[NitinMakhija]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

I'll tell you what I'm waiting for, to see if the RC's tank shroud will fit the 390.

It wont. RC's tank is considerably longed than that of Duke's.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by NitinMakhija

It wont. RC's tank is considerably longed than that of Duke's.

You sure about that? If the plastic extends a bit onto the seat I am fine as I sit far back into the seat any way (by butt is right at the edge of where the front seat starts) but more importantly, are the mounting points different? Given that the Trellis frame is the same as the 390 I am hoping the mounting points would not have changed(?).

Am visiting the A$$ tomorrow for my second service. I believe the service head just got back after a 3 - 4 day training on the RC held this week only. I hope he can provide some exact info.

Thanks for your response Nitin. Much appreciated

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

You sure about that? If the plastic extends a bit onto the seat I am fine as I sit far back into the seat any way (by butt is right at the edge of where the front seat starts) but more importantly, are the mounting points different? Given that the Trellis frame is the same as the 390 I am hoping the mounting points would not have changed(?).

Am visiting the A$$ tomorrow for my second service. I believe the service head just got back after a 3 - 4 day training on the RC held this week only. I hope he can provide some exact info.

Thanks for your response Nitin. Much appreciated

Though the Chassis is almost the same, the head rake has been steepened by quite a few degrees in the RC, and I am sure the mountings should be different, not sure though, but considering the heel plate and add ons, I think it's fair to say that it "would"

Cheers!
VJ

[VWikram]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

So how many 390 Duke owners are anxiously waiting for this tire hugger from the RC?

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Naah! It will never stop the rearward and upward splash. I was looking for it for 2 reasons

1. Looks cool
2. Should stop dirt splash to atleast the rear shock's spring and top of the swingarms

Not the same, but I found this on my new Duke 200. I had to choose from two bikes and I chose the one with this , heard from the showroom guys that this was from the newest lot.





Surely protects the rear mono-shock from dirt and muck, can already see the results with the amount of muck behind it protecting the spring. Great to see KTM improving their products based on feedbacks.

[Urban_Nomad]

Well, turns out the tanks in all probability cannot be swapped. The battery for the rc 390 sits ahead of the (actual) fuel tank apparently (some weight distribution mumbo jumbo) and the mountings are different

On a side note, the service head was quite pleased with the rc. The way it looked (special mention of the projectors here, said they look absolutely yummy in person) as well as the way it performed. He also mentioned that it will not be priced too far from the 390.

Looks like ktm have themselves another winner

[anilp]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

The way it looked (special mention of the projectors here, said they look absolutely yummy in person) as well as the way it performed.

The electrical system seems to be changed to accommodate the projectors.

[basuroy]

Guys I am on the verge of placing an order for the 390 tomorrow . Today i visited two indian oil petrol pumps near my place which have the premium grade available , they however could not confirm the RON (octane) rating of the petrol they sell . I stay in bareilly if that matters and can you guys please clarify the RON rating of regular and premium grade sold by indian oil .

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by basuroy

can you guys please clarify the RON rating of regular and premium grade sold by indian oil .

I think the regular is 91RON and Premium is 94 RON

97Octane is sold by very few oil companies and I dont think IOCL is one of them

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I think the regular is 91RON and Premium is 94 RON

97Octane is sold by very few oil companies and I dont think IOCL is one of them

Thank you and confirmed the same today(though as per one chap there , premium is regular + additive ) at a company owned and run IOCL station near my place , went ahead and placed the order for the white 390 . A decision that I took knowing that I am gambling on quality here which based on feedback doesn't seems acceptable at all for a 21st century product .

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad
Gents - Was looking for some more info on the tyre changes you have incorporated to your respective 390's. Could you please provide inputs on:


