First of all, determine where the leak came from. It's most likely one of two things:

1. A hose has either come loose or has split
2. All the coolant has been pushed out of the overflow tank

If it's the first, you can simply repair/replace the hose.
If 2, then there is either an airbubble or some other blockage preventing the flow of coolant. I am assuming you did not see a fast rise in engine temp just before this, and you say you've been riding a while, so it probably isn't the second option.



This should be a lesson for you and all riders: do NOT ignore odd sounds on a motorcycle (one good reason not to listen to music etc when riding). That sound you heard, like a small cracker fizzling, was probably the coolant boiling away as it sprayed on the hot exhaust. While this may have been caused by a Quality Assurance problem at the factory, it was still your responsibility to be aware of what was happening and not ignore an odd sound your bike was making.



As expensive as this bike is, comparatively, you should want to catch any malfunctions before they escalate into major problems. This isn't some piddly little Splendour or Discover that you can ride into the ground and push into the weeds when it dies. As you note, this could have stranded you far from help had you been on a longer ride, but you should also consider the following possibility: what if the leak had been more sudden, as in dumping all the coolant immediately, and had hit just as you were going into a high-speed curve in traffic? Coolant is notoriously slimy, and you would have instantly lost all traction, and maybe gone under the wheels of a truck.


As I noted in an earlier post, malfunctions on a bike have a much greater chance to render the bike unrideable, and not just in a coast-to-the-curb sense. They can literally render the bike instantly inoperable, even at highway speed. You HAVE to stay on top of what the machine is doing.


To provide an example, I used to own a 1990 Kawasaki ZX-11. Big bike, and very fast. I rode it halfway across the US in two days. During that trip, at one point I stopped to rest and get something to eat and some fuel, and noted a faint hissing noise coming from under the seat. I opened it up, and discovered that the battery had boiled itself nearly dry. Early ZX-11s (apparently) had a notoriously-bad voltage rectifier, and would overcharge the battery when the bike was ridden for long periods at higher speed (I was averaging 135km/h, and had been riding for a good 6 hours straight by then). Had I ignored it, the battery very likely would have exploded right underneath my crotch while doing 135 on the highway, and I might very well have panicked and/or wrecked, and killed myself in the process.



Because I discovered the problem in time, I was able to buy some distilled water, top off the battery and put a couple liters in my luggage for later. I had to top the battery off at least 3 more times on that trip, and several times after that. It was a design flaw in the bike that Kawasaki fixed in later generations, but wasn't considered bad enough to result in a recall. It's a known issue with the early bikes, and as long as you are aware of it, it's a matter of a couple extra minutes during that daily walkaround check to look at the battery, and just something you have to know to check on longer rides.

Anybody... I want Teflon Coating/ Waxing spray ?? plz tell brand name / online shopping address (price also if)... whatever you know

Help

Try to procure collinite from online sources.YOu won't get it from retail outlets. Look for the link in 'bike polish' thread or search the CBR thread. metal_maniac had posted a link in reply to my query there.
I have heard meguires and autoglym are best but no dealer had ever heard of the names, forget the possibility of finding these stuffs anywhere.
Turtle wax is great too but it requires a lot of hardwork. So collinite is the else bet IMO.
Or if you want to get it done fast and easy and don't give much hoot if the wax comes with 'micropolishers' or not, then try to find a genuine formula 1.
Wax with micropolishers if used many times may dull your paintwork though.

Now I get why you are using that signature of not using mobile..

That was a close shave

Some people are just impossible. I accept the fact that there were some issues with the bike but they were addressed by the Bajaj people with utmost care.

Besides, all the Dukers I know are fairly happy with the motorcycle.

Some chaps who are doing excessive research on the internet before buying the motorcycle remember the flaws more than the pros.

Yes , Even I have been noticing his posts since quite a long time. "Rohan" please stop spreading rumors on so many threads. There are small problems and issues found in all the bikes, but it doesnt mean you have to go about posting it in all the threads. Please visit any Ownership Thread, you will majorly find people discussing only the problems of the bike because that is how we can seek help and resolve it. People generally dont post anything until there are any issues found. Not even half the bike owners are present on xbhp, and there are so many bike owners who are riding problem free but we do not know it because people dont just keep posting things like "Yay, my bike is problem free."etc. Seeking help is a different thing but asking the same questions again and again, and criticizing a certain bike is not good.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rohan200ns
i have noticed problem reports from dukers right from the first day to the first week of purchase .. very nearly all dukers .. these are definitely not problems developed over a long time .. most of the problems are reported with less than 400kms on the odo ..


