Team-BHP > Motorbikes


Reply
  Search this Thread
60,655 views
Old 1st October 2022, 01:18   #16
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by doley222 View Post
The use of Fuelx pro has reduced the jerking/low rpm issue to a great extent which has made city ride/ slow ride in bad roads/offroad enjoyable. Even I could feel a little bit more smoothness and moreover radiator fan is not starting as much as before. The riding experience has improved a lot. I would say, atleast try it. They have a return policy if you don't like it but can't say how it will work out.
What is the effect on fuel economy? It makes sense that it will drop as Fuelx makes air-fuel fixture richer. Based on the number I might decide to get it installed after the third service.
advstreak is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 1st October 2022, 01:23   #17
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
Problems faced
.[*] My friend who bought a KTM Duke 250 just a week before me, got his rear suspension oil all leaked out during a ride (it was replaced later for free under warranty)
So I have also gotten my rear suspension replaced under warranty couple of months ago for the same issue. It looks like a faulty oil seal batch as I also got the bike around the same time as your friend.
advstreak is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 2nd October 2022, 12:46   #18
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chennai
Posts: 119
Thanked: 330 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by doley222 View Post
The use of Fuelx pro has reduced the jerking/low rpm issue to a great extent which has made city ride/ slow ride in bad roads/offroad enjoyable.
I have that in my cards, but I'm usually against any engine mods as I was always taught that aftermarket mods may give short term benefits, but the stock setup which the manufacturer has kept after rigorous testing is mostly the better one for longevity. Do let us know your long term review on the product as I've heard very positive opinions only about fuelx pro especially on the 390s

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
I also face the same issue on my 250 ADV every time I need to fuel up. So it looks like the neck has rod in the center which cause the fuel to strike it and gush outside the tank unless the operator makes sure the nozzle is placed perfectly.


Also have you used XP95 fuel? Apart from the slight improvement in NVH it feels like to me it helps the bike not stall in lower speeds. I will love to hear your experience of the same.
Yes, The plastic is kept so that the petrol won't slush out during intensive off-road sessions(this is what I was told), but practically filling up is always a hazzle

I have tried Speed and normal from bharath, xp
and normal from indian oil, and normal shell and based on my observations, I felt the shell to be more consistent in both the duke 200 and adventure 250 in terms of mileage, NVH and knocking.

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
So I have also gotten my rear suspension replaced under warranty couple of months ago for the same issue. It looks like a faulty oil seal batch as I also got the bike around the same time as your friend.
I actually remember people getting it replaced during my duke 200 days itself. So I doubt if it's just a bad batch. It looks more like a fragile seal just like the front forks of the first generation dukes. This along with the fuel pump are some of the major parts that we have to look out for premature failure. Not sure why none of the media has told these major issues in their reviews but minor ones like the surface rusting and flimsy plastics of R15v3 were bashed extensively

Last edited by shravansp24 : 2nd October 2022 at 12:55.
shravansp24 is offline  
Old 3rd October 2022, 00:28   #19
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
I have that in my cards, but I'm usually against any engine mods as I was always taught that aftermarket mods may give short term benefits, but the stock setup which the manufacturer has kept after rigorous testing is mostly the better one for longevity. Do let us know your long term review on the product as I've heard very positive opinions only about fuelx pro especially on the 390s

Well I think that most manufacturers have made the mixture very lean to pass the BS6 norms. The effect of this are more observable on high compression ratio engines like the KTM.

Anyways I plan to go and talk to the people at Race Dynamics and see if the are able to spill up some numbers on the before and after mixture ratios.


Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
I have tried Speed and normal from bharath, xp
and normal from indian oil, and normal shell and based on my observations, I felt the shell to be more consistent in both the duke 200 and adventure 250 in terms of mileage, NVH and knocking.
Have you faced any cold start issue? So my bike takes two cranks at most to start in Bangalore weather the first time in the morning and then one throughout the day.

There are a couple of youtubers who have faced the same issue and it was kind of solved after throttle body cleaning.

