Looks the part!!! Good Idea man!!! And it would look way better painted in Orange too!!!

Or probably it is a completely normal effect (like Mountain was trying to tell us). May not look good, but still could be normal.

If you run your fingers over the exhaust header (when cold) you realise that the surface is still smooth (indicating low probability of peeling).

Additionally, another theory of mine is that since the reported cases are higher in Bombay and Chennai, probably the salty coastal air is quickening the process.

PS: Have got it confirmed that the exhaust headers are stainless steel. So the probability of rusting is minimal.

fork oil leak

Hi all,

did any one faced fork oil leakage with their duke?? i am facing that problem. visited service centre and they asked to leave the bike with them on wednesday. not a serious problem itseems.


does any one knows where is idle setting in duke.. for my pulsar it was right below the tank. i want to reduce the idling.

Looks very useful! Good DIY there ..

@Nikhil - the salty costal air can be the reason..
Did you see the washing instructions in the manual pg 133-136.. check that out.

Bro.. Nice idea. Not totally safe but better than before

Nice thinking, Janesh. Have you checked to ensure the clamp does not rotate along with the cap?

Need to take care to ensure the clamp isn't over-tightened. Perhaps adding some rubber packing will ensure a better grip and protect the plastic as well.

Vibrations in Lower RPMs

Posting on behalf of my friend :
One of my friend's Duke from Mumbai, has finished his first service. After which he is getting a lot of vibrations near the footpegs in the lower RPMs..
Could anyone know what is the problem.

Also I am about to go to First service tomo.. What all things I need to check?
-Putting Motul for sure,
-My bike sound is changed.. (like before) has a lot of knocking sound,
-I think the accelerator cable is loose.. SOmetimes it doesnt pick up like it used to.
-Never faced any issues with chains , so am not going to be asking about it.
-Do i need to put the coolant or just top-up?
-Break oil etc, i think they change right anyway?

Also any new power parts available? Like Handle guards? If not Can that Hero Impluse Handle guards fit?Am just guessing.

Answers in bold

The Duke is fuel-injected, so there isn't an "idle" setting you can access. It's done by the engine computer.

Also, upside-down forks are more prone to oil-leakage than traditional ones, particularly in environments where they are exposed to a lot of dirt/grime. It's one of the decisions I strongly question as to how the Duke was designed, or at least how it was released here in India. Upside-down forks are used for one reason only: to reduce "unsprung weight", that is, weight not supported by the suspension. It only makes a difference of a couple of pounds if that, and really only has benefits for race bikes where ounces count. On a race bike, the weight/handling benefit outweighs the increased risk of leaks from all the fork oil sitting on the fork seals, as well as the higher incidence of seal damage due to greater exposure to road debris. It even has other disadvantages, particularly for use in India: USD forks tend to have less travel than conventional ones. In the real world, even experienced riders have a hard time discerning the differences between an USD and a conventional fork. Putting an upside-down fork on a beginner bike like the little Duke is ludicrous, unnecessary, and a waste of money. KTM could have knocked several thousand off the price of the Duke just by fitting it with a conventional fork. That the Duke's fork is (apparently; someone correct me if I'm wrong) non-adjustable just adds insult to injury.

My right fork started leaking after about 800kms. Check back a few pages, I had posted the images.
For me the seal was replaced under warranty, it cost about 350Rs.
They did not have it in stock so it was couriered to the ASC.
Once the monsoon starts I think we will see even more fork leaks, only thing that can be done I guess is wipe down the forks with a smooth cloth(microfiber if possible) every evening. or at least after the bike is been ridden in dirt/mud.
and Be careful while riding on roads that are being tarred. Those are the worst kind of debris, it will definitely result in a fork leak if fork is not cleaned immediately.

can you throw more light on this??!!

While riding on roads that are being tarred or freshly tarred, the tyres will kick up small stones. These stones are usually coated with a bit of tar. These things will stick to the fork just above the part where it is joined to the wheel.
Next time the fork compresses, these stones/dirt will scratch the seal. A small scratch is enough for the forks to leak.

My God...Such observation.

Next time i should think twice before taking out my ride...

Take it easy guys, every part is engineered to handle such scenarios.

I guess it is more experience than observation. When my fork started leaking, I tried to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why it was leaking. After thinking about it for hours this was the only possible explanation that I was able to come up with.
The day before I observed the leak I had ridden on a road that was being tarred.

Guru... kuch zyada ho gaya... I know one feels bad when these loose stones get stuck to your tyres, bike but those causing your forks to leak is something I can't digest. Your KTM leaked oils so soon because of a bad seal & nothing else. Rest is fine mate.