[Rajeevraj]

The First Long Ride-An 800km round trip to Kerala

Early last week, a need came up to go to my hometown in Kerala. It was a quick trip, reach Friday and return on Sunday. Normally when I need to do such a quick 1-2 day trip, I prefer to take the train from Bangalore provided I get tickets, it is a overnight journey, station is close and a smooth journey. This time, the thought came to me- Why not use the opportunity for the first long ride? Had just completed 1000km, the first service was done, good weather to be riding. Broached the topic with my wife and she was quite encouraging although little worried inside. Was of the opinion that if you feel comfortable, then you should go. That gave me confidence, but there were a few things to consider.

The Worry Factors

• There were 2 places I needed to cover. Kozhikode(Calicut) in Kerala and then my hometown which was another 50km away.
• This meant a ~430km onward ride and a ~370km return through a different route.
• The route to be taken was Bangalore-Kanakpura-Mysore(No expressway allowed)-Gundlepet-Bandipur-Bathery(Wayanad)-Calicut-Tirur. Return was Tirur-Nilambur-Gudalur-Mudumalai-Bandipur-Gundlepet-Mysore-Bangalore
• Those familiar with this route and this part of the country will know- This is almost completely a 2 lane undivided highway. There is construction work(Kanakapura), fairly straight and flat sections, many towns, forest sections, hilly roads and finally proper ghat sections. Many sections have fairly good amount of traffic.
• Most importantly, the fact that the longest I had done was ~300km that too over ~4 hrs on a proper 6 lane highway.
• It was a 3 day trip- Just had one day in between where I expected to be busy.

The Confidence Builders

• I have driven this route in car innumerable times in all kinds of situations. So I know it extremely well.
• Roads all very good almost all through and those who have driven/ridden would know it is a beautiful, scenic route for most of the way.
• I felt comfortable on the 300km trip, did not come back tired or drained. So felt I could do the 400 odd km needed. Felt confident with the bike.

The cons exceeded the pros when looking at it objectively, but ultimately these things are a matter of the heart and then decided to go ahead. After all unless I tried I would not know if I can .
A short summary with some pictures. Pictures are basic ones as I was not focusing on taking too many and did not stop as per the rules in places like the forest.


Planned to leave around 4.45am and left by 5am. The initial stretch was a little uncomfortable. Exited NICE Road into Kanakapura Road and there was a lot of 4 laning construction work in progress. Unlike regular NHAI work, this has been progress in a long time and there were sections where diversions were not marked and the road was also bad.

Ready to start off.

Once the initial part was done, and day light broke, things got better and I settled into a rhythm.This stretch from Kanakpura to Mysore via Bannur and then on to Gundlepet is a fairly straight , good quality road. Traffic was light during the early morning and I was able to make good progress.

Inviting roads post Kanakpura




Stop at Coffee Day Gundlepet. A decent halt place that has been around for a very long time.

Was feeling good and my confidence to complete the journey comfortably was increasing by the minute. Post Gundlepet, went through the Bandipur Forest Area. Had a worrying moment when I encountered a lone elephant standing in the center of the road. Couple of cars also were waiting on both sides. Fortunately the elephant moved to the side and we quickly went past

Typical roads in Wayanad-Winding, scenic and lovely to ride or drive.


The start of the famed Wayanad Ghat. Lovely views of the ghat section winding down with the KTM Ready to tackle it. Generally a heavy traffic route, but on this day was quite light.

Post this was an uneventful ride to Calicut. From there later in the evening went to my next destination. This is a known heavy traffic route and being Friday evening, it was worse than usual. Took 2 hours for that last 50km. That really drained me.

The final stats of the ride.

Did not take much pictures during the return. Just the one below when I stopped for breakfast at a KTDC Hotel near the town of Nilambur. The highlight of the return was the ride through the Nadugani Ghat that connects Kerala and Tamilnadu. I did not stop in the ghats, but found an old clip which I had uploaded in Youtube from my dashcam during a drive through it. The conditions remain exactly the same today also.

KTDC Hotel nestled among some nice greenery


The older clip of the ghat section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxnOsRci4ms

The final stats of the round trip.

Final Thoughts

• Probably not a big deal for experienced riders, but personally I was pleased with myself for being able to successfully complete this round trip over 3 days. With traffic and 2 lane roads, it was not a fast ride. Hence time spent was on the longer side and was happy I was able to spend 8-9 hours on the saddle.
• Did not get any aches and pains as I expected. A good nights sleep and I was back to normal the next day. So the ride was a huge confidence booster.
• The bike was fantastic. The main reason that I was comfortable at the end of the ride.
• There was one section where the road I had known was rough. Used the adjustable suspension to move to a more comfort mode and changed it back once I hit the smooth stretches and the ghats. Lovely feature.
• Got plenty of stares and a few questions on the bike. The large size and color scheme makes it stand out.
• Quick shifter continued to be very useful. It is a little rough sometimes. I understand why experts are not happy with it, but good enough for me.
• Brakes and their aids seem to do a great job. Had a couple of instances of quick and hard braking.
• Had used a waterproof tail-bag, but had also taken along a regular backpack which just held the water bottle and chargers. Realized that was not a good idea and felt my neck and shoulder getting numb. Had to stop and stretch a few times. I think a I need to get a tank bag.
• The Knee Armor on my riding pant kept sliding upwards. The site says there is a vertical adjustment, but not able to figure it out and also understand why it is not being locked in place. Need to check this.