Which if one notices is not mentioned in the regular service in EU owner's manual but it is mentioned in the Indian version available on the KTM India app. So Bajaj is aware of this issue to some extent.

So pretty sure that the ASS people did not do to it in second service I used Liqui moly's 4T shooter to clean the fuel lines hoping that it will also clean up the throttle body to some extent. It reduced the number of cranks from 3 sometimes 4 to maximum 2. But this is with xp95 fuel. I will keep it on observation and see what happens when I switch back to normal 91 octane fuel after getting the throttle body cleaned up in third service.


Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
I actually remember people getting it replaced during my duke 200 days itself. So I doubt if it's just a bad batch. It looks more like a fragile seal just like the front forks of the first generation dukes. This along with the fuel pump are some of the major parts that we have to look out for premature failure. Not sure why none of the media has told these major issues in their reviews but minor ones like the surface rusting and flimsy plastics of R15v3 were bashed extensively
I might need to always keep an lookout on the fuel pump failure then.
advstreak is offline  
Old 4th October 2022, 21:17   #20
Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Location: Assam
Posts: 6
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
What is the effect on fuel economy? It makes sense that it will drop as Fuelx makes air-fuel fixture richer. Based on the number I might decide to get it installed after the third service.
Yes, based on the richer air-fuel mixture, mileage should drop. But in real-world conditions, I could hardly notice any difference. Maybe a 1 km to 2 km difference, since I have been driving in the 6th of the total 10 settings of the fuelx pro. But it will also depend on one's riding style. The 3rd is the stock setting and the higher the number, the richer the air-fuel mixture.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
I have that in my cards, but I'm usually against any engine mods as I was always taught that aftermarket mods may give short term benefits, but the stock setup which the manufacturer has kept after rigorous testing is mostly the better one for longevity. Do let us know your long term review on the product as I've heard very positive opinions only about fuelx pro especially on the 390s
It controls the sensors to optimize the air-fuel mixture. Since after conversion from BS4 to BS6, the joy of riding (especially in the lower rpm) has been reduced due to the stricter emission standard. The permissible emission levels have been reduced, also leading to changes in the air-fuel mixture. So, it should not give any major problems but only time will tell. Since I use it a lot for city riding, the jerking/low speed was so irritating, I rather take the risk. But for highways, it is not needed.
doley222 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 5th October 2022, 20:01   #21
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by doley222 View Post
Yes, based on the richer air-fuel mixture, mileage should drop. But in real-world conditions, I could hardly notice any difference. Maybe a 1 km to 2 km difference, since I have been driving in the 6th of the total 10 settings of the fuelx pro. But it will also depend on one's riding style. The 3rd is the stock setting and the higher the number, the richer the air-fuel mixture.



It controls the sensors to optimize the air-fuel mixture. Since after conversion from BS4 to BS6, the joy of riding (especially in the lower rpm) has been reduced due to the stricter emission standard. The permissible emission levels have been reduced, also leading to changes in the air-fuel mixture. So, it should not give any major problems but only time will tell. Since I use it a lot for city riding, the jerking/low speed was so irritating, I rather take the risk. But for highways, it is not needed.
Do you keep on changing the modes often? Also do you make it more lean when touring on highways?
I am comparing between the fuelx lite and pro versions.

How many KM have you done on the fuelx?

I am convinced enough that I will give it a try once I decide to keep this bike long term that is dependent on the launch of the RE classsic 650. If the Classic 650 is decent product then I might upgrade to that.
advstreak is offline  
Old 12th October 2022, 16:31   #22
Newbie
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Location: Assam
Posts: 6
Thanked: 7 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
Do you keep on changing the modes often? Also do you make it more lean when touring on highways?
I am comparing between the fuelx lite and pro versions.

How many KM have you done on the fuelx?

