[V0rtex]

I almost pulled the trigger on a used Gen 2 Duke 390, but the deal didn’t work out due to a few reasons: most of the bikes were abused, with owners often posting reckless riding videos on Instagram; the ones in acceptable condition were overpriced at around 2.4 to 3.2 lakhs in Kerala; and I was hesitant about high-mileage bikes, wanting to keep it under 20k km, and even though I considered newer models, KTM denies warranty for second owners, so I may never end up buying one, despite always desiring the 390.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

I almost pulled the trigger on a used Gen 2 Duke 390, but the deal didn’t work out due to a few reasons

Can totally understand. I doubt I would have bought a KTM from the open market either!

However, the prices for the older generation bikes seem to have crashed quite a bit after the launch of the new generation Duke and Adventure motorcycles. May be worth keeping an eye out for known machines - from friend circles or from BHPians. I know one Kochi BHPian here who seems to be frequenting 457 threads a bit too much.

That said - if I had a similar requirement again, but needed to pick from the open market - i may have looked at an old Yamaha R3 or Ninja 300 (Old but still competent for an entry level machine and spare prices have significantly come down now).

KTM parts are relatively cheap, so warranty wasn't a major worry for me. My trust FNG promised to do a full engine rebuild if needed for prices cheaper than what a full set of brake pads + chain/sprocket would cost on my Triumph

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Can totally understand. I doubt I would have bought a KTM from the open market either!

However, the prices for the older generation bikes seem to have crashed quite a bit after the launch of the new generation Duke and Adventure motorcycles. May be worth keeping an eye out for known machines - from friend circles or from BHPians. I know one Kochi BHPian here who seems to be frequenting 457 threads a bit too much.

That said - if I had a similar requirement again, but needed to pick from the open market - i may have looked at an old Yamaha R3 or Ninja 300 (Old but still competent for an entry level machine and spare prices have significantly come down now).

KTM parts are relatively cheap, so warranty wasn't a major worry for me. My trust FNG promised to do a full engine rebuild if needed for prices cheaper than what a full set of brake pads + chain/sprocket would cost on my Triumph

I would trust a bike owned by someone from Team-BHP or a reputable riding group. The problem in my state is that many squids ( I hate using that word) ended up buying the 390s, and they’re usually the ones looking to sell. On the other hand, most 390 owners who truly cared for their bikes aren’t willing to part with them, even after upgrading to bigger bikes. I think the 390 hits the sweet spot—offering just the right amount of power for daily rides without being over powered.

[Shonith]

I was on the search for a good gen 1 390 for 2 years. Found a few that looked good in the photos, but, the engine was not in a good state. These bikes were also involved in crash. Some noteworthy observations made:

1. speedo not working and yet the owner is certain about the kms done, their common reply is “it was working till last week”.
2. Engine makes all kinds of noise. Most of them dont even know whats a normal sound and whats not.
3. Valve clearance “whats that?”. One guy even told me “my bike doesn’t need it”
4. Chassis will have different shades of paint from the touch up.
5. Tyres by brands like Ralco. I didnt even know Ralco made these tyre sizes.
6. Missing parts no belly pan, crash guards, chain cover etc.
7. 5+ owners and no one seems to know for certain why the previous owner sold a “mint condition” bike.

I have now accepted the fact that getting a good gen1 duke from a single owner who has taken good care of the bike will be a very difficult task. The only reason why someone would sell such a bike would be because they are leaving the country.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by Shonith

4. Chassis will have different shades of paint from the touch up.

Cannot be completely sure about this as the frames on the first gens turn yellow due to the heat, over time This ends up giving the 50 shades of orange look.

Originally Posted by Shonith

7. 5+ owners and no one seems to know for certain why the previous owner sold a “mint condition” bike.

This is a common trend on most performance oriented motorcycle unfortunately. After about first two or three decent owners, they change hands rapidly between squids. My ex Duke is now a 5th owner bike in a span of two years. I was the second owner. When I was looking for a CBR250R to replace the Duke, it was a very similar pattern and I gave up in the end.

[snappysam]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

KTM denies warranty for second owners, so I may never end up buying one, despite always desiring the 390.

