[pedrolourenco]

Papagayo, my Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen Duke 390

Currently writing a review of a bigger vehicle but it's quite difficult to write when sitting in a moving vehicle (even more difficult if you are at the wheel). Also a bit difficult (if not impossible) to take external photos. Clue: It's an off-roader (never been on a road), has more than 1 winch, has a very powerful engine but still returns a decent milege. So till then bear with me and read this boring review of another vehicle I recently purchased.

The Decision

I have been riding (not much though) a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 for the past 5 years. I had bought it second hand and got it fully done up. Bullet clubs had just started coming up in Goa and these were the only clubs. Besides that Rider Mania was being held in Goa and I took the plunge and bought it. Slowly I realized that this is not really a great bike. It was crude, a pain to ride in the city and ended up spending too much time at the mechanic. Add to that any jobs to be done on the bike depended on the mechanics schedule. So I decided that the Bullet had to go and I had to get something simpler to live with.

The Basic Requirements

1. I'm 168 cm in height and 88 kg in weight.
2. I spend only half the year in India (3 months at a time) and for the 3 months I'm away there's no one to use the bike.
3. My primary use will be leisure riding. Most of the time evening rides from Margao to Colva or Benaulim (for those who are familiar with Goa) and maybe the occasional 100 km ride.
4. I do not intend riding to Ladakh or Kanyakumari nor do I intend carrying my entire wardrobe, fridge, TV and microwave on the bike.
5. I do not intend doing any sort of stunts or racing on the bike (In any case Goa does not have racetracks).
6. I intend having a pillion rider most of the time.
7. I intend using the bike within the city sometimes.
8. I do not have a problem with a crouched position, hard seats or stiff suspension (I'm a cyclist and ride a road bike).
9. I currently ride an Enfield 350 standard and an Activa.
10. Previously I have owned and extensively ridden a Yamaha RD 350, Yamaha RX 100 & a Hero Honda CBZ (1st Gen).
11. I enjoyed the Yamaha's more than the other bikes. I like to rev the bike a bit.

The Choices

1. Hero Splendor.
2. Honda Dream Neo/Yuga.
3. Yamaha FZ.
4. Suzuki Gixxer.
5. Harley Davidson Street 750.
6. Kawasaki Ninja 650.
7. Kawasaki Ninja 300.
8. Benelli 600i.
9. KTM Duke 390.
10. KTM RC 390.
11. KTM Duke 200.
12. KTM RC 200.

Choices 1-4 went out of the window as I decided I didn’t want something just simple. Had to be fun to ride too. The FZ and Gixxer were reasonably fun to ride but not enough.
Next was the Harley. It getting pretty common these days and the Harley groups of people are not my kind (No offence to any Harley riders here).
Next were the Ninjas. The dealer flatly refused a test ride. He didn’t even have a display bike. Asked me to go to Pune to check them out. I did check out a second hand Ninja 650 for 3.75 L and came close to buying it but backed out at the last moment.
The Benelli showroom was not ready but the bikes were displayed at the Hyosung and Nissan showrooms. Just loved the 600i. However with no guarantee of delivery and some not so good stories about Hyosung (DSK sells Hyosung and Benelli in India) dropped this idea too.
Now this left me with the KTM’s.
I knew I wanted a 390 but was confused between the Duke and the RC. However decided to check out the 200’s too. However getting a test ride proved to be a real stressful experience.
I posted my confusion on various forums but the opnions were equally divided between the Duke and the RC.
Finally I decided on the Duke because of the pillion rider comfort and also the fact that the Duke 390 was coming out with a slipper clutch. Dropped the idea of the 200’s as I never got a test ride.

Booking, PDI & Delivery

Booking was a simple affair. Booked the Duke 390 on 6th April 2015 by paying Rs.30000/-. Told the Sales guy that I only want the model with the slipper clutch. Also said that I may change the booking to the RC 390 if it comes with the slipper clutch. He agreed to both without problem. I also decided to pay only the ex-showroom price and do the insurance myself. The dealer was offering Bajaj Allianz but no option of Zero Dep.

