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Old 10th August 2017, 11:41   #61
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by farhadtarapore View Post
In case someone wants to download the full thing: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kpbf3k6x0l...anual.zip?dl=0
Hello Farhadtarapore! Can you please post the link for the portable version of the 2017 D390 owner's manual? The one you posted earlier isn't working for me.

On the other hand, it is really sad to see that a company like KTM, selling so many bikes in India, doesn't have a proper owner's manual that is dedicated to the Indian version of the bike and is easily available . No offense to KTM Enthusiasts.
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Old 12th August 2017, 19:26   #62
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

I have been mulling buying the Duke390, I have test ridden it 4 to 5 times. I some how don't like the stock tyres, the rear tyre keeps moving a lot, searching for traction on not so ideal surface under hard acceleration. Any thoughts on the 2017 D390 owners experience?
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Old 13th August 2017, 00:07   #63
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
I have been mulling buying the Duke390, I have test ridden it 4 to 5 times. I some how don't like the stock tyres, the rear tyre keeps moving a lot, searching for traction on not so ideal surface under hard acceleration. Any thoughts on the 2017 D390 owners experience?
That is what happens when a fairly light motorcycle has around 40 horsepower available at the twist of the wrist.

Under hard acceleration, any motorcycle with this much power will lose traction on poor road surfaces where loose material exists.
Check out videos of moto-cross or off road racing. You will see the same thing happening as they accelerate hard with dirt flying to the rear as the rear wheel grasps for traction.

The key to dealing with this is to learn the limits of the motorcycles traction and stay within those limits.

For most riders, the benefits of having a lot of power available is, they will seldom use it.
That results in less wear on the engine and drive train which is good.
When they do need the power though on a good road surface, it will be there if they want it.
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Old 13th August 2017, 07:37   #64
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by ArizonaJim View Post
That is what happens when a fairly light motorcycle has around 40 horsepower available at the twist of the wrist.

Under hard acceleration, any motorcycle with this much power will lose traction on poor road surfaces where loose material exists.
Check out videos of moto-cross or off road racing. You will see the same thing happening as they accelerate hard with dirt flying to the rear as the rear wheel grasps for traction.
Sorry, I should have been more clear, the road surface wasn't loose, it was just uneven and the rear suspension was working hard to keep the rear in a straight line. The older Duke had a better grippy tyre, the 2017 tyres have been downgraded is what I have read. Has anyone upgraded the tyres here?
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Old 14th August 2017, 14:56   #65
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
Sorry, I should have been more clear, the road surface wasn't loose, it was just uneven and the rear suspension was working hard to keep the rear in a straight line. The older Duke had a better grippy tyre, the 2017 tyres have been downgraded is what I have read. Has anyone upgraded the tyres here?
The tyres have been downgraded to a lower "high-speed" rating. Most of us would probably never hit that high-speed in our lives on our dukes. Ever. (I think 240kmph). Not likely that it will cause a noticeable difference in everyday riding on sub-optimal surfaces. I ride on "bad" roads pretty often and don't notice anything out of the ordinary as far as grip is concerned. As Jim mentioned above, you need to know your own and your bike's limits and keep that right hand in check.
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Old 16th August 2017, 09:09   #66
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
Sorry, I should have been more clear, the road surface wasn't loose, it was just uneven and the rear suspension was working hard to keep the rear in a straight line. The older Duke had a better grippy tyre, the 2017 tyres have been downgraded is what I have read. Has anyone upgraded the tyres here?
The older tyres were slightly more grippier than the newer ones. However the difference is not that apparent. This is still a much better tyre than the MRFs or the Michelins. The cornering grip from this tyre is on a different level.

The main problem with the tyre is that it absolutely cannot handle sand on tarmac and muddy/slushy roads. This is due to the way the tread is patterned. The Michelin is better here.

All in all, the find the stock tyres most suitable for the bike, unless you will be riding mostly on broken, muddy or sandy tarmac. In which case, the Michelins are better.
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Old 21st August 2017, 14:38   #67
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

Got my hands on the proper owner's manual.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf 17_3213566_en_OM.pdf (3.96 MB, 21080 views)
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Old 21st August 2017, 19:03   #68
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

Finally I booked and also selected the bike out of four 390's, got to say, KTM has a long way to go as far as quality is concerned, every bike had some paint issue or the other. Small paint chipping near the fuel cap on three bike's out of four.