I am convinced enough that I will give it a try once I decide to keep this bike long term that is dependent on the launch of the RE classsic 650. If the Classic 650 is decent product then I might upgrade to that.
I don't change the modes often and keeping at constant in mode 6 but I have tried upto 7 out of 10 modes as I have not installed aftermarket exhaust & airfilter, etc. I am planning to install aftermarket airfilter in the near future, so I choose the pro version. Moreover, if I go to the high altitude area like Ladakh, the lean setting will help. In view of all of these, I choose the Pro. The lite version is at a particular setting, i.e. mode 6.

I have done only about 1000 kms due to many other commitments. But happy till now and hope so.
doley222 is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 18th November 2022, 14:23   #23
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chennai
Posts: 119
Thanked: 330 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Short update on the third free service :

Costed 2193Rs in total.Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-img_20221118_141813.jpg

Parts changed were the air filter and fuel filter in addition to the engine oil and it's filter.

During the service, one point that I found out is that most of the parts are well hidden inside the motorcycle compared to the Duke series. For example, in Duke, the fuel filter can be replaced easily by removing the side shroud whereas in Adventure, you have to life the entire tank. Also most of the plastics and elements have a good amount of vibration dampening rubber
shravansp24 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 19th November 2022, 22:51   #24
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by doley222 View Post
Since I use it a lot for city riding, the jerking/low speed was so irritating, I rather take the risk. But for highways, it is not needed.
Did you notice any difference specifically after 6K RPM?

Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
Short update on the third free service :

Costed 2193Rs in total.Attachment 2380930

Parts changed were the air filter and fuel filter in addition to the engine oil and it's filter.

During the service, one point that I found out is that most of the parts are well hidden inside the motorcycle compared to the Duke series. For example, in Duke, the fuel filter can be replaced easily by removing the side shroud whereas in Adventure, you have to life the entire tank. Also most of the plastics and elements have a good amount of vibration dampening rubber
Have you noticed any improvements after the third service?
advstreak is offline  
Old 20th November 2022, 18:55   #25
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chennai
Posts: 119
Thanked: 330 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
Have you noticed any improvements after the third service?

The engine became a bit smoother due to the engine oil change and as the ODO climbed. Apart from that, I don't see/feel any difference.

Last edited by shravansp24 : 20th November 2022 at 19:01.
shravansp24 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 30th November 2022, 22:30   #26
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by shravansp24 View Post
[*] Low end power is lacking. Engine knocks under 4000rpm if given full throttle
[*] Engine has decent torque to propel without the use of accelerator in traffic in 1st and 2nd gear and can pull cleanly from a speedbreaker in 2nd gear with a light foot but struggles a bit under hard accelerations
[*] As much as I love the top end, the bottom end of the motorcycle is rubbish. Engine struggles under 4000rpm with absolutely no power under 3000rpm and knocks heavily if full throttle is given
[*] Engine needs to be spinning at atleast 4500/5000rpm for decent amount of power and lug-free acceleration

So after much deliberation I went ahead and installed Fuelx Lite on my ADV 250 today. I have done around 30 km in city conditions and it has actually made the 2000 to 4000 RPM range usable. The bike is also able to pull cleanly from 2000 RPM.

Quote:
Originally Posted by doley222 View Post
The use of Fuelx pro has reduced the jerking/low rpm issue to a great extent which has made city ride/ slow ride in bad roads/offroad enjoyable. Even I could feel a little bit more smoothness and moreover radiator fan is not starting as much as before. The riding experience has improved a lot. I would say, atleast try it.
I also observed the increase in refinement and less engine heat.

So the initial impression of the fuelx feel very positive and lets see how it fairs in long term usage.
advstreak is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 20th December 2022, 21:33   #27
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 164
Thanked: 299 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

So here is the third service and mods update.

Third Service:

It cost 3739 including the front brake pad change and the throttle body cleaning charge.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-service-record.jpg

Now moving to mod updates starting from the front:

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-front.jpg

Windshield

The Inscape Dreamz V4 windshield allows it to be taken out by removing the top two screws. I did not want something bigger that will cause problems in the trails. The KTM ADV 250/390 headlight assembly seems weak and I did not want to stress it out further. I have also made a slot in it to act as pressure relief to stop further wind buffeting. There is also strengthening done by drilling holes to use the second bolt and a screw.