I bought my Gen2 Duke 390 used (more than 2 years ago). It had run 27000kms and was within warranty. Before the purchase, I took the bike to Popular KTM (dealers in Kochi) to check whether they would honor the existing warranty, give me (second owner) an extended warranty? They were said yes to both. Essentially what they did was they made me pay for the extended warranty while the bike was in the 1st owner's name. And suggested that once the bike was transferred to my name, update the bike's records with KTM.

This was done as suggested. And the Service Centre updated all the records post RC Transfer. I had to pursue this with SC few times and it took more than 2.5 months. But they did it.

I had decided to buy a bike within warranty just to put my fears to rest in case anything big goes wrong. Nothing did. I wasn't very bothered about the KMs run since the bike has regular service records, no insurance claims, no replacements (this is checked with the SC before buying the bike, they did not want to give out these details but I said if you help me out I will buy an extended warranty and service it at the same SC)

So do check out with your closest KTM SC. You will get the warranty.

Oh by the way I have covered almost 14000 kms post purchase and is super happy with my Duke 390. It has been quite reliable too. Just tyre replacement, chain/sprocket replacement, oil & filter changes and scammed 1 time by the SC Advisor for a steering cone (which was never needed and then ended up messing the bike). NowI give the bike to a FNG who take good care of the bike.

Take care and ride safe...

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

The Throttle Wide Open (T.W.O) Experience:

Almost a month after California Superbike School completed, the Duke and I were back at the Madras International Circuit for Throttle Wide Open. Yes, the same T.W.O experience that became famous after Shumi started mentioning it in his podcasts series.

My initial plan formulated as part of the new year resolutions this year was simple, even if a bit stupid - CSS L1-L3 in Jan 2025, followed up by T.W.O L1 in March, L2 in June, L4 in August/October and finally CSS L4 in Jan 2026. Better sense prevailed after speaking with Anand at Indimotard, who advised me to skip the classroom and just attend the open sessions, practising whatever was taught at CSS. I had even registered for two days of L1 sessions, but they changed that to three days of Open-Intermediate.

There are two very convenient aspects about T.W.O - especially if you are Bangalore based. 1. They transport your bike to the track and back (for an additional charge of course!), which is really convenient and 2. They run their own garage, so getting any last minute work done before the track session is a simple affair. To make matters much better - they are also very chilled out as compared to the likes of CSS, much lesser people, much lesser rules, much lesser announcements, much more relaxed timelines etc.

How are the classroom sessions? I have no idea! But I can say for sure that Shumi and Anand make their interactions a vibrant experience. There is almost never a dull moment with these two around, and I hope that translates into a good learning experience in the classroom as well.

With two breakdowns at CSS, I wasn't taking any chances with the Duke this time around. Although the new fuel pump had completed one month and ~1200 kms by this time, I got the bike thoroughly inspected at Gear Gear Motorcycles. They discovered a few more issues and corrected some:

1. Air Filter needed replacement, but a part could not be arranged over the weekend, so they suggested a change before the trackday whenever I could manage.
2. Wheel and chain bearings were found to be worn out and promptly replaced, and
3. The O2 sensor ECU CEL warnings were cleared after discussing with RaceDynamics that the bike would be brought to them one day when my schedule permits - so that the FuelX module can be inspected and checked before replacing the O2 sensor. CEL was back on before I reached home though:



Monday morning - I dropped off the bike with Indimotard. For a trackday event which starts on Thursday morning, their deadline to handover the bikes at the workshop was Monday evening 5:30 PM.



Indimotard completed the remaining two pending tasks on the bike - 1. Air Filter was promptly replaced as I requested and 2. They gave assurance that the CEL was only due to the O2 sensor and nothing related to the FuelX module - and hence I also gave the go ahead to replace the O2 sensor.



With the Duke shipped, my plan was to ride down on the Tiger Sport 660. With the freedom of the added luggage with the panniers and the Rynox bags - luggage was never going to be an issue on the Triumph. And I would also have the benefit of using any of the two available bikes during the trackday.