Overall, happy with the ride, the bike and looking forward to doing more.

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Overall, happy with the ride, the bike and looking forward to doing more.

Excellent ride update Rajeev coupled with beautiful pictures! ~400 kms per day on divider-less roads is equivalent to much more kms on proper 4/6 lane national highways IMO. The first few longish rides may be intimidating but once you get a hang of it, this would feel like easily doable on a capable mile muncher like the 390Adventure. Do spend some time on fixing the known irritants like the sliding knee guard etc. and you’ll enjoy the next long rides much more.

Ps: Get a good hydration pack, its one thing which I regret not getting earlier in my bike touring journey

[JoeTheWanderer]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Overall, happy with the ride, the bike and looking forward to doing more.

Lovely pics and writeup!

I recently did a long trip (roughly 350 km one way) on my 390 Adv as well - first with this bike. While I've done longer trips on my old Bullet 500, this was the first experience with the 390 and I am smitten.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I think a I need to get a tank bag.

Do have a look at Rynox's POD MAGLOCK tank bag. It is like the ones that come with a ring kit and mounts on the petrol tank - but just under 5000 INR (bag + ring kit both). The ones from Givi et. al. are over 2x the price as far as I know.

I've been using it ever since I got my bike (just over 1800 KM now) and I absolutely love it. I used it on the recent ride, and it had everything I needed at hand - 12v charger & cable, mobile phone, lens wipes for the visor, warm liner, etc.

Quick mounting feature aside, the biggest benefit is that the bag doesn't touch the tank. When you're out on a ride, the fuel tank will get dusty over time; regular tank bags mounted using straps will cause scratches over time.

[bharathdonti]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I think a I need to get a tank bag.

I purchased a Givi Tank Bag (10 LTR - ST610B) about eight months ago, it cost me around 11,000. The convenience of easily attaching the bag to the tank lock made it a worthwhile investment. If the 390 adv bike had a magnetic tank, my preference would have been a magnetic tank bag

[praruaaa4]

Congrats on your bike. Very detailed instructions on suspention setup and will be using your thread for refernce. I took delivery of my KTM 390 Aventure Rally few days back. For the tank bag I installed SW-Motech Quick Lock EVO Tank Ring to attach my Tank Bag. The bag does not touch the tank and the tank ring blends well with the fuel cap.

The final Setup


Regarding the quick shifter, I'm able to use quickshifter when downshifting from 6th gear all the to 1st gear without any issues (butter smooth) but Up shifting is kind of hit or miss as the quick shifter works only 5 times out of 10 tries on average. My current ODO is around 225kms.

Another quick doubt is there a way to change the date format to DD-MM-YYYY insteas of MM-DD-YYYY on the console as I'm not able to find the option in any of the settings menu.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by JoeTheWanderer

Do have a look at Rynox's POD MAGLOCK tank bag. It is like the ones that come with a ring kit and mounts on the petrol tank - but just under 5000 INR (bag + ring kit both). The ones from Givi et. al. are over 2x the price as far as I know.

Originally Posted by bharathdonti

I purchased a Givi Tank Bag (10 LTR - ST610B) about eight months ago, it cost me around 11,000. The convenience of easily attaching the bag to the tank lock made it a worthwhile investment. If the 390 adv bike had a magnetic tank, my preference would have been a magnetic tank bag

Originally Posted by praruaaa4

Congrats on your bike. Very detailed instructions on suspention setup and will be using your thread for refernce. I took delivery of my KTM 390 Aventure Rally few days back. For the tank bag I installed SW-Motech Quick Lock EVO Tank Ring to attach my Tank Bag. The bag does not touch the tank and the tank ring blends well with the fuel cap.

Thanks for the recommendations on Tank Bags. I also would prefer a magnetic tank bag so the Rynox Magnapod seems a good option. Will try to check it out in the store this weekend.

Another quick doubt is there a way to change the date format to DD-MM-YYYY instead of MM-DD-YYYY on the console as I'm not able to find the option in any of the settings menu.

I actually did not even notice it is MM-DD-YYYY format , but looks like no option to change it.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Thanks for the recommendations on Tank Bags. I also would prefer a magnetic tank bag so the Rynox Magnapod seems a good option. Will try to check it out in the store this weekend.



I actually did not even notice it is MM-DD-YYYY format , but looks like no option to change it.

Someone I know on the 390 adv blr WA group was selling his givi tank bag for 50% off…it comes with the tank ring. DM me will put you onto him

Magnetic tank bags won’t work on a fibre tank.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Someone I know on the 390 adv blr WA group was selling his givi tank bag for 50% off…it comes with the tank ring. DM me will put you onto him

Magnetic tank bags won’t work on a fibre tank.

