[rahul4321]

Originally Posted by Yash390

Sprocket change update !

I have absolutely no time till 12th October. Will try getting the battery charged on my own next week, fix the headlight back on the bike and head to the ASC right after.
Any idea what could've triggered the issues I mentioned ?
It is sad to see such a beautiful machine just lying idle :/

PS - The battery is just 4 months old and there are no blown ABS fuses, I already checked.

Welcome to the KTM jungle my friend! I had the same problem when my bike was at 5000 kilometers. Below is what I had written in my ownership review of the Duke 390

On a Mumbai to Ahmedabad Trip, I got the Triple Problem which I have been reading about on a few KTM Forums

(a) ABS Failure
(b) Bike Stall at low speeds - when I downshift from 6th to 1st or 5th to 2nd to navigate a pothole
(c) LED DRL's would remain switched on even though I had the keys in my hand



I had this problem enroute Mumbai. I switched the bike on and off with my keys a few times and the DRL's problem was temporarily resolved but the ABS message would not go away. I took the bike to a KTM Service Station and they took a couple of hours to check the sensors and replace them. I believe one of the sensors was malfunctioning which they replaced for me under warranty and then I was on my merry way.

I was contemplating whether to continue my ride post the temporary fix of the DRL's but when I googled up the ABS failure message - the KTM manual basically said that ABS may or may not work if you continue riding. Since I was going to Mumbai in fast weaving traffic at cruising speeds in excess of 100 km/hour, I didnt think it would be very wise if I cannot depend upon my brakes or more importantly - predict how they may behave.

Since my bike was under warranty, they didn't charge me anything. I guess yours may not be so I cannot provide you with an estimate of the charges. Ask them to look at the sensors and the fuses (Not necessarily the ABS fuses but the headlight / dashboard fuses) - that's where you will find the fault if I remember correctly.

[aswin93]

Hey everyone,

For the past 2 days, I have had this ticking noise from the engine (attached video) come on. It is not always there and I am yet to see a pattern.

This is a 2018 MY Duke, and the bike just clocked 30k Kms, last service was done 7 months back around 26k km.

I am worried that it is due to valve clearance and found in many international forums that it is being checked every 10k kms abroad. But I was unsure if the KTM SVC folks can do this properly as it takes patience and accuracy.

Any idea on this?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kJCEDuCb8Z4?feature=share

[Shonith]

Originally Posted by aswin93

Hey everyone,
I am worried that it is due to valve clearance and found in many international forums that it is being checked every 10k kms abroad. But I was unsure if the KTM SVC folks can do this properly as it takes patience and accuracy.

From what I know ticking noise can come from 2 things.
1. From the valve clearance being off. But if this is the case it will come throughout the rev range.
2. It can come from the chain tensioner being off. Ktm comes with a spring loaded and oil pressure activated tensioner which can fail over time.

Ktm service center take a back seat when it comes to checking the valve clearance. They don't fiddle around with it since it's a shim based set up and it's time consuming. But they do it if it needs to be done.

[aswin93]

Originally Posted by Shonith

From what I know ticking noise can come from 2 things.
1. From the valve clearance being off. But if this is the case it will come throughout the rev range.
2. It can come from the chain tensioner being off. Ktm comes with a spring loaded and oil pressure activated tensioner which can fail over time.

So, this morning while starting up and for the next 2 mins idling there was no sound. But after I took it for a ride, 5 mins into it, a slight sound started coming and it was gone after 2 mins. When I was about to reach my place, it started again till I got to the parking and once I put it into neutral the sound is gone again.

I thought the sound due to valve clearance being off usually comes when the engine is cold and once the engine heated up, the sound should reduce. But in my case can't seem to get a pattern.

Any idea how urgently I have to address this? I am currently on the lookout for a trusted FNG here in Bangalore to sort this, and if nothing works will take it to KTM SVC.

Cheers!
Aswin

[Shonith]

Originally Posted by aswin93

Any idea how urgently I have to address this? I am currently on the lookout for a trusted FNG here in Bangalore to sort this, and if nothing works will take it to KTM SVC.

It's better you get this sorted as soon as possible. If the valve clearance is off it will lead to off set of timing, inlet and exhaust timing depending on which valve is off.

If the timing chain is off due to the tensioner it will also lead to something similar. Don't ride the bike hard keep the revs low as possible till you get it sorted.

