[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Not necessarily Ashwin. Those clutch burns, noobish clutch techniques aren't really a necessity nor are they warranted in today's bikes.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

The only way out of this is to build some revs and burn some clutch i.e old school traction control. This not only fatigues the motorcycle but also the rider.

Calling it burning the clutch may be a little too extreme but building some revs is the way out of weak low end of 390. Just a little bit of throttle before clutch release does the trick. This may help someone who is new, once you get used to the nature of engine, I don't think anyone will even notice it.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Calling it burning the clutch may be a little too extreme but building some revs is the way out of weak low end of 390. Just a little bit of throttle before clutch release does the trick. This may help someone who is new, once you get used to the nature of engine, I don't think anyone will even notice it.

Exactly, as I said! It just takes a little time and tune, and once you know how to launch that's all there is. Definitely not rocket science. We're not drag racing or getting for the quarter mile to burn the clutch and rubber to make a move from a sleepy traffic signal.

Cheers!
VJ

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Exactly, as I said! It just takes a little time and tune, and once you know how to launch that's all there is. Definitely not rocket science. We're not drag racing or getting for the quarter mile to burn the clutch and rubber to make a move from a sleepy traffic signal.

Cheers!
VJ

If you ride a Bajaj CD100, that is burning the clutch.

Sorry Ashwin, I just had to

That said, this clutch thing is all relative to what you ride at the moment. For someone coming from a bonneville, all this discussion is just moot. Engage gear, and the bike moves forward, what is the big deal?

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

If you ride a Bajaj CD100, that is burning the clutch.

Sorry Ashwin, I just had to

That said, this clutch thing is all relative to what you ride at the moment. For someone coming from a bonneville, all this discussion is just moot. Engage gear, and the bike moves forward, what is the big deal?

Hahaha. The plot thickens! I rest my case. He in fact is doing a great job on the CT100 and the P220. God bless all the clutch burning mutineers.

Cheers!
VJ

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Calling it burning the clutch may be a little too extreme but building some revs is the way out of weak low end of 390. Just a little bit of throttle before clutch release does the trick. This may help someone who is new, once you get used to the nature of engine, I don't think anyone will even notice it.

On surface where you have ample traction, obviously Yes.

But that is not always the case, you simply cannot build revs and release the clutch as you would do on tarmac when it comes to loose surfaces.

This is why the YouTube Tribe keeps chanting "Clutch Control", which from a mechanically inclined persons point of view is still Slipping/Burning the clutch.

And yes, when you're at an incline on a trail starting from a stand still or as a matter of fact starting from a standstill on any tricky situation, irrespective of whether it is the OP, Me, You or anyone for that matter WILL notice it, irrespective of whether you ride a CT100 or a ADV390 or any other short stroke machine for that matter.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

If you ride a Bajaj CD100, that is burning the clutch.

Sorry Ashwin, I just had to

I'm guessing that pun was in retaliation for me correcting your take on playing with gearing.

We'll again just because you feel a particular way that doesn't mean you can defy science.

Though I did enjoy the pun and BTW its Bajaj CT100, the CD100 was from Hero Honda.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

He in fact is doing a great job on the CT100 and the P220. God bless all the clutch burning mutineers.

Thanks!

[Red Liner]

No no, no retaliation of any sorts. We are far more adult. Maybe a bit of pub banter, that is all.

Not everything has to be science and book knowledge, a lot of us go by feel too, and this whole clutch thing and the gearing thing is also partly feel, how you ride, where you ride, and what you ride.

Which is why I brought your CT 100 into the equation. Because that is what you ride every day. I rode the 2014 Duke 390 straight up for 6 months or so, and felt, by feel, to be far torquier than my Versys 650. Crazy, I know.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

On surface where you have ample traction, obviously Yes.

But that is not always the case, you simply cannot build revs and release the clutch as you would do on tarmac when it comes to loose surfaces.

This is why the YouTube Tribe keeps chanting "Clutch Control", which from a mechanically inclined persons point of view is still Slipping/Burning the clutch.