Headlight Bulb

The headlight bulb was the first upgrade I did on this bike. The normal led bulbs do not have a sharp cut-off line as they are not designed for halogen reflector assembly. The solution is to have the lens projector built right into the bulb itself. I have gotten a pair of them from Banggood whose link does not seem to be working now. Although a similar product is available on Flipkart here:https://www.flipkart.com/carzex-y6-h...m36da116aa0c59

The main benefit of a projector lens bulb is the sharp cut-off line in the low beam which makes sure you don't blind the oncoming traffic. The high beam is still dependent on the reflector design. In KTM ADV 250 case the high beam is too high when the low beam is set correctly. But in the Hornet 160 the high beam is perfect.

Here are the led projector lens performance pictures:

This is in dark conditions. Please ignore the low light enhancement done by the phone camera. The road was pretty dark.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-dark.jpg

Now, this is the projector lens tuned on low beam. Please note the wide beam spread and the perfect cut-off line.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-headlights.jpg

Auxiliary Lights

As said earlier the high beam of the led projector lens is too high in KTM ADV 250. So its purpose is now reduced to flash pass signal.

Most of the aux lights available are spot+flood combo. I only needed spot ones as the led lens projector's low beam is wide enough.

Well actually, I needed hyperspots as I did not want the nearby areas to lit up. My observation is that if a spot+flood combo aux light is used then the nearby areas get too bright. This makes it harder for eyes to adjust to the relatively dim light far away road, thanks to the inverse square law. So searching for the same I stumbled upon HJG KZ30. It has adjustable focus allowing it to transform from hyper-spot to flood.

A practical demonstration of the focusing mechanism can be seen in this video from 4:16

I have used maddog's clamp, harness, and switch to mount these aux lights.

Here is what it looks like in the hyperspot mode:

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-kzlow.jpg

And here is what it looks like when the high beam is turned on. Notice the crane boom which was not seen earlier pictures can be seen now pointing that the high beam is too high for any practical use apart from blinding the oncoming traffic.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-kzhigh.jpg

Phone Mount

I did not want to damage the OIS of my phone and hence mounted a tripod phone adapter to the center of the handlebar using zip ties and a couple of silicone rubber layers for extra damping. This setup will have the least possible amount of vibrations beings transmitted to the phone.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-phone-holder.jpg

Here is how it looks with a phone installed.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-phone-hold-phone.jpg


Centre Stand

I have installed the Madoverbike's center stand for chain cleaning and lubing. The quality is decent enough but there was some design mistake because of which I had to cut an inch of the plastic bash plate to make clearance while installing the center support bar of the stand.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-center-stand.jpg

Pro-Spec Easy Brake

The ADV 250/390 have slightly angled footpegs. Hence the rear brake lever is also slightly angled. This coupled with the lack of feedback made me use the front brake a lot more leading to the brake pads wearing out very soon ( 12316 KM on ODO). Pro-Spec easy brake is wider and higher than the stock base which makes it easier to use the rear brakes.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-eazybrake.jpg

Backrest

My Brother and Sister in Law also want to try touring on this bike. Hence got the Backrest from Bandidos Pitstop as it was the lowest height. I prefer a low height backrest for aesthetic reasons.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-back.jpg

Saddlestays+Top Rack+Tyre Hugger

The reason for going with Hyperider's saddle stay is that the top rack had clearance to mount the backrest.

Also got the Hyperrider's tyre hugger installed to reduce the mud splash.

Here are how they look.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-tyre-hugger.jpg

Saddlebags

My initial plan was to get the Viaterra Claw Mini tail bag and not install the saddle stays to keep the weight low. I also have Viaterra Pod 12 which would have gone nicely with the claw tail bag.

But once my brother started to show interest in touring I decided to get the Viaterra Condor 2 UP to make it easier for them. I will drop comments on these after the coming long trip.