The bike finally arrived on 19th April. Went to to stock yard on 20th to do the PDI armed with the TBHP checklist. There were 3 white Duke 390's and a lone Black one besides several Duke 200's & RC 200's. The bike had 1 Km on the odo. Slipper clutch was quite easy on the hands. Could not check the brakes but everything else was ok. Mirrors and Hand Guards were not yet installed. They said it will be done once the bike is washed and polished. Returned home for lunch and then to the bank to do the NEFT transfer for the balance amount. I then had to wait till the dealer received the funds. I got the sms at 3:15 PM but they only gave me the papers for registration at 4:15 PM. From there rushed to United India for insurance. The dealer only had the option of Bajaj Allianz and they didn't offer a Zero Dep policy. Their quote was Rs.4700/- for the normal policy. It managed to get the Zero Dep from United India around Rs.4100/-. I have been insuring most of my vehicles with them for many years and my brother insures all his personal and company vehicles with them. They were only too happy to give me a good discount. Then handed over the papers to my agent to get the registration done the next day.
Got the registration done on the 21st. Yea that’s the number you see in the photos. It’s not photoshop. Called up the dealer and asked him to keep the bike ready. At around 3 PM went to the dealer and picked up the bike. No fancy delivery ceremony. Dealer just gave me the keys showed me the bike, explained whom to contact for service and that was it. I was a KTM Duke 390owner.
From there headed straight to the Petrol Station and filled up the tank. Then headed straight to Don Bosco Engineering College and asked a Priest to bless the bike. The same Priest who blessed the last 2 cars I bought did it. He’s quite an auto enthusiast and asks a lot of questions about the vehicle. It was then I notice some fuel leaking. Closer inspection revealed that the fuel was coming out from the overflow pipe as the bike was tilted on the stand. The guy had over filled it. The Priest said that the only solution is to go for a long ride and consume some fuel. That’s exactly what I did.

Price
Ex-Showroom Price: 1,88,921.00
Road Tax: 15,284.00
Insurance: 4,100.00
Handling Charge: 800.00
=====================
OTR Price: 2,09105.00
=====================

Accessories & Mods

The first thing I did was remove the tire hugger. Then I removed the front number plate and windshield. Replaced it with a windshield from a Yamaha SZR for Rs.125/-. Also relocated the front number plate below the head lamp.
After a few days installed Frame, Fork and Swing Arm Sliders. Got them fabricated at the FNL (Friendly Neighbourhood Lathe) for Rs.3800/- and Apache RTR Mirrors from the TVS dealer. Add a flasher from Spiraltech for Rs.1750/-

To be done
1. KTM DUKE 125 200 390 Custom Made Fuel Cap Sticker limited edition akrapovic - Rs.1500/-
2. KTM Duke 200/ Duke 390 RC 200/390Front Brake Fluid Cap - CNC Aluminum - Rs.1500/-
3. Radiator Guard For KTM 390 Duke - Rs.2500/-
All from E-Bay

4. 36 JG00 25: Tank Pad - Rs.1480/-
From KTM

Safety Gear

At my workplace Safety is priority number one, so naturally I carry over this attitude to other aspects of my life.
Now before any of you start pointing fingers at me for buying relatively cheap stuff let me make one thing clear. I agree that ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) is what we should do. But then if you can't then at least follow ABGATT (Atleast Basic Gear All The Time) rather than ANGATT (Absolutely No Gear All The Time). Next is the quality of the gear. Buy the best you can afford. That is not what I did but let me tell you why. I am planning to buy good gear whenever I find good deals abroad. So no point buying too expensive stuff in India because I will just have to discard it when I get better stuff. Any then cheap gear is better than no gear. So this is what I bought:

Helmet
I shortlisted the following:
1. Axor A1-FRC-DPWO Rs. 2690/-
2. Axor A1-PIR-DKO Rs. 2690/-
3. KYT RC Seven Provent Helmet: Black Orange[KYTRC7KO] Rs. 2950/-
4. KYT RC Seven Provent Helmet: Matt Black[KYTRC7KO] Rs. 2950/-
5. LS2 - Helmet - FF 351 Corsa (White-Orange) Rs. 4158/-
6. LS2 - Helmet - FF 322 Voltage Orange Rs. 5605/-

Finally picked up an Axor P-2 . Comes with the normal clear visor and the internal tinted visor and vents for the chin, forehead and 2 for the head. This model is not listed in the Vega website but the cost was Rs.5000/-. Got it on a 50% off offer. This is an imported helmet and the Vega store had about 6 different designs. These were probably imported to copy. It come with ECE certification and really fits me well. The quality looks pretty good too. Now a lot a people on a biking forum said that I have been duped. I think for Rs.2500/- it was a real fantastic deal.