Is your bike under extended warranty?
If yes, then it's better you take it to ktm themselves.

[Yash390]

SITREP / ALL ABOUT A DISAPPOINTING DAY

Got done with my exams yesterday, today was getting-bike-up-to-shape day. Turned out life had some other plans for me. Read on to know why.



1. Excitement to get the bike fixed and the first disappointment - Got the battery charged first thing in the morning, came back home, fixed the headlight and cranked it. Started in a single push of the button without any drama. Headed to KTM Gurgaon ASC right after. Reached at 12:15PM, the service head told me that it'll take a while before he attends to me. The place was jam packed (as is every other KTM ASC I've ever seen) and he told me to wait in the customer lounge. I told him that I'm in no hurry and that I could leave the bike for a day or two if required. He was attending to others, going up and down and was roaming here and there. I asked him a couple of times whether he'll make the job card by lunch, he said he couldn't assure. I came back to the lounge and sat there, passing time on my phone. Around 1:10PM, a man sitting at the billing counter asked me what I was waiting for. I told him that my job card hadn't been prepared yet and he directed me to the SC manager and told me to talk to him. I went to him and explained that I'd been waiting for an hour without a job card. He was quite apologetic and told me that they couldn't take any more bikes for the day as they were already overworked and understaffed. He told me to go somewhere else. So, they wasted an hour and I couldn't get anything done.

2. Finding an alternative - Googled other KTM SCs and found one, 20kms away (Mahipalpur, New Delhi), tried calling them to know about the rush and whether I could drop the bike off for the issue. The number was busy, then they didn't pick up. I tried for 10 minutes and then gave up on that SC. Found another SC in Mayapuri, 32kms away (Google maps showed 1hr15mins with traffic). It was 1:10PM and the sun was in no mood to spare me. I called them and asked about their workload, they said that they'll accomodate me without any issue. Navigation started, I had to go there to get my prized possession treated.

3. A ray of hope and the second disappointment - Fought the sun and the traffic and reached the Mayapuri SC at 2:20PM. Told them about the ABS FAILURE and DRL/headlight on without the key and they got the bike up on the lift quickly.



No job card was made initially. The mechanic (Mr. Sukdev Singh) is a really good guy, answered all my doubts/questions and seemed really helpful. First he scanned the bike for errors.



He saw the rear wheel, pointed to the right side and asked whether I had a fall or a crash. I answered no, nothing of that sort. He showed a damaged part called the 'pulse plate'. To be frank, I've never heard of such a thing. I didn't even notice that it was bent till he pointed it out.



He said that this part can be easily damaged during wheel removal. I told him that the Gurgaon SC had balanced the rear wheel. He smirked and said that this was 100% the cause for the ABS FAILURE warning. I was just worried about the costs involved in resolving this and it luckily turned out that the plate costs just ₹350. I let out a sigh of relief. He started opening the rear wheel and another guy went inside to get the concerned part. Two minutes later the guy came back and said they don't have it in stock. I felt defeated and started laughing at my failed day. Regarding the DRL/headlight staying on, he said that it is due to the ABS FAILURE and nothing else. I want to believe this, let's see what the Dehradun SC diagnoses. Until I get a new pulse plate, the ABS warning will stay and the ABS won't work. He said that there were no workarounds and that I had to ride without ABS. I went home, disconnected the battery terminals (to ensure that the DRL/headlight stays off) and slept. So whenever (till I get it fixed) I take my bike out for a ride, I'll have to carry a screwdriver with me to disconnect the battery terminals whenever I turn the ignition off for a long duration.

3. Conclusion - I've kept the battery terminals disconnected for now. I'll head back to Dehradun (with failed ABS) on Sunday morning, 16th October and will drop the bike over at the SC. I hope they agree with the Mayapuri SC's diagnosis and get my bike up and running. Also, the service is due, will get it done along with the repair. Hoping for some good news ahead.

Originally Posted by rahul4321

Since my bike was under warranty, they didn't charge me anything. I guess yours may not be so I cannot provide you with an estimate of the charges. Ask them to look at the sensors and the fuses (Not necessarily the ABS fuses but the headlight / dashboard fuses) - that's where you will find the fault if I remember correctly.

Hey Rahul, thanks for sharing your experience. I guess my chapter will close in the next couple of the days so I'll let you know about what actually went wrong.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Yash390

3. A ray of hope and the second disappointment - Fought the sun and the traffic and reached the Mayapuri SC at 2:20PM. Told them about the ABS FAILURE and DRL/headlight on without the key and they got the bike up on the lift quickly.

