[dwarika]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

Well, a 2013 KTM Duke 390 owner here. The motorcycle has done a shade over 50K Kms and running in great shape.

Changed chain twice at 20K & 40K intervals. Left side front suspension oil seal repair done. (This is because the bike on side stand is leaning towards it's left and perhaps a bit more continuous load on left oil seal). Now I have a paddock stand and all is well.

During Spiti ride, the display MID rubber hardened due to extreme cold conditions and cracked and hence had to be replaced and that's it. The rear indicators broke a couple of times due to the rear luggage straps fouling and that was fine. Headlight bulb changed once. Rear mono shock replaced with OEM unit as it got corroded due to the coastal environment (I reside in Goa). The front brake master cylinder was replaced a few months ago as it was old & showing sign of corrosion.

2 tyre replacement. Changed original Metzelar at 24000 kms and then Michelin at about 50,000 Kms. Now running on Timsun dual purpose tyres.

The motorcycle has D&A free flow airfilter, handle bar risers, an auxiliary light on handle bar, a windshield that I got from China through AliExpress those days and luggage rack stays.

As the motorcycle has been used in coastal area only, the engine surface has lost the original glossy paint., rest the bike is absolutely fantastic even now. I am a sedate rider and my motorcycle has never been red lines nor ridden harshly or rashly. It's always ridden with care and love.

I don't remember changing the original accelerator / brake cables, brake pads or any other parts. Everything is stock after 11 years. Great motorcycle. Brings a smile on my face even now when I ride it.

To sum it up. Never broke down even once on road, can do 150+ Kmph easily even now (though I don't ride that fast now.), serviced regularly within the stipulated time whether the motorcycle runs or not. Most of the bike is still stock and the items replaced are mainly due to the rust / corrosion resulting from the salty weather in the coast where the motorcycle plies.

However I have transitioned to the gearless Yamaha Aerox for my long duration rides now, mainly due to my age (I am a senior citizen) and the KTM is taken out very rarely, perhaps once in a few months.

Kudos and respect to you! This gives me immense confidence that I can keep mine for real long time and that 30K is nothing. Cheers!

[dwarika]

Originally Posted by Dhruv Shetty

Thank you for being a follower the ownership thread, by the looks of it your 390 is a very well maintained specimen.
A stock Duke is tough to come by, a question does your bike still have the stock standard clutch or swapped to the slipper clutch.
If the bike isn't giving any problems, then you can keep the bike by doing regular maintenance. These duke's are tough bikes.

My expenses and maintainace has surprised, shocked and scared my friends on why I'm spending so much on an old bike.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

Thanks Dhruv! I can understand the love and passion behind your spending.

My clutch is still the stock and I am ok with it. It gives a bit of exercise for good and I never face any issues with it. I may want to upgrade when the current clutch runs out.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by dwarika

Now a serious question to all Duke 390 BS3 owners. Do you all face issues and am I just lucky to not face them so far? For me reliability is more important than performance and this is one of the reason I never did any mod although I was tempted to. Not even a simple K&N or FuelX etc. Interestingly the headlight bulb is still the original one but yes the left side left indicator were replaced some three times, thanks to my careless parking style in my earlier garage where I would make it touch the wall and break. At 40K if its nearing its life or is it good to keep for another decade with regular maintenance?

Originally Posted by ashkamath

I don't remember changing the original accelerator / brake cables, brake pads or any other parts. Everything is stock after 11 years. Great motorcycle. Brings a smile on my face even now when I ride it.

To sum it up. Never broke down even once on road, can do 150+ Kmph easily even now (though I don't ride that fast now.), serviced regularly within the stipulated time whether the motorcycle runs or not. Most of the bike is still stock and the items replaced are mainly due to the rust / corrosion resulting from the salty weather in the coast where the motorcycle plies.

However I have transitioned to the gearless Yamaha Aerox for my long duration rides now, mainly due to my age (I am a senior citizen) and the KTM is taken out very rarely, perhaps once in a few months.

Glad to hear it from you gentlemen. Matter of fact, there are many unsung BS3 heroes out there, who haven't seen their forum pitch for their record to be sung publically. Said and done, BS3 and BS4 390s are pretty solid bikes, the iterations progressively ironed out and the last of 2017s were extremely reliable bikes, considering proper due diligence and services were carried out.

BS3 bikes are a different bunch, they're fragile yet tough. Trust me they can take quite a beating, barring extremely intentional thrashing and poor care-for would end up emptying the pocket in no time. They were raw, visceral and still elicit that two-strokish madness like no other; some call it character, some call it wicked, but it's mostly the wonderful chassis and that mental dirt-bike derived motor, scaring the wits in no time, if given the twist of the wrist without heed.

Today's Dukes are mere plastic toys than the actual visceral elicitation the BS3s elicit. Make no mistake, the new 390/399 they're still no slouch, but somewhere down the line, they've become too good, too smooth and too electronically-aided, which is a bummer IMHO.