And yes, when you're at an incline on a trail starting from a stand still or as a matter of fact starting from a standstill on any tricky situation, irrespective of whether it is the OP, Me, You or anyone for that matter WILL notice it, irrespective of whether you ride a CT100 or a ADV390 or any other short stroke machine for that matter.

I was talking about tarmac indeed, since OP has a Duke 390 which is primarily built for road use. For special cases like dead start on an incline trail, you cannot escape slipping the clutch (or burning as you call it). There is simply no debate in that.

[ishan12]

Your post reminded me of the time when 1.5 years ago I was looking for an upgrade from my 2012 Thunderbird 350, for very similar reasons as yours.
Before the 650 twins came in, I was looking at the Dominar 400 and the Duke 390. One test ride on the Duke 390 was enough for me to realize it was not for me. Everything from the TFT screen, riding position, low low end torque, etc was just not for the kind of rider I am. A couple of months later when the 650 twins were available for test rides, It was just the opposite, It made me so happy, I booked it immediately after the ride.

[rahul4321]

The Haunting has started but I'm giving KTM the benefit of doubt that its not a nasty ghost out to make my life miserable but just a little Bug which is going around

With the KTM doing barely a 500 kilometers between March to August, I was expecting that the motorcycle would definitely give me some hiccups as lack of usage generally deteriorates all things mechanical - especially moving parts. However, I was not expecting electrical troubles if I were being very honest.

In chronological order - the bike first gave me minor starting troubles. The engine wouldnt crank on the first try but the second or third try. Or even when it cranked, it would die if there were no throttle inputs. I put it down to lack of usage - no problem

15 days later the second instance that scared me was when the dreaded "ECU Failure" popped up on the bottom of the Dashboard. The starter wouldnt crank at all. Switching the keys completely to an "off Position" and removing them and switching it back on solved the problem. The Oil/Error light on the Dashboard would then light up and stay on (sorry for the blurry picture). I visited the KTM showroom and got the error erased

Another 15 days later The third instance came by where the starter would sputter for 8-10 seconds but the bike would not "catch". Switching the Keys completely to an "Off position" and then switching it back on usually solved the problem if I followed the steps once or twice. Once again the Oil/Error light on the Dashboard would light up and stay on. I visited the KTM showroom and got the error erased yet again. This time their Diagonistic Unit showed the error as "Throttle Modulation failure" or something similar.

Another 15 days later - it happened again. I took it to the KTM Service Centre and said I'm not taking it back until they fix the problem for good. They kept the bike for a couple of days and sent it back to me. Its been a couple of weeks and the bike seems to work perfectly. So I went around to them a few days ago to ask what they did. They told me quite honestly that they couldnt figure out the problem so instead of erasing the error code and patching it up as they had done all this while, this time they completely deleted the inbuilt software of the ECU and installed all of it again. That seems to be working.

Planning to ride the Duke to the Wagah Border so it gets a chance to get some exercise and stretch it legs.

[ashwinprakas]

The issue with the starter clutch slipping is something I'd faced in my P220 when she was brand new, the issue was present for close to 10k on the odo, I was advised to rebuild the starter clutch, but laziness had caught the best of me and I didn't bother, anyhow the issue went away on its own after the 10k mark, currently she's at close to 60k on the odo and still on the factory starter clutch.

[ebonho]

The solution to a more peaky power band lies not in the bike but in the right wrist of the rider.

I would not use the word "dead" to describe either the Duke of the Ninja, both bikes suffering most commonly with this adjective when speaking if low down power.

Personally I've never really got it. Especially at the time I was thinking of putting my money from the Baby Duke into either a used Ninja 250 or a Duke 390.

The "dead low" thing kept me concerned about the Ninja till the first seller who came to me and offered me a test ride at my gate ... the first twist of the throttle and 2 ninety degree turns later I was wondering where and when I was supposed to be feeling this "dead" space.

Needless to say it never came. Not on the Ninja (beautiful beautiful bike) and not on the Duke.

Coming to the Duke, headlight is a weak area. So is tank range in the older ones, the one I own. But as a tourer, I've not ridden or owned a better bike.

The first ride home to Poona after clinching the deal for my 390 in Kolhapur, I was riding along with my buddy Varad (More) who was on his way back from Goa with a halt at the same workshop for some breakdown repairs.

