[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by vikast_ap

I have been waiting for this thread to come up, I am really confused, should I go for the RC390 or wait some time for a bigger 600, I own a 5 year old P220 and somehow I feel RC390 wont be a deserving upgrade, stand alone it is just epic, but for someone upgrading from a a motorcycle as capable as the P220, it becomes a confusion (and Yes, I am an absolute corner carving fan )

Try taking a Duke 390 or RC 390 for a spin. I had a brief experience of 200ns and was expecting 390 to be faster. But one twist of the throttle and I was completely blown away. And Metzelers corner like on rails. Just ride one and it should clear all your confusion!

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

Try taking a Duke 390 or RC 390 for a spin. I had a brief experience of 200ns and was expecting 390 to be faster. But one twist of the throttle and I was completely blown away. And Metzelers corner like on rails. Just ride one and it should clear all your confusion!

I second this , make sure to find an open and safe stretch of road if possible because the full extent of power is felt only when you cross 7k rpm and feel that surge at 8k . I say open road because by the time it hits 10k (Redlines at 10.5) , in 2nd gear alone it will touch 80 and 120 in 3rd .

Also check the brakes by applying them more aggressively than you normally do. For a newbie like me , ABS proves very important , you being experienced with a capable bike for 5 years now in all probability brake better but all the same it is a major selling point and hence worth checking out . Many bigger bikes still don't offer this function or at a massive premium over base model .

It is a bike worth a test ride and a thorough one , after that you always have options higher up the range and it is your call .

[vikast_ap]

Originally Posted by basuroy

I second this , make sure to find an open and safe stretch of road if possible because the full extent of power is felt only when you cross 7k rpm and feel that surge at 8k . I say open road because by the time it hits 10k (Redlines at 10.5) , in 2nd gear alone it will touch 80 and 120 in 3rd .

Also check the brakes by applying them more aggressively than you normally do. For a newbie like me , ABS proves very important , you being experienced with a capable bike for 5 years now in all probability brake better but all the same it is a major selling point and hence worth checking out . Many bigger bikes still don't offer this function or at a massive premium over base model .

It is a bike worth a test ride and a thorough one , after that you always have options higher up the range and it is your call .

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

Try taking a Duke 390 or RC 390 for a spin. I had a brief experience of 200ns and was expecting 390 to be faster. But one twist of the throttle and I was completely blown away. And Metzelers corner like on rails. Just ride one and it should clear all your confusion!

Thanks for feedbacl, will definitely book the test ride.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by vikast_ap

I have been waiting for this thread to come up, I am really confused, should I go for the RC390 or wait some time for a bigger 600, I own a 5 year old P220 and somehow I feel RC390 wont be a deserving upgrade, stand alone it is just epic, but for someone upgrading from a a motorcycle as capable as the P220, it becomes a confusion (and Yes, I am an absolute corner carving fan )

There is absolutely NOTHING that is remotely close to the corner carving capabilities of the Duke or RC390 - The next one that is close is Daytona 675R which is 14L OTR in Bangalore. (No sign of ZX-6R in the short term)

I have driven a good set of bike (including P220 for the short term) - You should experience the mid-range of RC390 to believe the brutality of the engine and also experience the brilliant chassis over corners (enhanced to surreal levels because of the Metzeler rubbers)

Or, you can get a N300 for 4.1L OTR (it is not an 'R') - Mod the rear suspension, mod the front suspension, change the rubbers from IRC to Metzelers and then hit the track - I guess you'll be shelling out close to 5L OTR

The RC390 is not perfect - The build quality is far from perfect. All said, it is a great value

[balenopower]

Congrats mate. I did see your thread on xbhp. Got my bike a while back too. Just put a tankpad on it today.

[ksameer1234]

Thanks!! And congrats for your bike!! The tank pad looks nice!!! Paint on mine has already faded due to rubbing. I think tank pad is indispensable. Happy riding!!

[Mafioso]

Originally Posted by balenopower

Congrats mate. I did see your thread on xbhp. Got my bike a while back too. Just put a tankpad on it today.

That is a nice looking tank pad! Where did you get and how much did it cost? My tank also has started seeing lot of scratches already need a tank pad desperately!

[stanjohn123]

Great thread and congrats on your latest acquisition. Please post more photos and update us on any new feedback to your initial review.

Sure you will be turning a lot of heads with this bike.:-)

[VijayAnand1]

Glad to see the thread up, but would love to get more inputs from more riders. So how's the refinement levels from the Duke 390 to the RC. How are the vibrations? Any oil leaks, elsewhere on the bike? Hows is the overall quality compared to its elder sibling?

And some overall nitty-gritty on the red herring would be helpful.

Cheers!
VJ

[ksameer1234]

Blade went for a short breakfast ride today!! Accompanying the nice and cool weather, cherry on top was a freshly laid tarmac section of around 10 kms. Needless to say, Blade had a blast!!