- Tyre brand(s): Ceat Vertigo Sports
- Cost (front & back separately): Front - 2000INR and rear 2500INR (+/- 200INR among the shops/ online portals I looked for)
- Width / Profile (Front n Back): Front - 100/90/17 and rear 120/80/17 (is a downsize to Metz)
- Tubeless or Tube Type: Tubeless (both)
- On road behaviour. Especially, how does it corner: Not as good as Metz but certainly there. Is confidence inspiring. Does not ruffle your feathers.
- Braking stability / ABS : Any changes observed: Nothing, just fine
- Wet grip if tested (on tarmac specifically): Again not in Metz area, but it is a compromise between off roading and tarmac. Does it work well in lower speeds but at higher speeds, read above 120, the front end becomes vague. It is as though it is riding over a cloud. No feedback from the front. And back tends to step out when driven on loose gravel at these speeds. I had a moment once during the 1k ride till now.
- Bad roads / off road behavior: Very good, but the driver should know how much to squeeze out of it. Since the bike has oodles of power, tyre spins are prominent. Once you come to grips with it, it is a breeze.
- Summary of perceptible feel / overall general performance vis a vis Metz: A VFM tyre for the cost. Has good dry and wet grip at lower speeds. Definitely not advisable to do over 120kmph. A good off roading option. The throttle action needs to be administered gently to come to terms with this tyre or you will find yourself burning the rubber than the tarmac. The high sidewall profile means you can be sure of not bending your rims hitting a pothole.
- Any issues if at all observed: Nothing.

Hello All,
Here I am as promised to write a review of the Ceat Vertigo during the Ladakh trip.
Total kms covered: 8900 kms. From Bangalore to Bangalore
Punctures, if any: NONE.
Performance: Performed beautifully on the non existent roads in the valley as well as some cities on the way. Took everything in its stride. Hit the ruts more than 5 dozen times and it came out with flying colurs. With Metz though I could have afforded to run the RC series as an owner of an outfit.
Rain, slush, ice, paved roads, unpaved roads or places like Karzok, Parkachik where you drive through making your own roads, the tire excelled in all the departments.
Cons: On tarmac, it is still a bit of gamble where the top is speed is severely limited due to wobble at higher speeds, read above a ton. Can skid easily on tarmac if there are loose gravel as found especially in Rajasthan where it was a bit of dicing.
Places visited as halted for the day were Pune(14 hrs @70kmph avg) Chittorgarh, Abohar, Patnitop, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Rangdum, Leh, Turtok, Leh, Tso Morori, Keylong, Roopnagar, Jaipur, Ankaleshwar (Longest travel, 950 km in a single day), Chiplun (350 kms in rain) Udupi, Bangalore.
Luggage: Saddle bags, Tailbag, Extra fuel cans, tank bag.






Tyre condition at the end of the trip: Rear one is half worn. This includes an additional 1.2K kms which the bike had run prior. The front is still about 80% intact. Will post the pictures sometime later. Hope this is informative to all.

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

Hello All,
Here I am as promised to write a review of the Ceat Vertigo during the Ladakh

Sir , how did the motorcycle itself do during this rigorous trip ? 8.9k is a big number and can be used to gauge the reliability of the engine and hence my curiosity , any notable issues (including common ones like oil leak , coolant leak and fork seal ) .

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by basuroy

Sir , how did the motorcycle itself do during this rigorous trip ? 8.9k is a big number and can be used to gauge the reliability of the engine and hence my curiosity , any notable issues (including common ones like oil leak , coolant leak and fork seal ) .

Touch wood basuroy. No worries whatsoever with this beast. It took all in its stride. I myself carried out an oil and filters-oil/air/fuel change in leh and another routine service at ktm jaipur. The failure were broken front fender when a stone got lodged between the wheel and the fender during off roading at Tso Morori. And a busted front fork seal when I had to take an evasive action when a bus came onto my path on a curve. I had to steer the bike away which resulted in the wheels hitting a big stone and a ruptured front fork seal.

[john doe]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is that a Hero / Honda 150 c.c bike accompanying you? How did that bike do? And if that bike did well, what were the advantages that you felt riding the Duke?

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by john doe

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is that a Hero / Honda 150 c.c bike accompanying you? How did that bike do? And if that bike did well, what were the advantages that you felt riding the Duke?

That's a TVS Apache RTR, looks like the 180. I've heard praises about the bike's performance, but it's not particularly a good tourer. Big tank - 16 litres, light weight , good ground clearance, and short dimensions and nimble handling do help though in Leh-Ladakh kind of trips.

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by john doe

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is that a Hero / Honda 150 c.c bike accompanying you? How did that bike do? And if that bike did well, what were the advantages that you felt riding the Duke?

Yes it is indeed TVS Apache RTR180. Thanks to it, the duke never got strained. It had to work hard to keep up. Never suitted to the rough terrain, the rider had a tough time. We had to come back from Rangdum as the speeds dipped to 18kmph for 6 hour stretch and the rider had fatigued. And the most surprising fact was the duke was marginally bad in the mileage. Apache was about 6-10kmpl better than the duke in the rough terrain. And this added to the woes as my friend was way off the calculated range.