Jacket, Gloves & Knee Guards
1. Vega JK-07 Jacket - Rs.3699/-. The same Jacket sells in the Vega Store and on their Website for Rs.5000/-. I had checked it out in the store and the piece I received was exactly the same. Yea it's made in China but it's not that bad. It's got back, shoulder and elbow armour but not CE approved. Also has a removable inner liner which I have removed and don't intend fitting back because I live in Goa.
2. Vega MCS-01A Gloves - Rs.686/-. Well for Rs.686/- they are not great. Just about OK till I get something better. I will be hunting out for something good before I get home.
3. MPI Fox Raptor Kneee Guard - Rs.699/-. Not good at all but then I have not lost a great deal of money. This is the first thing I intend replacing before my next ride.

Shoes
I did not have any riding boots. I have 2 pairs of nice safety shoes, 1 Brynje and 1 Scandia which I use for riding. Few days ago I picked up a pair of Lee Cooper ankle boots (LC9578) - Rs.2699/-. Still not worn them on a ride will be posting my experience later.

Riding Experience

By now you must have guessed that I'm not a Hard Core Biker. So coming from an Enfield to the Duke was like going from a Ambassador to a Laura VRS. Comfort, Quality, Power and overall riding experience was a huge difference. The first twist of the throttle brought a smile to my face. It was like being transported back in time to my days of riding the RD and RX. Now you've probably read all the other Duke threads. I fully agree with what other have already written. Again I have just done 400 kms as I had to join a ship soon after I bought the bike so you'll have to wait for more comments. I also managed to get the 1st service done. Nothing much to report there. They were not planning on replacing the oil but I insisted.

I selected the Duke over the RC390 because of the slipper clutch. And I'm happy I did because it is really light. However it's only useful in the city. On the highway after 3rd gear I don't use the clutch at all so it doesn't make any difference. Sometimes curse myself for not picking up the RC390.

Meanwhile I managed to sell my Bullet too. Though I don't agree to this I kept telling buyers that the old Bullet is amazing and the new ones are pathetic. Finally sold it for 95 K to a guy who was abroad.

(Continued after putting in a few more kilometres after returning home from the ship)

Coming back to the riding. I would not call the seating position aggressive (like the RC 390) and not relaxed (like the Enfield). It's something in between or as some would say the ideal compromise between Sporty and Comfortable. And this just works just fine for me as I can comfortably ride around the city with my wife as a pillion and also do a bit of spirited riding alone on the highway.

The first reaction when you start the bike is one of disappointment. The exhaust note is really bad. Or should I say pathetic. How I wish KTM had done a bit better on this front. However once you sit on the bike and twist the throttle, the exhaust note is forgotten. The bike is really peppy and a pleasure to ride. As mentioned earlier, it's the closest one can get to a two stroke riding experience. The bike is really smooth on the highway and before you realise it you are already doing 80-90 Kmph. Enough has been said about the grip of the Metzelers and I fully agree with the same. However all my riding has been in the dry, so can't comment on wet weather performance. Negotiating bends is a breeze and makes me feel like a college kid again. Braking as expected is good with both disks and ABS. Coming from a Enfield, I was a bit scared to push the bike but after clocking about 100 kms, I got the confidence to ride like I did during my RD days.

However I'm now older (and wiser) so all the spirited riding is with ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) and general city riding with ABGATT (At Least Basic Gear All The Time). By basic gear I mean Helmet and Shoes. As you might have noticed, my gear is not all that great but serves the purpose for the moment. Of course I plan of slowly upgrading to better gear one by one. First on the list is the knee guards. Riding will all the gear was a pain at first. I had never done it before. Before this the only safety gear I used was a helmet. Initially wearing the jacket was very uncomfortable in Goa weather. But once you get on the road, you forget all about it and begin to enjoy the ride. Now our roads are far from perfect and this spoils the riding experience. Every time you get up to speed, you need to slow down either due to pothole or a speed breaker. But I have still managed to find a few stretches of road to ride the bike fast.