Attachment 2368189

No job card was made initially. The mechanic (Mr. Sukdev Singh) is a really good guy, answered all my doubts/questions and seemed really helpful. First he scanned the bike for errors.

Attachment 2368186

He saw the rear wheel, pointed to the right side and asked whether I had a fall or a crash. I answered no, nothing of that sort. He showed a damaged part called the 'pulse plate'. To be frank, I've never heard of such a thing. I didn't even notice that it was bent till he pointed it out.

Attachment 2368185

He said that this part can be easily damaged during wheel removal. I told him that the Gurgaon SC had balanced the rear wheel. He smirked and said that this was 100% the cause for the ABS FAILURE warning. I was just worried about the costs involved in resolving this and it luckily turned out that the plate costs just ₹350. I let out a sigh of relief. He started opening the rear wheel and another guy went inside to get the concerned part. Two minutes later the guy came back and said they don't have it in stock. I felt defeated and started laughing at my failed day. Regarding the DRL/headlight staying on, he said that it is due to the ABS FAILURE and nothing else. I want to believe this, let's see what the Dehradun SC diagnoses. Until I get a new pulse plate, the ABS warning will stay and the ABS won't work. He said that there were no workarounds and that I had to ride without ABS. I went home, disconnected the battery terminals (to ensure that the DRL/headlight stays off) and slept. So whenever (till I get it fixed) I take my bike out for a ride, I'll have to carry a screwdriver with me to disconnect the battery terminals whenever I turn the ignition off for a long duration.

3. Conclusion - ....

That's a hard bend right there. Usually these rings (F&R) are what sense the wheel speed and send the data back to the ECU for appropriate action. This ring is bent mostly due to two aspects, either a hard foreign object hit or during a tire replacement interval where the folks stomp and jump over the tire hard while tossing the rim mercilessly when installing the tire.

In such cases the ABS can't and won't perform its duties and hence the throw on the dash. Lucky you didn't warp your rear brake rotor, if it somehow did, it could have been an even expensive proposition.

Regarding LED light, I hope your bike's console firmware is updated to the latest. If not, get it done, this helps with the LED's temperament.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by aswin93

Hey everyone,

For the past 2 days, I have had this ticking noise from the engine (attached video) come on. It is not always there and I am yet to see a pattern.

This is a 2018 MY Duke, and the bike just clocked 30k Kms, last service was done 7 months back around 26k km.

I am worried that it is due to valve clearance...

Aswin, the sound that you're facing is from the chain tensioner. A faulty valve clearance sound would make it pertinent right from the word go, especially during a cold start and progressively louder throughout. In your case, it's intermittent, and the fault here is with a faulty timing chain tensioner. The part is a measly 250-ish odd and can be replaced in 15 mins. Replace it and do let us know. And it's totally normal for it to get weak at around your KM reading. Replace the tensioner first, observe for a couple of days and then see proceed to valve clearance op. If the sound repeats, it's time to look at both the timing chain and valve clearance.

@Shonith, no the timing chain tensioner isn't oil pressured, it's a pretty basic spring tensioned one.

[Yash390]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

That's a hard bend right there. Usually these rings (F&R) are what sense the wheel speed and send the data back to the ECU for appropriate action. This ring is bent mostly due to two aspects, either a hard foreign object hit or during a tire replacement interval where the folks stomp and jump over the tire hard while tossing the rim mercilessly when installing the tire.

In such cases the ABS can't and won't perform its duties and hence the throw on the dash. Lucky you didn't warp your rear brake rotor, if it somehow did, it could have been an even expensive proposition.

Regarding LED light, I hope your bike's console firmware is updated to the latest. If not, get it done, this helps with the LED's temperament.

Good luck.

Thanks Vijay !

Got the bike back from the SC yesterday. They changed the pulse plate and voila the ABS warning vanished. Also, the rear brake pedal feel is back to normal. Regarding the DRL, they said that the firmware is already updated to the latest version, checked all possible wiring/fuses and everything their technicians could possibly think of. They couldn't replicate the DRL issue after changing the pulse plate. Hopefully it stays like this. Got the service done along with this and the bike is back to its beautiful smooth nature. I suspect it to be KTM Gurgaon ASC's fault, they were the ones who removed the wheel for balancing. Nothing I can do about that now, I'm 280kms away from the place with a perfectly sweet machine, let bygones be bygones. Yes, thank god the rotor is safe and sound !