But then I forgot all these plans under work pressure and scheduled a customer discussion at the far end of the city on Wednesday evening. And this meant I had to be in formals for the customer meeting, and start immediately after! After thinking of all imaginative ways in which I could change into riding gear after the meeting - finally decided to scrap the idea and just drive down instead. Archan and I started from two ends of Bengaluru- but i was 30 minutes behind him. By dinner time, I was only near Murugan Idli, Krishnagiri:



The group of friends mentioned in the earlier posts had all enrolled together for this event as well and was getting back at the same hotel. Archan had the exact same plan as mine - shipped his Triumph (765 RS that he picked up after upgrading from the RC390 which he used till the last session) and drove down with the Jeep:

T.W.O Day 1/3:

Back at Madras International Circuit:



This time there were more Dukes to drool at, including the other two generations of the 390. Two 790 Dukes, one tastefully modified:



Anand is always walking around with a smile, there is an air of positivity around him. The morning briefing was as simple as it could get!



Shumi alternates between looking dead serious and laughing his heart out - but there is never a dull moment when he starts talking:



Although Rajni runs his own school - he and his kids were attending the open sessions for practise. Thank god for two levels of open sessions, because these kids were FAST!!! Even my CSS coach from 2024 - Sid and his father Mr. TT Varadarajan were also there during the event, effectively bringing in representation from RACR and CSS:



Our group listening to Anand giving the morning briefing:



Open Sessions are split into two groups - Intermediate and Advanced, based on the experience levels. At first call - no one raised hands to join the advanced group, and Anand literally had to pull people in! By Day 2 - this number had significantly increased without force



Back on the track - taking it easy for the first few sessions:



I quickly get back to pace, but end up making the same mistakes as earlier - sitting bolt upright on the bike. No coaches here to point out mistakes, but there are good people around nevertheless! A couple of concerned riders gave me feedback that I am using too much of bike lean angle:



Which was also proven right when I started scraping the toe sliders bad, despite the ample cornering clearance in the Duke!



Decided to focus the next three days only on one aspect, to lean the body and avoid the pegs scraping the tarmac at all costs:



It is all mostly happening only in my head though - body is still bolt upright, despite what I try on the motorcycle. Day 1 went without much progress in this aspect:



That said, it was a brilliant evening for the foodie in me! We tried the famous Korean restaurant (Maljukgeori Korean Restaurant - very near to the track and right opposite Hyundai factory) which is so authentic - even the staff and waiters are all Korean! All the dishes were excellent IMHO, at least to my taste buds. We tried the Honey Chicken:



The Gimbap:



I could ride down from Bangalore just for this Ssambap. I guess this will be my new MMRT/MIC tradition

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

T.W.O Day 2/3:

Day 2 started with the same, simple briefing! Only difference is that there were a lot many more participants on Friday, being closer to the weekend and cheaper than Thursday:



Back on the track, concentrating primarily on the form today, trying not to scrape the pegs:



The 765 RS flying down the straight, with Archan trying out my Sheoi GT Air 2. Quite interestingly, his laptime improved by a consistent 7 seconds with only this minor change, the helmet giving him more silence and more confidence as compared to his KYT. I knew this could be an important factor, but the difference in timings was unreal! He went ahead and ordered a Shoei X-SPR Pro Marquez8 Red helmet



Nope, still not leaning enough:



Exhausted and taking rest on the floor, post lunch on Day 2 with the leather suit as my mattress. I wonder what i was thinking when i decided to attend a trackday in Chennai, mid-March!



Was getting ready for my session and passing near to Nishant's RC390 when a slight shine from the tyres caught my eyes! The steel threads were coming out from these race- spec tyres, not from the center - but from the sides!!!



The tyre was not useable at all - and an alternative was to be quickly arranged. Called up a couple of dealers and one dealer had TVS Eurogrip Protorq Xtreme ready - just that they were 40 minutes away from the track. Got the wheels removed by the Indimotard team - and dumped it in the boot of my Compass, drove down and got it replaced in the city:



Came back around 5pm and I managed to put in one single session:



When sitting upright on the bike - I used to feel more confident to lean to the right than when leaning left - but when trying to offset with my lean, I was starting to get way more confident leaning to the left:



The RC390 back on its feet, now shod with TVS Eurogrip Protorq Xtreme tyres. Not as sticky as the race tyres that it replaced, but plenty good nevertheless:



End of Day 2, no fancy dinner was to follow- we just ordered Biryani for everyone and had it together in one of the rooms:

T.W.O Day 2/3: From breakdowns to knee downs!