@ashkamath, 11 year is a lot for brake pads and cables especially one that's sitting near a coast line. Though it's great to see things have lasted this far, it's recommended to replace your brake fluid, brake pads and throttle/clutch cable as a preventative measure, as throttle and clutch cable innards are made of iron liners, they're easily prone to rusting which can't be fathomed by the naked eye.

Also brake fluids that's sitting for more than two years is eventually going to corrode the innards, aggravated more near coastal areas. Would strongly recommend you give it the gentle care it requires so that it lasts even longer and still elicits to put that smile on your face.

Gentlemen keep the old one running, it's a mental gem!

Cheers!
VJ

[dwarika]

Well said VJ! Cheers to all Duke fans in here.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

@ashkamath, 11 year is a lot for brake pads and cables especially one that's sitting near a coast line. Though it's great to see things have lasted this far, it's recommended to replace your brake fluid, brake pads and throttle/clutch cable as a preventative measure, as throttle and clutch cable innards are made of iron liners, they're easily prone to rusting which can't be fathomed by the naked eye.

Also brake fluids that's sitting for more than two years is eventually going to corrode the innards, aggravated more near coastal areas. Would strongly recommend you give it the gentle care it requires so that it lasts even longer

Thanks for your advice. I have changed the master cylinder and brake fluid about an year ago, mainly due to signs of corrosion and age and the A.S.S. recommended that it be changed and I agreed. The bike hasn't been used close to an year now as it is in a different city (Mangalore) where as I reside in Goa. Planning to get both the cables and brake pads changed now as a preventive measure following your advice, during the next service, soon. Thanks again.

[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by dwarika

Dhruv, I have been following your thread for quite sometime now and it surprises me sometimes scares......
.....thanks to my careless parking style in my earlier garage where I would make it touch the wall and break. At 40K if its nearing its life or is it good to keep for another decade with regular maintenance?

I got a 2013 Duke 390 on the 31st of October, 2013, my most expensive bike ever at 1.98L on road back then. I was nervous, I remember stalling her 23-24 times before finally setting off from the showroom..

11 years later, there are stories of minor repairs, some niggles, etc but after I found a good service center, the entire story remains far more pleasant than any problem I faced.

There are unsolved random problems, rarely in rain, the front brake goes spongy, the meter shows 0 speed for no reason during the ride, etc. but it has never stopped or left me stranded ever.

The list of problems caused due to service center's mishandling is far bigger:- meter gone kaput 2 times, each time after a water wash as it was misinstalled, both bearings were gone as they fit old bearings in a wrong way when wheel was changed, but I kept thinking it was a disk brake problem due to the noise, etc.
At 1.4 Lakh kms, I got its engine overhauled (Rs. 66000), which remains the biggest expense it has seen and well deserved too. This setup has again done 21000 kms after overhaul.
At 1.61 Lakh kms, I'm happy as one can be. Imagine test riding Ninja 650 and returning somewhat unimpressed, because you own a BS3 390.

Recently got it undergeared by installing the entire chain sprocket kit of Duke 250. Its snatchy-quick now! Does 50 kmph in 6th easily.
I try to ride below 80 but I'm seeing 87 or 96 or 91 very often, unknowingly, before I slow down. I'm trying my best not to overspeed, and follow the nationwide legal top speed (for motorcycles) of 80 kmph.

So, when will I get rid of it? I don't want to, ever, even if someone offers me double the price I got it for.
I'm not going to get another bike like it. Pollution norms have destroyed all the fun, and e bikes are miles away from fun.
Its nearing the 15 year registration expiry point, no worries, I'll renew it, for as long as I can.

The key to a peaceful life with a BS3 Duke 390 is getting a good, experienced mechanic, preferably in an official service center. That's it.

[Shonith]

Originally Posted by Samarth 619

At 1.4 Lakh kms, I got its engine overhauled (Rs. 66000), which remains the biggest expense it has seen and well deserved too. This setup has again done 21000 kms after overhaul.

1.4lakh kms is what i would consider maximum life for a high compression engine like the 390’s. There is no denying the fact that you have kept, maintained and ridden it well!

Did you try to get a brand new engine instead of overhauling? I dont know if buying an entire engine is even possible for bs3 models now. It may be possible for models that are in production. If my memory serves me correctly i believe the price for the bs3 engine was around 70k.

[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by Shonith

1.4lakh kms is what i would consider maximum life for a high compression engine like the 390’s. There is no denying the fact that you have kept, maintained and ridden it well!
Did you try to get a brand new engine instead of overhauling? I dont know if buying an entire engine is even possible for bs3 models now. It may be possible for models that are in production. If my memory serves me correctly i believe the price for the bs3 engine was around 70k.

Thanks. I tried to maintain her well, and ridden it with respect, with the exception of 2 trackdays on BIC early on.
I had no idea that getting an entirely new engine was even an option. I just did what the mechanic recommended when the exhaust was giving white smoke and the engine was burning oil- overhaul. Block, piston, con rods, valves, etc, etc. Around 35-37 components (as per bill) were replaced in total.
On a sentimental note, I still have the older piston as a showpiece, a memory of a kind.