Sprocket update - Rode back to Dehradun and the 42T sprocket is exactly what I wanted. 100kmph comes up at 5800RPM instead of the earlier 6k. The bike feels a bit relaxed throughout the rev range. The initial agressive nature is toned down now and I don't need to work the gears how I had to earlier, when in city traffic. The revised gearing takes care of that. Sacrificing the bottom end is not a worry for me at all, it still is a rocket.

I have a few questions about the braking system.

1. How often should the brake fluid be changed ?
2. What are the signs of brake fluid going bad ?
3. Should brake fluid be topped up in any case ? I've read that it is a completely closed system and that it should never be topped up except in an emergency leakage scenario.

The KTM Delhi mechanic said it should be flushed and replaced every year, is this correct ?

Thanks a lot for all the inputs.

Signing off with some photos


New pulse plate installed


Got washed after ages


The beautiful sprocket by https://sparrowteck.com/


Old photo, had this as my laptop's wallpaper. Would've looked hotter with the tail tidy and without the mudguard. Note - ORVMs were removed just for the photo.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Yash390

Thanks Vijay !

I have a few questions about the braking system.

1. How often should the brake fluid be changed ?
2. What are the signs of brake fluid going bad ?
3. Should brake fluid be topped up in any case ? I've read that it is a completely closed system and that it should never be topped up except in an emergency leakage scenario.

The KTM Delhi mechanic said it should be flushed and replaced every year, is this correct ?

Thanks a lot for all the inputs.

1. How often should the brake fluid be changed?

Brake fluid doesn't have a set life. It degrades as it degrades depending on various factors. Generally, replacing brake fluid every year helps prevent ponginess and keeps the braking system clean. A clean system is a system that works better.

2. What are the signs of brake fluid going bad ?

The prime symptom of a brake fluid going bad is, sponginess in the lever and excessive brake pressure than required. As brake fluid becomes degraded, as it is hygroscopic in nature, the brake fluid gets easily compressed which in turn causes sponginess in the brakes, which eventually lead to poor brake feedback. Also visually, if you can inspect the fluid would have turned dark brown or mild black, which is a prime indicator that your brake fluid is degraded.

3. Should brake fluid be topped up in any case ? I've read that it is a completely closed system and that it should never be topped up except in an emergency leakage scenario.

You can definitely top up, in case where it's required on an emergency basis with the correct grade fluid that you've used previously. Topping up won't mean your system stays healthy, you're topping up over an already bad fluid that's present in the system. So, the topped up fluid will solve the low fluid level, but full of degraded oil.

5. The KTM Delhi mechanic said it should be flushed and replaced every year, is this correct?

What he'd said is absolutely correct. Replacing it every year is definitely the right way, which helps flush the system, keep it clean and in turn better braking feedback and longevity of the parts.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

[Yash390]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

Thanks a lot for the insight VJ !
I told the SC to replace the brake fluid but they somehow forgot to do it even after me repeatedly telling them about it. I'll get it done with my next brake pad swap, will then assess whether the brake lever feel improves, even if by a little margin

[Dhruv Shetty]

Hey guys,

So the bike's engine oil is becoming strange after the service in June, the engine is burning oil and turning dark within 2k kms recently. I have mentioned the history below.

The bike runs smooth, responds nicely and coolant level stays the same.

The history of the problem
Last year in March 2021 i had done a self service, in that I used Liqui moly 15W 50 (Big mistake by me) after putting it in, the engine started throwing white smoke at almost ever cold start. After that in January 2022 i switched back to Motul and problem disappeared, but still burnt off some oil.
Then in June put Maxima pro plus 10W 50 along with a engine flush, because previously I had done a valve clearance job and the insides had alot of varnish, I felt doing a flush was a mistake, and the same Liqui Moly scene happened, so within 1k kms, replaced the Maxima with Motul 7100 and Voila the the white smoke which used to come out and stays like that for a minute, reduced considerably.

Oil level after 1400 kms


Condition of the oil (even the Maxima became this color)


Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Dhruv Shetty

Hey guys,
The bike runs smooth, responds nicely and coolant level stays the same.