Soaking the sun on a cool Sunday morning while observing the dedicated people all strapped up and rushing to their work. Sunday should be a national holiday...



With 1200-odd kms on the odo, I today decided to unleash the 44 horses and Blade, in its true fashion was more than happy to oblige!! Approaching the red-line, that is where the true action happens. The way engine hits the red line and bounces off the rev limiter, Blade comes across like that kid who is thoroughly disappointed at being called back home by parents just when he started enjoying the game.



And this is where the best part comes. For a high-revving 375cc single pot always eager to bounce off the limiter, low end torque is more than satisfying. On highways, be it at 30 or 60, overtaking a truck or even a trailer does not require any shifts and a clean pull off the slotted gear does the job pretty well.

While initially, there was severe knocking at anything below, 4k; post 1st service and 1000-odd kms, there is a clean pull right from 3.5k. 4th gear is my best man allowing me to start from 40 kph and go all the way into triple digits. All this in one gear!!!!

Refinement of the engine is still improving and that rattlesnake tag has been shed long back. However, there are some vibrations near thighs which I hope would reduce as I pile on miles.

The tail section attracts more attention than I had anticipated. People are genuinely puzzled to see a single seater and amused to find the tail is indeed a soft foam. What ensues then are funny discussions on pillion comfort!!



Build quality has been assuring so far with no rattles or leaks. All the fluids are at optimum levels. I won't be able to compare with Duke 390 much but thing I certainly observed while riding alongside one was that Duke has slightly tinnier exhaust note. But at idle, RC390 still sounds like a damn expensive auto-rickshaw!!!

Some useful tips & tricks I learned from others and own experience:

1. RVMs are indeed adjustable vertically!!! All that one needs to do is cup them from behind using both hands and apply force carefully. Though force required is considerable, fine adjustments can be made to suit requirements.

2. Adjusting the projector beam throw is damn simple. There is a screw on outside end beside each projector lamp assembly which can be accessed and adjusted by any screw-driver. All it requires is to twist the screw to adjust the lamps throw independently.

3. I initially experienced a peculiar problem wherein I would stall the bike in traffic and then it wouldn't turn on even after several cranks. Turns out, all one needs to do is flip the engine kill switch off and on to let the electronics recalibrate.

4. Tank pad is a must!! I have already rubbed paint off the tank and there is a patch of 1 sq-inch due to the rubbing belly.

Signing off with last pic!!

[nitninja]

Sameer:isn't the third mentioned point a problem ? Has it vanished now without any efforts put in to rectify it ? I have booked a rc390 for touring purposes,but in double mind if d390 would be a better option for my use.waiting period told to me was 2 months,but i don't want to wait that long.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by nitninja

Sameer:isn't the third mentioned point a problem ? Has it vanished now without any efforts put in to rectify it ? I have booked a rc390 for touring purposes,but in double mind if d390 would be a better option for my use.waiting period told to me was 2 months,but i don't want to wait that long.

It is not a problem the way I see it. From what I was informed by others, if the engine stalls, the sensors loses calibration and takes a minute or two to reset. A better alternative is to just flip the engine kill switch off and on which resets the sensors. Of course the engine never stalls by itself. It happened only when revs would drop and I failed to pull the clutch. This was only initially when I was new to bike.

[xaero]

Hey Sameer,
First of all congrats on a lovely write up and ownership thread.
Now, that you have spent significant time with the Blade, I just wanted to understand one thing which I did not find mention of in the thread: How does the Ground Clearance work with respect to the Indian roads and creatively crafted camel hump speed/vehicle breakers?
A little light on this aspect would be helpful, I own a P180 and don't have to think before taking it on the rough roads with some bumps, can you (I know you willingly wouldn't) treat the Blade in similar fashion i.e. are there any clearance issues where you scrape the underbelly?

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by xaero

Hey Sameer,
How does the Ground Clearance work with respect to the Indian roads and creatively crafted camel hump speed/vehicle breakers?

Thanks and I am glad you found the information useful. As for the ground clearance, there are actually two scenarios. One when riding alone where I am yet to scrape the underbelly. This includes negotiating some of the most creative humps. However, while riding with pillion, there is a strong probability of scraping the bumps. Unless going very slow and carefully, I invariably scrape while with pillion.

But even with the ground clearance, I can't think of coasting over bumps. I ride a discover which flies over bumps while the same bumps need all my attention when riding Blade.

[Krishna Achutha]

Hi All!
I got the RC 390 couple of weeks back and initially I felt that the fan noise was louder than usual. (the first week itself) Also, the speedometer was not working. After 8 days, the fan noise stopped completely, even when the engine heat indicator hit the second box on the dial. Took the bike to the service centre only to find out that the fan stopped working. They have agreed to replace the fan as it comes under warranty. But I just want to know if anyone else is facing a similar problem or should I be worried about the same problem in future? Please let me know your thoughts guys.... Thanks!