Since the bike was barely 2500 km old, and ridden by a noob, I was gentle on her, and we cruised most of the 250 off Kms at 120 odd.

It was effortless. Fast. Zero fatigue. Exhilarating.

It was a revelation, even to me coming from a year plus of hard riding on the 200, with many interstate highway runs.

No Bullet can munch miles like the Duke, and keep her rider as fresh at the end 9f the day as the Duke does.

The Dukes are what all hard riding Bullet boys always wished their Bullets were, and spent countless hours and rupees at their mechanics trying to make those magnificent machines into.

But could not. So bought the Duke when it came. And their Bullets then became their contemplative chilled night city rides partner from then on.

Cheers, Doc

[rahul4321]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Coming to the Duke, headlight is a weak area. So is tank range in the older ones, the one I own. But as a tourer, I've not ridden or owned a better bike.

Do you have the 1st Gen Duke 390? I have ridden that three or four times and the torque lower down the rev range in 1st gear seemed to be much better than the Duke 390 V2 which I have.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by rahul4321

Do you have the 1st Gen Duke 390?

Yup. October 2013.

I was part of the small group of 3-4 riders in Poona who were given the 390s to field test (over 3500-4000 km ... at our own petrol cost I might add here) before they were launched earlier in 2013.

I did a photo comparo between the two bikes (the 390 and the 200) somewhere here at the time.

Guys who would see the bike at night at a tea stop or on some highway would instantly know it was not the 200 (in spite of the white panels), but we had to keep a straight face and lie that it was.

Cheers, Doc

P.S. I just saw your edit. Yes the one you have is the "new" 390. It does not feel like the old one at all. Personally, I like the Adv better than the new 390. It pulls cleaner.

P.P.S. Here ...

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post3161624 (The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread)

[lancia_fanboy]

Having ridden Duke 390 quite a number of occasions and owning a Himalayan, one thing I can say is that D390, is a hell of a machine, for the first 1 hour, and then it all comes haunting you especially if you're tall like me (6'2)
The posture that was sporty becomes spine breaking, the seat that was accomodating-ish becomes a railway bench with 4 people adjusting on a three seater berth. The feather like throttle becomes finicky because your wrist hurts, and the gear changes that were lovely becomes a triple integration problem because the bloody bike just won't response.
( A lot of it was hyperbole, but you already knew that)

Himalayan, or any RE before that on the other hand, is a philosophical machine, chugging along at sane speeds, it causes you to introspect on the beauty of the world around you and what all correct steps did you take to land at such a wonderful position, only for that to be broken by a guy go flying past you in a more capable bike, and that meditative stance is broken, but you slowly move back to it, because what's meditation if not letting your thoughts flounder and then getting them back to calmness

Coming to himalayan specifically, well it's a step above normal RE paraphernalia and a step below normal KTM gadgets, so we're somewhere in 1980s, if the steps were technological advancements, but unfortunately we're not, because newer isn't always better. Himalayan is iphone 6, not as capable as the new flagships, and not as foolhardy as the old Nokia 1100, but capable enough, capable enough to cruise at 100 ( Given the brakes and other splendor boys, I don't dare go faster too)
Capable enough to just tractor it's way through any puddle or slush, and comfortable enough to make stopping the bike and stretching enjoyable, but not harsh enough to make you count the hours before you get home

At this point if it seems like a love letter to Himalayan, it isn't
I hate the fact that the tyres are tubed, the brakes are dull and the colour is already fading

But even then, it's such a loveable bike, like the local breed dog, it's pedigree is questionable, it's not a looker in orthodox terms, and it's cheap, but it'll love you like hell, and if someone tries to hurt you, well god bless their soul, because he's going to go home on him

[rahul4321]

Did a 200 kilometre Sunday Ride today. It's been quite a few months that I was lazing around OR only using the Himalayan for city runabouts as well as short tours.

The Duke 390 immediately reminded my butt the privileges it had been enjoying over the past few months. One hour into the ride - I found my space once again and felt supremely comfortable as it reminded me of the good old days when I used to munch miles on it

The trip was on good roads with me staying between 105-130 km/hr most of the time.