The two things I don't like about the bike are that it heats up a lot when riding in the city (stop start traffic). Another problem is it sometimes stalls in the city and then take a few cranks on the starter to get it running again. But then these are minor irritants and I plan to get a remap soon which should sort this out too.

I have not done any long rides since I have been busy ever since I came home. Not that I plan to do any major touring, but will probably do a 100 km ride or so in February. December and January are always busy for me with Christmas followed by weddings, functions, relatives visiting etc. Besides I need to devote time to my cycling which takes priority over motorcycling. My Bianchi is doing more kms than my KTM at the moment and it looks like it's going to remain that way. Another problem with the bike (though not the bike's fault) is that it's not suitable for doing errands. I have to carry a backpack for that and also have to carry the helmet around with me when I park. That's why I usually end up using the Activa for errands. I did think about fitting pannier boxes on the bike but then I could not find any which looked good on the bike.

And now the photos.

1. Ready to Race? Not yet. Ready to take Delivery.



2. Unceremonius Delivery Ceremony.



3. That's what the 3 alphabets stand for.



4. Sitting above his nametag.



5. Front view.



6. Rear View.



7. RHS View.



8. LHS View.



9. The all important 390 mill.



10. Front Forks.



11. The Yamaha SZR Windscreen.



12. Well not quite as yet. Waiting to put on the riding gear first.



13. Not quite the right words for a bike. The keychain belongs to the Celerio (Thanks GTO).



14. Apache (bottom) vs OEM (top).



15. TVS Service Advisor admiring the bike. LHS mirror is from the Apache RTR and RHS is the OEM.



16. What it looks like from the front.



17. The riders view.



18. Graphics on the windscreen (No further discussions on the design please. It's against the rules. Design was only selected for astetic purposes).



19. Rear disks from Bybre. Wish they were Brembo.



20. Metzeler Rubber. One expensive consumable.



21. Headlamp and relocated number plate



22. Fork Slider




23. Frame Slider




24. Swingarm Slider




25. Spiraltech Flasher




26. The new keychain



My apologies for posting the thread so late. Initially I had a lot of problems with the slow internet on the ship. Then at home it was the festive season so was busy. Besides I was not too comfortable working on a Mac so it was a bit of a struggle. Add to that, I was posting a thread on TBHP after a very long time so made a lot of mistakes. Thanks to the mods for being patient and giving me links to tips on writing the review and posting pics etc.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Mafioso]

Congrats on your new ride! Nice crisp report. One question regarding the wind shield from Yamaha - Is this a direct fit or did it require any tinkering around?

The replacement of the number plate below headlamp, does it touch the front mudguard?

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by Mafioso

Congrats on your new ride! Nice crisp report.

Thanks

One question regarding the wind shield from Yamaha - Is this a direct fit or did it require any tinkering around?

It has 4 holes. Two are a direct fit and two have to be drilled.

The replacement of the number plate below headlamp, does it touch the front mudguard?

So far it has not touched. I don't think it will unless you plan to use the bike for motocross.

[hothatchaway]

Congrats Pedro on your new orange hooligan, you may perhaps be the first to have had both the humble HH Splendour and the cutting edge Dukes included in the list of bikes considered for purchase

My request to you to is to be generous on your safety gear budget because honestly, your current gear as listed above falls woefully inadequate to your ride, with its savage power on tap. Please ensure that atleast your helmet and your armored jacket is DOT certified (helmets) and has CE rated armor for jackets/gloves.

Do consider this as friendly advise from a fellow biker

[hillram]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

It has 4 holes. Two are a direct fit and two have to be drilled.

I guess fitting a Yamaha SZ-R flyglass is not your original idea !!!
Decals on the handlegrip guards spoil the looks. Please get rid of them and have a nice orange KTM logo !!!
You can order whole lot of KTM accessories for D390 like Brake oil lids, Side stand shoe, Fuel Tank cover decal, Radiator guard and lot more.