Not sure if it is the same group, I am in one of the groups(large one with 500+ members) and saw the same posted there. Since I did not know the person selling and was not sure if it was a good buy, did not attempt to contact. Will DM you to confirm.

On the magnetic bags, yes, I meant the magnetic types with the ring option.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Not sure if it is the same group, I am in one of the groups(large one with 500+ members) and saw the same posted there. Since I did not know the person selling and was not sure if it was a good buy, did not attempt to contact. Will DM you to confirm.

On the magnetic bags, yes, I meant the magnetic types with the ring option.

Yes the same group. I am the admin there lol. Just get the givi after you inspect it. Would not touch the rynox in comparison.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by bharathdonti

I purchased a Givi Tank Bag (10 LTR - ST610B) about eight months ago, it cost me around 11,000

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Someone I know on the 390 adv blr WA group was selling his givi tank bag for 50% off…it comes with the tank ring. DM me will put you onto him

Picked up the pre-owned Givi Tank Bag based on the feedback from bharatdonti and pointer from Red Liner. At 50% off and with the tank ring, felt it was a good deal. Slight scruff up on the top lid other wise was in good shape. The 5ltr size is appropriate for the current need and loved the convenience and ease of clip on and off. That was an important consideration for me. I am already very impressed. Although a little worried that I am now in the Givi Ecosystem when I want to go for larger capacity tank bags.

Odo crossed 2000 km yesterday. Was passing close to the KTM service center on the way back from picking up the bag, casually stopped and asked if they could do a quick chain check and lubrication. In spite of being 5.30pm on a Saturday and busy with the weekend crowd, they quickly obliged and got it done in 10-15 min.

[bharathdonti]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Although a little worried that I am now in the Givi Ecosystem when I want to go for larger capacity tank bags.

I advocate for maintaining a lighter load in the tank bags and placing all your desired items on the rear luggage system

[vishal.jayakuma]

Hello everyone! This thread has been extremely entertaining and informative. I am currently set on booking the ADV390 SW after an underwhelming experience with the new Himalayan. I am having an incredibly difficult time choosing between the new 2024 Duke and the ADV390 SW. My usage is mainly city traffic commutes to work; ~12km one way (25-27km total).

The Duke is absolutely manic and fantastic, whereas the ADV390 is smooth and comfortable. I am 5'8 and I don't seem to have any problems with the ADV390's high saddle height. The difference in price between the two is around 60K on-road in Chennai. I loved both, so I am confused about my final choice. I still have time until mid-January to decide, and I will have many sleepless nights till I make the booking. Please do help me out with your expert opinions as well.

EDIT: I plan on doing highway rides as and when time permits. Also, there might be a permanent significant other in my life over the next year, so that is something to take into consideration as well.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by vishal.jayakuma

Hello everyone!
EDIT: I plan on doing highway rides as and when time permits. Also, there might be a permanent significant other in my life over the next year, so that is something to take into consideration as well.

390 Adv without a doubt.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by vishal.jayakuma

I am having an incredibly difficult time choosing between the new 2024 Duke and the ADV390 SW. My usage is mainly city traffic commutes to work; ~12km one way (25-27km total).

EDIT: I plan on doing highway rides as and when time permits. Also, there might be a permanent significant other in my life over the next year, so that is something to take into consideration as well.

If the significant other is going to tour with you, then the Adventure.

For everything else, the Duke.

If you are a fast aggressive rider, and that is why the Himalayan did not appeal to you, then the Adventure will not either, in spite of being a significantly better bike than the Himalayan.

I guess it boils down to how you ride. Ride both hard and see which leaves you smiling more.

Cheers, Doc

[siddhant]

Originally Posted by vishal.jayakuma

Hello everyone! This thread has been extremely entertaining and informative. I am currently set on booking the ADV390 SW after an underwhelming experience with the new Himalayan. I am having an incredibly difficult time choosing between the new 2024 Duke and the ADV390 SW. My usage is mainly city traffic commutes to work; ~12km one way (25-27km total).

The Duke is absolutely manic and fantastic, whereas the ADV390 is smooth and comfortable. I am 5'8 and I don't seem to have any problems with the ADV390's high saddle height. The difference in price between the two is around 60K on-road in Chennai. I loved both, so I am confused about my final choice. I still have time until mid-January to decide, and I will have many sleepless nights till I make the booking. Please do help me out with your expert opinions as well.

EDIT: I plan on doing highway rides as and when time permits. Also, there might be a permanent significant other in my life over the next year, so that is something to take into consideration as well.

Get the 390 ADV. It'll be comfortable for touring with ample real estate for pillion & luggage. The Duke feels a little small to me and I am 5'8" too. When you want to have some fun, there is nothing like the 390s in the segment. Puts a wide grin on my face everytime I wring open the throttle! Downshift rapidly from 6th to 2nd just for a speedbreaker at 5500+ rpm, you'd feel like you are riding a race bike and slowing down for a corner! I especially love doing this from time to time. You simply can't do this without a quickshifter.