Some of the advanced folks started riding both batches in Day 3 to maximise their track time. I got a sense of true speed when the RACR kids overtook at such unbelievable speeds on their small machines:



But soon I had my first knee down, trying to pickup pace to not get scared by the advanced members on track:



The first time was sort of unbelievable and came as a surprise - the next session it started feeling like a normal scenario - especially at C11, the exact corner in which the Duke broke down during the previous month! Sweeet:



The 765RS enjoying the same corner. This modern supersport in naked format is surely going to be one of the contenders to replace the Duke 390 next year!



One of the favourite shots from this set, I'm not happy for the pose - but because I started Day 1 with feedback from many that I am leaning the bike way too much instead of the body - so having the knee down instead of the pegs was quite the feeling! I know the stance isn't the best still and my body is still more stiff and upright than required (easily comparable to the 765RS shot above), but then I'll take these small wins for the day!



Souvenir! Lol



The final conditions of the tyres, after almost 15k kms of road usage and 4.5 days of track sessions! I don't think this Michelin Road5 tyres will give up anytime soon - but when they do - I might think of getting some better spec rubber for the track!



The two Jeeps posing while the luggage is being loaded in the boot and the bikes are being loaded on to the trucks in the background:



Both of us drove back together, taking ample coffee stops to avoid drowsiness. Reached home by around 3AM on Sunday



Collected the bike back on Monday morning on the way to office:



The improvement ladder, borrowing this concept from the MotorInc Podcast:

"Most people who go to the Madras International Circuit start with a 3 minute lap. A 3 minute lap is not respectable, but if you have only ever ridden once or twice at a race track, then a 3 minute lap will feel great. You go from 3 minute to 2.5 minute lap in no time at all. There is some effort involved, but when you get that 2 minute 30 second lap, there is a feeling inside that I did something right.

And it drives you to say - how do I get to 2 minute 15"

I'm currently at a consistent 2:23 with the fastest being a 2:22:20 - so this is exactly where I'm at, right now!



The phone app did a good job of charting out the acceleration, braking and speed around various parts of the circuit.

Long way to go - in terms of speed, timings, skill and posture! But taking in the satisfaction one event at a time. Only charting this for future improvements and measuring the progress slowly and steadily over the coming events

[karan86]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Enjoyed reading and the visuals brought back memories! 2:30 around MMRT on a small-capacity motorcycle does feel like one has achieved something! I clocked 2:21 on an RTR 200 and was grinning from ear-to-ear when some of the lighter, younger boys on the same machine were clocking 2:15s for fun.

I see you're a tall person and cramped for room on the Duke. I'm not expert but that could be one of the reasons for your problem with the stance. I'm 6 feet tall and had the same problem with the RTR 200 until I saw someone taller than me mount his bosom on the rear seat to use more room and was wayyy faster. The feedback I got was that I could choose to make my body more flexible or ride a machine which gave me more room to move about. Oh and rearsets. They do help a lot!

[bpapache]

@ crazy driver

That’s a lot of track days. I’m envious 😛
Your narration of events is really awesome. Enjoyed your post.

I see that you use an app for lap timing. Can you please let us know the name of the app?

Last time I was at MMRT, I had rented the lap timer device from MMRT office at 500/- per day.
They gave a lap time sheet at the end. Have you tried that?
My lap time on my TVS RTR200 at MMRT. I’m still a noob. I did crash on that day as well.



Your lap times are improving and will definitely improve. Wishing you good progress.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by karan86

I clocked 2:21 on an RTR 200 and was grinning from ear-to-ear when some of the lighter, younger boys on the same machine were clocking 2:15s for fun.

Thank you for the kind words. Same story here - My friends are clocking ~2:15s on the 765s and 6Rs. But then they have a lot more experience than me, so I'll just wait for my skills to improve.

Originally Posted by karan86

I see you're a tall person and cramped for room on the Duke. I'm not expert but that could be one of the reasons for your problem with the stance

Yes could be! I'm quite locked in place due to the lack of room to sit back. And I also really miss the feeling of the bike feeling solid and allowing me to relax on it properly, something I like on the Tiger Sport.

In fact, now that you mention it - I'm wondering if this is why I'm struggling to lean right as compared to left on the Duke, whereas it was always the other way around for all these years of my riding.

Originally Posted by karan86

The feedback I got was that I could choose to make my body more flexible or ride a machine which gave me more room to move about. Oh and rearsets. They do help a lot!

I hear you! Need to lose weight and that ponch fast

Originally Posted by bpapache

That’s a lot of track days. I’m envious ��
Your narration of events is really awesome. Enjoyed your post.

Thank you. Come join soon!

Originally Posted by bpapache

I see that you use an app for lap timing. Can you please let us know the name of the app?

Laptrophy. Used the 7-day free trial for now, still not sure I'll continue. Seems quite accurate though - as one friend was using the app and the DDRS device provided during T.W.O and didnt observe much of a variance.

Originally Posted by bpapache

Have you tried that?
My lap time on my TVS RTR200 at MMRT. I’m still a noob. I did crash on that day as well.

Didn't try this device - but I did see them on some bikes. Regarding the timings - These are nice for sure! You managed to do the Arrive and Ride? I've heard that it is quite difficult sometimes with all the professionals showing up for practise.

How did the crash happen?

[after]

Originally Posted by bpapache

My lap time on my TVS RTR200 at MMRT. I’m still a noob. I did crash on that day as well.

Those are pretty good times! I see two laptimes that were significantly longer than others were those the ones where you had your crash? How'd it happen?

You mentioned you're still a beginner. I'm considering going for a trackday here too, have the trackdays helped you improve your street riding in any way?

[bpapache]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

You managed to do the Arrive and Ride? I've heard that it is quite difficult sometimes with all the professionals showing up for practise.

How did the crash happen?

Yes, arrive and ride. I rode in the 200cc category. I was overtaken mid corner at speeds north of 90kmph by 15 year old girl in Yamaha R15. So yes, it’s difficult since professionals will practice.

I had a low side crash mid corner. Lowside are safe. I didn’t have any injury. I lost confidence to continue. So I sat for two sessions thinking of retiring. But made up my mind and resumed. Was able to achieve my best lap time after this.

There’s a saying, “it’s not if you fall, but when you fall”

Originally Posted by after

I'm considering going for a trackday here too, have the trackdays helped you improve your street riding in any way?

I’m a beginner on track. But I have clocked more than 1 lakh kilometres on motorcycles. So not beginner to riding.

However, training schools teach you so much that 1 Lakh kilometres of experience can’t teach.
So to answer your question, please attend track training. It’ll help you become a better rider everywhere.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by after

You mentioned you're still a beginner. I'm considering going for a trackday here too, have the trackdays helped you improve your street riding in any way?

I'm a newbie as well - and it does really help IMHO.

Some factors which has improved for me, at least in my head:
1. Humility: You stop trying to be fast, you just know your pace is just as much as you ride when without trying. You realize that pace does not mean taking more risks in traffic.
2. Vision: You tend to focus less on the distractions, and peripheral vision improves naturally.
3. Hugging the tank: I feel I hug the tank much, much better post tracks- because of the getting used to the extreme acceleration and braking scenarios on the track. This has left the arms free for steering in such situations too.
4. Confidence in the machine: You get a feeler for how much further the machine can be pushed.

Originally Posted by bpapache

I was overtaken mid corner at speeds north of 90kmph by 15 year old girl in Yamaha R15.

Guess we both got the same treatment from the same person

Originally Posted by bpapache

I had a low side crash mid corner. Lowside are safe. I didn’t have any injury. I lost confidence to continue. So I sat for two sessions thinking of retiring. But made up my mind and resumed. Was able to achieve my best lap time after this.

Good that you were able to put that incident behind you!

Originally Posted by bpapache

There’s a saying, “it’s not if you fall, but when you fall”

That's why I shifted to the KTM from Triumph for track learning. Lol

[karan86]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

In fact, now that you mention it - I'm wondering if this is why I'm struggling to lean right as compared to left on the Duke, whereas it was always the other way around for all these years of my riding.

I too struggled in this area. Where I felt as confident as one should be around left handers, allowing me to attack them more aggressively. On the other hand, my body felt mostly odd to find a confident position while turning right.

One of the theories an experienced rider shared was that we drive/ride on the left hand side of the road, and over the years, our minds are trained to know that there most probably won't be any hazards in our lane while cornering left. When we turn right though, we're more aware of what might be incoming and our approach is more cautious.

His theory held some water as most roads I grew up riding on were single carriageways and it's only now that they're being widened into dual ones. Even then, hilly roads where we tend to ride to in order to scrape the pegs, till date, are still single carriageways.