70k in my opinion was a decent price for this engine, no doubt. I could've chosen it if I knew & had the choice.

[Silva_Vasai]

Yes, I understand the relationship with your bike is sometimes very romantic & flows from the heart more than the brain for approving such costs

This reminds me of my Ex Girlfriend a lot $$
Cheers, keep greasy!

[shadowrider]

Good to hear that there are d390s going strong even after 40k km where most start to burn oil.

Originally Posted by Samarth 619

At 1.4 Lakh kms, I got its engine overhauled (Rs. 66000), which remains the biggest expense it has seen and well deserved too. This setup has again done 21000 kms after overhaul.

Before the overhaul do you remember if you have ever done a valve clearance check or not?

[Dhruv Shetty]

Engine rebuild process has commenced

After 2 months of waiting and doing alot of back and forth with Zenngine about what parts needs to be ordered, decided to order the parts in two phases, first is to order the main parts and other small components of the engine and phase 2 will be to order the braking components and swingarm bushes and other smaller parts which might be needed.

Here's the part list which have been ordered for the engine, there's one section in the estimate which will be finalized once the engine will be opened.





Next update will be when the engine will be opened.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by shadowrider

Before the overhaul do you remember if you have ever done a valve clearance check or not?

I myself never did it, but I remember the service mechanic saying he did it. How often he did it, I have no memory.

--
Hey Guys, recently, I'm facing this problem where I get "kit-kit" sound from the engine on revving hard (while riding only, not neutral rev-bombing) as if its on a pressure.
Any idea what it could be & how to solve it?
I'm using stock exhaust but there could be some internal damage (without any crash) to it, I think, some years back, I heard metal clanging voices in it but they disappeared. Is this related to it?

[Dhruv Shetty]

The engine rebuild starts (Around 40k)

After months of waiting and lots of discussions, the rebuild finally started, during the wait for the rebuild, I had a few dreams related to it and second thoughts about switching to slipper clutch. When I received the first batch of photos of the bike on the lift with the engine running and getting washed, I was watching the videos on repeat for quite a while. When the engine was stripped down it revealed lots of hidden damages.

Bike up on the lift and ready for engine removal


Coolant and engine oil drained


Radiator and bend pipe out
The radiator is going to reused for now as it has some life left in it and will be replaced down the line.






Engine down



On the bench ready to be stripped for further inspection


Top cover off


From here all the hidden damages started to show which was sort of expected.

Cylinder head
The cylinder head had taken quite a heavy wear, all the contact surfaces where the camshafts shits and rotates were beyond saving. So now the cylinder head is attached to the shopping cart.








The oil was also entering the combustion chamber through the valves.


Now comes the other half where more surprises came up

This came as a surprise, the crown of the piston did not have much of carbon buildup with all the oil burning and coolant mixing which didn't show any signs in the oil.


Between the two rings, one can notice the black marks, that is the oil and coolant burning and forming a layer of something and the scratches on the cylinder walls and piston.



Here is the crankshaft bearing with some nice wear which was causing the crankshaft to move in all directions.


Clutch basket has seen better days


The output shaft which is on its way out and going to be replaced.


The toasty looking insides of the engine

The magnet was badly stuck in place and took 2 hours to come without going down with a fight as it destroyed itself and a tool in the shop and damaged the shaft which it was sitting on, so it did quite alot of damage to come off.


The only component to survive is the gearbox, rest of them are toast, so it will be 90% new engine.

After opening up the engine, i came to know where my coolant was disappearing without a trace, the area where the coolant pump is, the sealing surface was worn out like the rest of the engine.

Along with the rebuild, all the engine bolts are getting replaced with fresh looking bolts as all the casings will be changed, with a new block and cylinder head with its cover.

After the rebuild, the Brake calipers are getting rebuilt with fresh fluid and swingarm refresh.

In a way i am excited to see and feel how the slipper clutch is going to behave.

Until the next update.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty

[Vignesh_N/A]

Originally Posted by Dhruv Shetty

After the rebuild, the Brake calipers are getting rebuilt with fresh fluid and swingarm refresh.

In a way i am excited to see and feel how the slipper clutch is going to behave.

Until the next update.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty

While you are at it, upgrade the rear suspension to adjustable unit from Adv 390. Which may need swingarm upgrade as well. Well worth it.

[Dhruv Shetty]

Originally Posted by Vignesh_N/A

While you are at it, upgrade the rear suspension to adjustable unit from Adv 390. Which may need swingarm upgrade as well. Well worth it.

That's a good idea, but for now I will keep it on the backburner as i just changed the shock a year ago and I may upgrade the suspension to some nice aftermarket one down the line, if my skills allow me to do it . The Swingarm is just getting it's bushings refreshed along with fresh grease.

For the brakes, in 1 or 2 years time, I will do complete brake system upgrade, RCB brake master cylinder and HEL brake lines.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.