[Urban_Nomad]

Nice write up. You also seem to have most of the basic riding gear down. Good work. i would however upgrade my gloves to something like a Cramster flux immediately for better protection. Rest would work for a jaunt around town I guess

Question - What does Papagayo mean? Daddy left?

[batterylow]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Question - What does Papagayo mean? Daddy left?

It means parrot in Spanish.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Congrats Pedro on your new orange hooligan, you may perhaps be the first to have had both the humble HH Splendour and the cutting edge Dukes included in the list of bikes considered for purchase

Thanks.

My request to you to is to be generous on your safety gear budget because honestly, your current gear as listed above falls woefully inadequate to your ride, with its savage power on tap.

As mentioned somewhere in my write up, I will be slowly upgrading it.

Please ensure that atleast your helmet and your armored jacket is DOT certified (helmets) and has CE rated armor for jackets/gloves.

The helmet is ECE Certified. I guess that's the Euro equivalent of DOT.

Do consider this as friendly advise from a fellow biker

All advise whether friendly or not will be considered.

Originally Posted by hillram

I guess fitting a Yamaha SZ-R flyglass is not your original idea !!!

Most of the stuff done on the bike is not my original idea. Picked it up from various threads on TBHP and XBHP. I think I remember someone on this forum using the SZR flyglass

Decals on the handlegrip guards spoil the looks. Please get rid of them and have a nice orange KTM logo !!!

The KTM logo on the guards is quite common. That's why I thought of doing something different.

You can order whole lot of KTM accessories for D390 like Brake oil lids, Side stand shoe, Fuel Tank cover decal, Radiator guard and lot more.

I have already shortlisted most of these for a bit later.

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Nice write up. You also seem to have most of the basic riding gear down. Good work. i would however upgrade my gloves to something like a Cramster flux immediately for better protection. Rest would work for a jaunt around town I guess

Will be shopping for gloves and knee guards soon.

Question - What does Papagayo mean? Daddy left?

Possibly if it was a Hindi word. However see below.

Originally Posted by batterylow

It means parrot in Spanish.

And also in Portuguese.

[hillram]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

I think I remember someone on this forum using the SZR flyglass

Its me !!! Check out my ownership thread.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by hillram

Its me !!! Check out my ownership thread.

You bet. I have read all the ownership threads and know it was you. That's why the smiley. Even the idea for Apache mirrors was from one of the threads here. The relocation of the number plate was from some forum in Malaysia.

[pedrolourenco]

Just completed the 2nd service a few days ago. Was just a routine service. Not problems. Bike was running fine. Even the service advisor was surprised to see a clean Duke 390. All the other bike at the service centre had tell tale signs of being ridden hard.

[pedrolourenco]

Due to an ultimatum from wife I was forced to sell the bike. New 150 cc limitation has been imposed on all 2 wheelers in the house. That means I retain the Activa, continue restoration of the Vespa and not talk about the big bore mod on the Fiero.
Loved every moment of owning the Duke. Despite using proper riding gear and riding responsibly, the number of Duke accidents in the news made it difficult argue my case to keep the Duke.

Mods kindly close the thread.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

the number of Duke accidents in the news made it difficult argue my case to keep the Duke

Hope none of you get to watch the reason for number of divorce cases

If Duke has large number of accidents, shift to CBR, if it were for CBR, shift to Dominar, if it were for Dominar shift to RE. End of the riding matters, not the ride!!

Sad to see let go off another rider & hope to get a chance to welcome you in the near future

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by aargee

If Duke has large number of accidents, shift to CBR, if it were for CBR, shift to Dominar, if it were for Dominar shift to RE. End of the riding matters, not the ride!!

Everyone know that the major cause of the Duke accidents is the irresponsible riders, mostly college students and not the bike. Dominar is out of the question and so is RE. Didn't like the Dominar and have used the RE for several years. CBR I would like provided it's the 650 and not the 150 or 250.

Sad to see let go off another rider & hope to get a chance to welcome you in the near future

Well if I do buy another bike (above 150) it will be a 600-1000 cc. But I doubt that is going to happen. Wife says if you really want something fast buy a sports car like the Z4. Sadly that is out of my budget.