The history of the problem
Last year in March 2021 i had done a self service, in that I used Liqui moly 15W 50 (Big mistake by me) after putting it in, the engine started throwing white smoke at almost ever cold start. After that in January 2022 i switched back to Motul and problem disappeared, but still burnt off some oil.
Then in June put Maxima pro plus 10W 50 along with a engine flush, because previously I had done a valve clearance job and the insides had alot of varnish, [/ATTACH]

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

I think part of the answer to your question lies in your answer, bolded above. Varnish occurs when a stale engine oil is left to sit in the bike for a while or the bike's oil has been extended too long than the desired interval which would mean the heat cycle of the engine would literally bake the engine oil and the contaminants and hence varnish.

A new engine oil and its detergents would immediately start the scrubbing action and hence the new engine oil turns black depending on the innards of the motor. The clean the innards, the longer it takes for the oil to turn black. The crude and baked the innards, the faster the scrubbing agents work and the oil turns black.

Matter of fact, an oil should turn black, which means it's doing its job of soaking in all the contaminants in the engine and trying to keep the innards clean, containing the contaminants. Now, you flushing can perhaps helped de-cake the contaminants and perhaps caused an accelerated black up of the new oil, either way it's good.

Consider your innards are getting cleaned. Replace the current duty-performing oil in your Duke a little sooner than you would so that the contaminants are flushed off early and fresh oil goes in periodically.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[Yash390]

Originally Posted by Dhruv Shetty

Hey guys,

Last year in March 2021 i had done a self service, in that I used Liqui moly 15W 50 (Big mistake by me)

Hi Dhruv, I agree with what you said above.

I wanted to try a different engine oil (other than the usual Motul 7100 10W50) before embarking on my Kutch trip last December. I purchased the Liqui Moly street performance pack which came with 15W50 engine oil, flush, fuel additive and something called MOS2. Did the oil flush and change myself and the first impression was pretty good (placebo most likely). The bike felt smoother and just better across the rev range.

I did the Kutch ride and the engine started getting rough after just 3500kms/7 days (as opposed to their claimed 6000kms life) which included 90% excellent highways. Got home and couldn't bear it so again got the oil changed with Motul 7100 10W50 which lasted 6000kms easily in varying conditions. The condition of the drained Liqui Moly oil was very very scary for such low usage. Even the ASC guys asked me about the oil I used. I haven't faced any smoke problems like you've mentioned, I'm just sharing my poor experience with Liqui Moly oil. Have switched to the usual Motul ever since and the bike is performing as desired. No Liqui Moly for me.

[atluri_rkc]

I am looking to pick a pre-worshipped 390. What should I be watching out for in the bike?

Can you suggest what could be the right price for the below option?

Year : 2021
Kms : 8500
City: Mumbai
Ownership: 1st owner
Model: KTM duke 390 ABS
Others: ZANA leg guard/engine guard + Double Sinterend rear brake pads recently added
Warranty : Extended warranty purchased till 2025 from KTM
Asking price: 2.5L

Thanks in advance

[Yash390]

Originally Posted by atluri_rkc

I am looking to pick a pre-worshipped 390. What should I be watching out for in the bike ? Can you suggest what could be the right price for the below option ?

Luckily there are no major issues in this generation. The bike doesn't generate heat like people claim it to. I've made no changes to the cooling system and have happily ridden across all traffic conditions/terrains. Having ridden a BS3 Duke 390, I can definitely say that the cooling, power delivery, throttle on/off transitions, braking and overall refinement are much better on the current gen.

Some people have reported -
1. Stalling issues due to a faulty clutch sensor
2. Premature fork seals leaks
3. TFT display turning off abruptly
4. ABS pump failure

Best to get the bike checked by a KTM ASC for complete peace of mind, although I'm not sure whether the technicians can check the condition of the last two points till they go kaput.

In my 4 years and 30k kms of ownership, I've faced the following problems (none of them serious)

1. 2 bent rims (my fault, went too fast over very deep potholes, had to replace one because of uncontrollable air leaks)

2. My radiator fan failed when I was coming back from Kutch , which resulted in overheating and stalling of the engine in traffic. Got home and showed the bike to the ASC, they identified it as some wiring issue and fixed it for ₹1000.

3. ABS failure leading to headlamp/DRL staying on with ignition off, you can read this in post #6720.

It has been a relatively fuss free experience thus far and I'm totally satisfied with the way it performs. Hope you close the deal and bring this beautiful bike home !

I have no idea as far as pre-owned prices are concerned , apologies for that.