One good thing is the Mekhri circle KTM don't take the bike's for registration to the RTO, it seems the bike doesn't leave the showroom without the owner. Those words were like music to my ears. The bike will be home on Wednesday a day before my 40th birthday.
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Old 22nd August 2017, 15:34   #69
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
Finally I booked and also selected the bike out of four 390's, got to say, KTM has a long way to go as far as quality is concerned, every bike had some paint issue or the other. Small paint chipping near the fuel cap on three bike's out of four.

One good thing is the Mekhri circle KTM don't take the bike's for registration to the RTO, it seems the bike doesn't leave the showroom without the owner. Those words were like music to my ears. The bike will be home on Wednesday a day before my 40th birthday.
How long was the waiting period and what was the on road price ?

After waiting interminably for my BS 4 Himalayan , I've decided to switch my loyalties to KTM and book one at the Mehkri Circle KTM showroom.
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Old 22nd August 2017, 16:46   #70
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Originally Posted by satishv1987 View Post
How long was the waiting period and what was the on road price ?

After waiting interminably for my BS 4 Himalayan , I've decided to switch my loyalties to KTM and book one at the Mehkri Circle KTM showroom.
Zero days. Get in touch with Gautham very nice person.
OTR was 290608, with 3 year's insurance, this includes one year free insurance from the dealer.

Last edited by rbp : 22nd August 2017 at 16:48.
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Old 22nd August 2017, 23:56   #71
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by abhijeet080808 View Post
Got my hands on the proper owner's manual.
Can't thank you enough for this - The Mobile App / HTML is so antiquated - I just asked today why don't they release the PDF version.

God bless you
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Old 27th August 2017, 14:49   #72
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
Finally I booked and also selected the bike out of four 390's, got to say, KTM has a long way to go as far as quality is concerned, every bike had some paint issue or the other. Small paint chipping near the fuel cap on three bike's out of four.

Those words were like music to my ears. The bike will be home on Wednesday a day before my 40th birthday.
Happy belated birthday I hope you are having fun on the new birthday present. Any first impressions?
I joined the club too on Friday . Not had a chance to ride since then but can't wait .
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Old 27th August 2017, 15:31   #73
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Happy belated birthday I hope you are having fun on the new birthday present. Any first impressions?
I joined the club too on Friday . Not had a chance to ride since then but can't wait .
Thanks for the birthday wishes.

I have already done close to 130 kms in 2 days. Will get the oil changed by 150 kms. I always change the oil after the first 100 to 200 kms as this is the period where the engine goes through a lot of heat cycles and since the metal parts are setting in, small metal parts do fall apart inside. After this I will once again follow the company recommended oil change at 800kms, I guess.

Postives
  • Does pack a punch, flickable.
  • Super sharp brakes.
  • Good ride quality, absorbs the bumps well.
  • Highway mileage looks good so far, I saw close to 33 kmpl on the meter, riding between 70 to 100. The city mileage was around 20 to 22 kmpl.
  • Light clutch.
  • Slick gearbox, just a small tap required.

Negatives
  • Heat as is already known, within 500 meters from the showroom on the way to the house, I felt the engine is on fire. The best way to keep the engine cool is by riding fast.
  • Poor lights, for some it might be acceptable I am not one of them.
  • Poor straight line stability, the rear keeps moving around.
  • Would have preferred more feedback from the front, I am not sure if this will improve, as the tyres are still new.
  • Bluetooth isnt pairing with my Nexus6P, tried with other phones also still same issue.
  • Sometimes the gear indicator on the console vanishes. Stop and restart and it shows up again.
  • Poor low end, the rider just has to learn to keep down/up shifting gears.
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Old 27th August 2017, 16:57   #74
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

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Originally Posted by rbp View Post
Heat as is already known, within 500 meters from the showroom on the way to the house, I felt the engine is on fire. The best way to keep the engine cool is by riding fast.
As someone who has owned this machine for 3 years and counting, I'd request you to not ride fast just to cool the engine.

Yes, initially it's a huge pile on but trust my words - you will eventually get used to it and it won't bother you at all, say after another 2k kms or so.

I'd rather have you shifting at normal RPMs and riding sedately so that the engine doesn't heat up super fast instead of you riding quick to cool it.
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Old 27th August 2017, 20:08   #75
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Re: Ownership Review - 2017 KTM 390 Duke

I get a weird noise from the front, am unable to figure out from where the sound is coming. Nothing seems to be loose, I had been to KTM service to get 3M PPF work done, asked them to check the sound, they say it is the front wheel fender, it doesn't look strong, feels flimsy, doesn't seem to have enough strength, but I am not sure if the sound is from the front fender. Anyone else facing the same issue?
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