in the first place. And I fell in love with my D390 again.. I even vowed to her that I would never ignore her again and she rewarded me by showing 30 KMPL on the MID during the ride home.

Until next time, ride safe!!

Bike looks lovely bro! Our babies have aged well. I have never understood people saying less than nice things about Gen 1 build quality. Coming from a previous lifetime with Bullets, these bikes are just built great. I've seen so many guys crash these hard in races on the track and the road, and just pick them up, hardly anything bent or broken or even badly scratched up, and continue riding.

The Gen 1 quite simply is the bike most 500 Bulleteers tried over years to make their 500s into. Reliably. With life.contless hours with the mech and tuners and at workshops. Thousands spent on mods and parts. But could never come close. The Dukes came as a breath of fresh air. We could now keep and ride our Bullets as the Brit classics they were meant to be. And have a ready to race bike. Anytime. Anywhere. Every time.

Pleasantly surprised to see a tyre set for the Duke in under 6000 bucks for a set. Hope these are hard wearing. And resist cuts and punctures. Would make a great set for long tours. The other option which I've had my eyes on since Sikkim is these Ralcos (same approximately 6k for the pair) ...





Truth be told, in my experience, I would prefer a low cost hard wearing tarmac set like yours than the typical dual purpose like the Ralcos.

I completely echo your sentiments and reignited love for your Duke. I'm well in the throes of my second honeymoon!

Btw, speaking of MID, even mine was showing the fuel average in Kmpl. Suddenly on the rode I noticed its begun to show the Average speed in kmph. I thought it would be a toggle display, switching between both. But its stuck on kmph. How do I get it back to and keep it at kmpl??!

Cheers, Doc

[Dhruv Shetty]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The Yamalube from Rohit was added to the ta. Here I saw the reset Low Fuel trip showing just 6-7 km (last two bars, after the Low Fuel break in the fuel indicator display). And I could see fuel inside the tank. So I don't know. Anyways, filling another 300 bucks got it to 3 bars above Low Fuel and sorted it out.

All in all a great near 200 km stretch of her legs, and mine too.

Cheers, Doc

P.S. Both fork legs are showing a very thin weep line of oil and road dust.

P.P.S. I was wearing my old denim jacket (non armoured) with the top 2 buttons open (as in the last photo), and was still overheating in the midday traffic crawl.

Hey Doc,

Glad to see another 1st gen 390 being resurrected after 6 years of hibernation, thankfully the bike was in Pune and not in Mumbai, it would have been in a worse shape.

Finding mounting points on the older dukes a very limited, reason I haven’t installed any as yet on mine. I can totally agree VJ on the headlights, they are like candle lights.

Some tips, you can change the grips to the D250 ones as they are more comfortable and grippy compared to the old ones.
Want a bit more view from the mirrors, swap them out for the ADV390 mirrors they provide slight more visibility as the stalks are bigger.
When changing the coolant in the future, its best to change all the hoses, thermostat and cooling system related item as a preventive maintenance and try some different coolants.
Itching for a better braking performance, swap to a current duke MC kit and sintered pads and nice brake oil, it makes a big difference in brake feedback and response.
As you mentioned that the forks have started leaking, try some nice fork oil like Putoline, Maxima and Liqui Moly. There are the fork protectors from the 2nd gen dukes which can be installed on the older Dukes and can change the fork height if you want agility or cornering stability, there are two lines on the fork tube.

Wishing you many more happy memorable Kilometer's .

Hope to see you and the Duke on the next Mumbai – Pune TeamBhp meet.

Here’s a Pics of my almost 10 year old Duke.




Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Dhruv Shetty

Hey Doc,

Glad to see another 1st gen 390 being resurrected after 6 years of hibernation, thankfully the bike was in Pune and not in Mumbai, it would have been in a worse shape.

Some tips, you can change the grips to the D250 ones as they are more comfortable and grippy compared to the old ones.
Want a bit more view from the mirrors, swap them out for the ADV390 mirrors they provide slight more visibility as the stalks are bigger.
Itching for a better braking performance, swap to a current duke MC kit and sintered pads and nice brake oil, it makes a big difference in brake feedback and response.
As you mentioned that the forks have started leaking, try some nice fork oil like Putoline, Maxima and Liqui Moly. There are the fork protectors from the 2nd gen dukes which can be installed on the older Dukes and can change the fork height if you want agility or cornering stability, there are two lines on the fork tube.

Hope to see you and the Duke on the next Mumbai – Pune TeamBhp meet.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

Hey Dhruv!

Love seeing the photos of your well kept beauty. I will definitely make it to the meet. Let me check for the thread. Thanks for alerting me to the fact that one is coming up.

I think the fork protectors from Gen 2 were put on my bike the last time one of the legs sprung a catastrophic leak and dumped all the oil on to the garage floor overnight. But good point. Its a cheap add on so I'll definitely check.

Ditto for the small mud flap in front of the monoshock at the back that comes from the top. I think both were Gen 2 parts that were suggested and put on. In your photos you seem to have a different type of rubber flap covering the bottom half of the spring, coming up from the swingarm. Mine is different, if you look at the recent photos I posted. I think (suspect) yours is part of the whole new monoshock assembly, that you might have replaced on your bike?

The grips are a good idea too coz I always ride with gloves coz our original Gen 1 grips are so thin and hard and poky. Not that I do not want to ride with gloves. But worth checking out.

I am currently VERY delighted with my brakes. So won't finger there at all. Plus MC and Rotor and Sintered pads are a 10k+ spend. Don't find the need.

The mirrors are a good idea too. My current ones I have really no complaints with, on tour too, but the rubber boots have hardened and torn at one point near the mirror on the left. How does the Adv mirror shape go with our bikes? Worth checking out.

Not too excited about the longer stalks actually, truth be told. Never prefer anything jutting out further than my hands or knees. My key positioning reference points on the road. In one of your photos it looks like your stalks have a joint or extension in the middle?

Cheers, Doc