Here is how they looked in the short ride last Sunday with minimal weight.

Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250-saddle-bags.jpg

FUELX LITE
I have done 1000+km after the Fuelx lite installation. There seems to be almost no effect on fuel efficiency in city usage as well as highway. This can be attributed to the fact you had to either rev past 4k rpm or downshift to get the bike going earlier. Now the bike can move without any drama in higher gears at lower RPMs.
advstreak is offline   (8) Thanks
Old 21st December 2022, 08:45   #28
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chennai
Posts: 119
Thanked: 330 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post

It cost 3739 including the front brake pad change and the throttle body cleaning charge.

Now moving to mod updates starting from the front:
Hi Advstreak,

I'm planning for some of the mods that you've done and I'm having a couple of questions before stepping into it

1. Regarding the LED headlight upgrade, was there a space for the wiring and fan behind the housing? or you had to leave the dust cover opened or modified? I'm planning for the normal H4 LEDs from Osram/Philips as I feel the throw is perfect and I would benefit the additional brightness from the LEDs alone

2. Can you show a picture of the underbody, so as to see how much of the plastic you've cut for the center stand? and also is it temporarily attached like the ones in R15 where they have the points to attach during servicing and remove it once the service is done

3. Regarding the fuelx lite, I'm seriously considering purchasing one after all the feedbacks that I see, but just wanted to know from what speeds can the motorcycle pull cleanly in 3rd/4th and 5th gear without any jerking? As with the stock, 3rd needs around 21, 4th from 40 and 5th from 60kmph

4. Do you feel any difference after throttle body cleaning as I was planning to do it in my next service

Thanks!
shravansp24 is offline  
Old 22nd December 2022, 20:09   #29
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 95
Thanked: 115 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
Also have you used XP95 fuel? Apart from the slight improvement in NVH it feels like to me it helps the bike not stall in lower speeds. I will love to hear your experience of the same.
A late reply, but I wanted to share an experience with XP95 . I was in the middle of a spirited Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore run on my Adventure 250 when I tried XP95. With regular 91 RON petrol, anything above 95 kmph was not sustainable for more than 10-15 min due to vibrations. 95-105 kmph was tolerable but not pleasant to hold these speeds for long. >105 was just rough all along though the engine did not exactly complain being pushed.

With XP95, the vibrations at speed are greatly reduced. Well, it doesn't transform to a Honda, but its a LOT better than with normal petrol. FYI, I held 120-125 easily and comfortably all through the rest of the journey.

A curious observation was that there was a few kmpl drop in the mileage, but that could have been due to the difficulty of controlling the urge to let the horses loose I'm happy to trade 1-2 kmpl for the smoothness on the highway and will continue with XP95. I believe a higher RON fuel on a bike designed for lower shouldn't do harm.

At lower speeds/in the city, XP95 did not have as pronounced an effect as on the highway. There's a very slight change of character of the engine at lower speeds but it has little to no effect on any other aspect.
Game_of_Roads is offline  
Old 22nd December 2022, 20:14   #30
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 95
Thanked: 115 Times
Re: Ownership Review | KTM Adventure 250

Quote:
Originally Posted by advstreak View Post
FUELX LITE
I have done 1000+km after the Fuelx lite installation. There seems to be almost no effect on fuel efficiency in city usage as well as highway. This can be attributed to the fact you had to either rev past 4k rpm or downshift to get the bike going earlier. Now the bike can move without any drama in higher gears at lower RPMs.
How is the FuelX lite holding up ? Any long-term issues so far ?

I'm considering the FuelX now for my Adv 250 - I don't need it, but feel like it will make the lower end and city/slow speed experience much more tolerable. Any suggestions/experience regarding this is much appreciated. I do NOT do much off road, only city+highway+ghats/twisties. I lied, I live in Bangalore - I do not need to go searching for off road trails, I just have to step out and BBMP have set up nice trails all over the city for me
Game_of_Roads is offline   (1) Thanks
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks