[Rman88]

Originally Posted by rssah77

Open question to all - I am seriously considering buying 390S ADV. Reason is I want an allrounder and I am used to growly(opposed to smooth) engines and don't care much about vibs. Anyhow on stop-go traffic I usually use my moped and reviews say it's not a big deal breaker even if we use in traffic. But this is my only concern -

On an off chance if KTM goes down, will I find parts in future say till at least 3-5 years. It can take time to deliver or prices can also be high but availability shouldn't be an issue. I know no one can say this for sure, but some probable scenarios are welcome to discuss.

PS: Unrelated to the question I am not considering X version of ADV because of only one reason - there is no offroad engine ride mode and this takes away KTM's character. Otherwise I would've saved lot of money. In any case, at least S is future proof in terms of all the bells and whistles.

Say the scenario you mention does turn true, it will be similar to the state of Ford in India. Bajaj will still continue the service and manufacturing of parts for all existing customers for sure, is our best guess.
Brother, I say just enjoy the product while you can as this is an exhilarating 390 engine loaded with fun. I sold my Honda Cb350 just for this engine character.

[rssah77]

Originally Posted by Rman88

Say the scenario you mention does turn true, it will be similar to the state of Ford in India. Bajaj will still continue the service and manufacturing of parts for all existing customers for sure, is our best guess.
Brother, I say just enjoy the product while you can as this is an exhilarating 390 engine loaded with fun. I sold my Honda Cb350 just for this engine character.

As much as I want to, I am giving hefty 4.4L which shouldn't cause pain for owning just because on an odd day the crankshaft gives up on me.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by rssah77

Open question to all - I am seriously considering buying 390S ADV.

PS: Unrelated to the question I am not considering X version of ADV because of only one reason - there is no offroad engine ride mode and this takes away KTM's character.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either of the bikes. Both make the same power and torque. Worse case, get a remap done on the X. You’re not losing out on anything here. Unless you’re into more technical trail riding, the X makes more sense.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

After experiencing the X would you go for the S or R model with the available adjustments and gizmos if you were to buy the 390 ADV now.

Honestly, I’d always go for the most loaded variant. I’d booked the S initially. An unforeseen budget nerf held me back, but since I plan on going abroad for my Master’s soon anyway, I don’t really mind.

It all boils down to one’s use case at the end of the day. I’m still gonna slap on the adjustable suspensions once the parts are available in the future.

Originally Posted by rssah77

As much as I want to, I am giving hefty 4.4L which shouldn't cause pain for owning just because on an odd day the crankshaft gives up on me.

The 390 engines aren’t prone to shooting a piston up the butt - that’s the 890

[rssah77]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

I’m still gonna slap on the adjustable suspensions

On X, If it's 35K including tax, I say on S we'd have to pay extra. Because of the road tax on total unit (ex-showroom), 12% of amount can be saved.

But another reason is, when I'm on some trails, learning some shit, me as an amatuer would turn the TC ON to save myself from crazy wheelspin.

Definitely wouldn't void warranty by remapping or adding IMU unit.

[Rman88]

Originally Posted by rssah77

As much as I want to, I am giving hefty 4.4L which shouldn't cause pain for owning just because on an odd day the crankshaft gives up on me.

The previous gen Lc4c engine has a decent record on reliability until 35-40K kms post which many engines go in for partial or entire rebuild. But there are many owners in this forum who have surpassed 75k or 100k kms without any issues. I understand this engine has been improved with each iteration and the latest one should stand the test of time even better.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Completely agree that the components will always run on a film of oil at any given point of time. But my comment was based on my observations with some of the motorcycles I have owned.

1. Aprilia RSV4 - Had trouble starting after any accidental switch off at traffic (or even fuel stops) when the temperature was north of 110 deg C - The starter was healthy and almost all RSV4s do this, there are pages and pages of rants in RSV4 forums on this.
2. Crossplane Yamaha R1 - Had to wait for the temps to come down and never used to crank when the temps were close to 115 deg C - Have observed the same with both new and overhauled starter motors.
3. Ducati Hypermotard 821 - My current ride. Bike will turn over when hot, but is slower at around 105 deg C. The starter has new brushes.
4. Have observed the same with many Triumph triples too that the bike refuses to crank when hot. But in case of these triumphs, the starter motor brushes are usually starting to get worn out.

I may have to stand corrected, I think that a lot of modern engines do run with smaller clearances, and those of international design sold primarily in less intense environs may not be allowing enough expansion space for India's severe climate and traffic conditions.

I do recall our family's old V8 Ford cranking slowly after rest stops when pulling a camper trailer for extended periods on the highway. "Heat soak" is some kind of reality: I suppose when an already hot engine suddenly loses coolant circulation, the internal temps can overshoot / exceed "normal operating temperature" in there for awhile, and things could indeed tighten up a bit.

On the other hand, none of the problematic bikes you mentioned are being manufactured here in the subcontinent, and I'd hope that for others that are (like the KTM), home-grown engineers may have recognized the need to build things a tad looser.

If there are a lot of complaints of similar nature out there regarding the 390's, then I might need to stand corrected a second time .

-Eric

[rssah77]

Originally Posted by Rman88

The previous gen Lc4c engine has a decent record on reliability until 35-40K kms post which many engines go in for partial or entire rebuild. But there are many owners in this forum who have surpassed 75k or 100k kms without any issues. I understand this engine has been improved with each iteration and the latest one should stand the test of time even better.

Yes. Reliability may not be the issue. Anyways, if it's crashed, I may have to go for insurance to get it rebuilt. I am wondering if KTM goes bankrupt, will the new owner agree to continue servicing or manufacturing business in India as it's an Austria based company (if Bajaj fails to acquire). Although I think most probably they do, because India is their largest consumer base.

In recent MoneyControl podcast with Bajaj MD, he says they won't let off KTM easily, because of their profits with it. Which is a good sign. But he also says it's not an easy task and by May 23rd they would know if KTM survives.

[Rman88]

Originally Posted by rssah77

Yes. Reliability may not be the issue. Anyways, if it's crashed, I may have to go for insurance to get it rebuilt. I am wondering if KTM goes bankrupt, will the new owner agree to continue servicing or manufacturing business in India as it's an Austria based company (if Bajaj fails to acquire). Although I think most probably they do, because India is their largest consumer base.

In recent MoneyControl podcast with Bajaj MD, he says they won't let off KTM easily, because of their profits with it. Which is a good sign. But he also says it's not an easy task and by May 23rd they would know if KTM survives.

If you are too concerned with this issue, just wait it out for a few weeks until May 23 for the next steps of the restructuring plan; and then make a decision. Ktm is a big brand to just disappear like any of the old names in our market.

Matter of fact, even BMW may be eager to bag KTM if given a chance owing to their off road legacy and reputation. So, I have no fears of a brand downfall, if it were ever to happen.

[Cyborg]

KTM is getting some money in if the auction goes through.

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/10...rs-3661kmh-ktm



Cheers

[ChrisTJ]

I'm thinking of getting a 250 adventure and have taken a test ride, I liked the machine.
however, I didn't get a chance to ride it in the night so, I was wondering the performance of stock headlights, since 250 and 390 share the same headlight unit.

Hope owners can throw some light into it's performance regarding throw, intensity and spread.

Thanks.

[vishnurohith]

Originally Posted by vishnurohith

You are not alone in this case. I feel the same way for both the quick shifter+ and the brake pedal alike. They are set a bit too high for me as well. I found it annoying to shift gears/brake especially when you wear riding boots that have narrow toe like TCX RT race in my case. I understood from the service technician that for the QS+ we need to adjust the lever and make sure the sensor still works fine for the QS+ to work flawless. For brake lever though I assume it is like usual way of adjustment.

Update after first service : Odo done 977km at the time of service. Now the bike has become a lot smoother through the rev range and pulls more linearly without any previously reported buzz at 4500-5200 rpm. the engine runs noticeably cooler by 1-2 deg in the same scenarios compared to pre oil change. The shifts are smoother and effort required to shift is minimal now probably due to better position of the shift lever which i had requested to be adjusted during the first service. I enquired for the connecting rod for the center stand which was reported to be found on the enduro R connecting the two foot pegs which results in better NVH at the pegs. But unfortunately could not find one in stock. Total amount spent Rs. 2059 and the service was done at Whitefield KTM, Bangalore. Next step is to get the front brake pads swapped with sintered ones from ADV S or after market ones like DP.

[masterChief007]

I got mine serviced at 980kms and as everyone explained, it's running way smoother than before and also 3-4 degrees cooler. However the buzz has dialled down a bit, but still present at the 5k mark, since it's a resonance thing might get fixed with the crash guard bolts change. I am currently in a multi-day road trip with the bike and till now covered 1000 kms without any worries and discomfort. Expected odo after end of trip will be 2.5k.

As someone asked, headlight is good enuf, but don't expect to do highway speeds, just around 65-70 kph is decent with these headlights.

The crash guard nuts were out of stock, as well as the front fork covers, also will need to fit in handlebar risers as I am having to reach out for the handlebar and is causing stiffness in the neck and shoulder trapezoids. I am 177 cms, with luggage I can flat foot better.

At ghats on way to Karwar (Mundgod-yellapur-sunksal):


At anmod ghat:

[Rman88]

With regard to the white plastics that were getting stained easily on my adv390 S, I tried the below and it worked:
Dipped a microfibre cloth in my petrol tank and drenched the cloth a bit in fuel. The cloth was adequately wet, then pressed it against the dark spots and cleaned it in a swirling pattern and Voila ! The marks vanished instantly and the plastics are sparkling white now. Not sure if this is a safe method of cleaning these plastics but it works well.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by Rman88

Dipped a microfibre cloth in my petrol tank and drenched the cloth a bit in fuel.

Diesel + soap/shampoo should be less reactive and still effective.

[Ketan]

I'd start with a little about the first service experience.
I had the first oil change done at 250kms and then we got it replaced again at first service schedule. I have little information about it while my son went for it. Nothing special done to improve dampening at fuel tank or foot peg area which I read or heard somewhere on internet. They did not even change the engine guard bolts since they did not have them in the stock. We'll have to be visiting again to get those replaced and also get the fork-seal installed which I understand helps prevent dust. Overall, KTM Khivraj at Indiranagar was just an average experience.

My son reported him about a weird issue, rather an error message he spotted on TFT console during his ride to work, check engine light was ON and cruise control not working, he tried to press info button to see if he could see any warnings, but he did not, except 'cruise control' briefly flashed on the screen and disappeared. He reported this to the service manager, he wasn't very clear on that and said he shall take a look at it during the service (may be they would look at the err codes via OBDII interface!!) and came back stating nothing found.


We thought this can be linked to the coolant temperature, once my son just turned engine off in traffic and coolant temp warning was displayed. Following video can indicate how effective and quick, the radiator fan could be to keep the coolant temp within limits.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xjupqy24EJU?feature=share

• Registration plate:

We've got HSRP registration plates fixed almost post the 1K kms mark. We decided not to use plastic casing to avoid the vibration over long run. Hopefully, it's a right call.

• Accessories so far:

- We are of an opinion to not load it much with the accessories, especially heavy ones. We have got Viaterra luggage loops/hooks that helps tying the tail bags at the rear while the current design of grab rails doesn’t do the job 100%. We may add trail pack / handlebar bag type of soft luggage in future to add the weight around center of the motorcycle. Top box should be last on the priority.
https://viaterragear.com/collections...se-strap-hooks
- We've added a motorcycle carplay from Aoocci, it's a C6Pro that we have installed and have used it only for one ride so far, should be able to get some inputs from this one ride experience. We may have to get a better ball mount (currently used the one comes with C6 pro and it seems to interfere with the TFT a little) though. I have not found it to be vibrating/rattling much, very little on lower RPMs. It has some good application if one is used to gmaps for going around. I've some GRIT routes mapped on gmaps, now I can use this device to ride those routes, although a Garmin/Tom-tom type would have been better to navigate using a gpx file. This also adds front and rear camera for continuous recording and TPMS. We are not so convinced about adding cameras and too many wires, we may remove them if don't find it great and more of an overhead. However, it has done well to capture some decent footage for the trip I just did.
https://aoocci.com/products/c6-pro-motorcycle-dash-cam

Decided to go take it on a bit longer ride last weekend. I figured a longer route from Bangalore to Nilgiris, about 12 hrs to Manjoor/Kinnakorai where I'm planning to stay, passing via a few WLS/NPs/forest stretches and also includes a short ferry ride over Mettur reservoir.
Adding some of the observations and experiences I have. I found mostly positive ones since still going through romanticism phase, hope to have consistent and better experience over longer term.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vMvj8Lg1cTA?feature=share

• Winding roads:

Found it to be very nimble on twisties and winding roads. It was even more fun climbing the hairpin bands. It feels so light and leaning is so quick and powers through the apex so neatly, it feels quite lighter and lot more punchier at the same time compared with other motorcycles I owned earlier. This one gave me more confidence, with the crawl function, even when I slowed down more than I should, it continued to remain tractable to complete the turn.

• Quick Shifter+

I have not used this much during the break-in period. Even during this ride, I have used it less, only around the ghats and it was a good experience overall. I needed to slot up and down very quickly over the ghat roads and this was so helpful in saving that time to clutch. Upshifting from 4-5 and 5-6 is rather smoother. I used downshifting/autoblipper even lesser, only remember using it down the ghat roads on hairpin band when I have to use more engine breaking and did that at high RPM range so it didn’t feel too harsh but again not as smooth as 4-5 and 5-6 upshifting with quick shifter+

• Heat dissipation:

I feel it may be slightly better after the first service and two oil change cycles we have gone through so far! Can't prove it though. I usually avoid riding in the city so I hardly have an opportunity to see the temperature rising much. However, the gears I was using during this trip was an off-road riding bottom (short one) + ankle length boots (socks too), leaving part of my shins exposed (a small portion below my internal knee guards). I felt the heat on left foot, exactly at the shin portion which is not covered by riding pant nor boots. I started to feel it when coolant temp goes above 91-92 degrees Celsius and 95 degrees is when I really feel it. My ability to stand cold or heat beyond uncomfortable zone is better than many or most and hence I just noticed it but it wasn't a big problem for me, once I start accelerating a bit the coolant temp would surely go below 90 degrees. For someone who's much sensitive, would need to make sure the riding pant and boots are going to cover the shin.

• Noise, Vibrations and Harshness:

I guess I mentioned earlier that I have observed only a narrow band of RPM where the vibrations go very high that it'll be felt on foot pegs, handlebars and tank in that order. This is typically between 4800-5000 or 5001. Recently I have found that this band may have narrowed further down slightly. At the top gear, it converts to 84-88kmph.
I observed, I got used to shifting up as soon as I hit this RPM range and found myself attempting to upshift even on 6th gear when I hit this range, took a while to unlearn that habit and remained aware of it, consciously skipping this narrow range to avoid that high vibration levels. I hope it goes away completely in future. Otherwise, it's not a deal breaker for what it offers.
Engine harshness is there, not so annoying when the helmet is ON, I have not found it to be so troublesome as some did.
Noise levels were more or less fine for the speeds I was doing this ride. During my return leg, I was pushing it beyond 90-95kmph and that’s when I had this loud humming noise. I need to figure out if it's really tire noise and nothing else, need some suggestions on ruling out things here.

• Headlight:

One of the best stock ones I have ever seen on a motorcycles. The low beam is really good at the short throw it has, but the way the front oscillates up and down on the roads, it's been kept quite low and I feel its kept at optimum level else, it'd continue to blind the oncoming vehicles. This same feature, leaves it ineffective at speeds higher than 70-80kmph on highways, one has to turn on high beam at these speeds and I had to keep turning it off for oncoming vehicles and to be able to flash it so oncoming vehicles reciprocate too, most do not though. I'm waiting to see if KTM comes up with the power parts shown on 390 Adventure R edition and if we can get that aux lights, it'll be better than adding aftermarket ones. But this is something that needs attention asap if one is riding high speeds at night.

• Adjustable forks and shocks:

Seem to be doing a good job with the adjustability. We have switched forks and shock both to the comfort settings and it was apt for this trip. Riding some of those broken, backcountry roads was not at all a problem. I found it to be more comfortable and plush compared to the basic/stock settings. Recommend it for the touring while it can be changed when/if the surface and/or riding style changes.

• Off the paved roads:

I had a very short stretch of about 2-3 kms that I rode with deep ruts and rocks in and around an estate to get to a view point. At one place, front tire lost the ground and jumped off the line, I was saddling and impact was minimal, I could easily ground the feet to prevent further leaning of the motorcycle and lifted it back up. I feel the weight of motorcycle and the way it's felt/distributed is going to be less challenging and easier handling it in such a situation for most riders. This was confidence inspiring.

• Handlebar raisers:

I'm so used to the high handlebar position on my Xpulse 200 4v pro that this one feels lower when I'm saddling. We want to wait till a good option for handlebar raiser is available in the market. We shall get used to the motorcycle dynamics in the meantime.

• Economy:

It's more or less in accordance with what is advertised by manufacturer. My ride was mostly through backcountry roads and lots of ghat sections. On trip meter, I see it at around 28kmpl average for the entire trip. While my tankful to tankful calculation for my refills averaged around 26+kmpl (avg speed 45kmph). My last stretch was on non-divided double carriageway roads where I managed to use cruse control at 90kmph for a few long stretches and the tankful method reported 28kmpl for this stretch. It's a decent return for the fun one gets with this machine.

• Observed glitches:

○ Noise/Vibration: I observed some whirring noise in the front on deceleration, found only at the very last few kms on return stretch, it could be some fiber part vibrating, we need to figure out. My son had to tighten one of the nut/screws where windscreen is mounted which kept coming loose more than a couple of times. So, these are some of the things where we expected a better overall fit/finish/experience.
○ Riding mode glitch: I rode 70% of my return leg on rain mode while it continued to rain at regular intervals on my return. Towards the end of the ride, I tried to switch back to Street mode, it does show the green icon, confirming the mode is changed, but back on the main scree, it continued to show the Rain mode. I tried for offroad as well and same behavior. However, I felt that the change in throttle response was taking place, so its just that screen was probably not showing the mode change, this got fixed on its own by the time I reached home.

• Some images:

Palar, MM Hills stretch


Germalam Stretch



Around Ooty



Towards Kinnakorai




Returning via Manjoor-Geddai-Mulli route

Geddai Dam

Geddai Waterfalls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j19sYa6nChY

Bhavanisagar & Dhimbam