"Rohan I hope you understand that you are just passing wrong information almost on all forums! How many Dukers have you personally met? How do you know all have problems? Do not give out information without proper proof and research. You are so confused that you definitely cannot be happy with any bike! I can show you hundreds of happy dukers who have faced no problems at all. I repeat without proper knowledge of what a bike is and how it is made don't keep prattling about something you do not know and ignorant about. "


Dear Dukers,

I don not understand the motive of such posts in several forums! The above was on the 200 ns thread. All the questions are just repititions of the earlier ones and no matter how many replies denying the claim he does not seem to comprehend what so many ppl are trying to tell.

As I noted in an earlier post, malfunctions on a bike have a much greater chance to render the bike unrideable, and not just in a coast-to-the-curb sense. They can literally render the bike instantly inoperable, even at highway speed. You HAVE to stay on top of what the machine is doing.


To provide an example, I used to own a 1990 Kawasaki ZX-11. Big bike, and very fast. I rode it halfway across the US in two days. During that trip, at one point I stopped to rest and get something to eat and some fuel, and noted a faint hissing noise coming from under the seat. I opened it up, and discovered that the battery had boiled itself nearly dry. Early ZX-11s (apparently) had a notoriously-bad voltage rectifier, and would overcharge the battery when the bike was ridden for long periods at higher speed (I was averaging 135km/h, and had been riding for a good 6 hours straight by then). Had I ignored it, the battery very likely would have exploded right underneath my crotch while doing 135 on the highway, and I might very well have panicked and/or wrecked, and killed myself in the process.



Because I discovered the problem in time, I was able to buy some distilled water, top off the battery and put a couple liters in my luggage for later. I had to top the battery off at least 3 more times on that trip, and several times after that. It was a design flaw in the bike that Kawasaki fixed in later generations, but wasn't considered bad enough to result in a recall. It's a known issue with the early bikes, and as long as you are aware of it, it's a matter of a couple extra minutes during that daily walkaround check to look at the battery, and just something you have to know to check on longer rides.

+1
+1
+1

I know this post of mine is not adding much value. But, it needed to be said.

Rohan200NS - Keep your questions about both the bikes on the what bike thread you have started. I think it'll serve the purpose better and will help make both the Duke 200 and Pulsar 200NS ownership threads cleaner and more useful for all concerned.

@everybody - forget it guys .. i was just trying to verify the things that i spottted in this thread and it went on to hurt you people. .. i was just trying to ensure a safe buy for myself ...

I agree. Rohan's questions should not offend people. They do make sense. More so after he has seen a series of problems reported by many of the new Duke owners. It does raise question marks on the credibility of the bike in the future.

Rohan, you must continue to closely watch the threads and note down the number of problems that are being reported. This will help you make the right choice.

You're misunderstanding the purpose of an ownership thread.
We're here to discuss with other owners if any niggles we face are common to others or is it because we haven't treated the bike right or if it is a manufacturing defect. Also, if we are not happy with some aspect of the bike (performance, looks, etc.) is there a way we can modify it.

I'll give you an analogy of what you're doing. You're looking at a complaint book and saying "Holy s#$t! Every bike has a problem". Because you will find no entries like sub-zero's and starscream's above posts (Thanks for that!).

If you want to find out how a bike is in relation to another, look at a comparision test.
If you want to find out about the long-term reliability of a bike, wait till it is in the market for a couple of years and then judge it.
An ownership thread is not the place for it. Heck! Even we don't know the long-term reliability of the bike, only time will tell.

@Rohan
We do not get an additional free service from KTM for recommending the bike. Nor do we gain in any other way from seeing more Dukes on the road. We were trying to tell you that you are over-reacting based on what you saw in the ownership thread. In the end, if you still have doubts do not go for the Duke (there goes my free service!!), you won't have a pleasant ownership experience.

PS: I have completed >4k kms with zero "manufacturing defects" cropping up.

what is the remaining amount of fuel left in the tank when the console starts displaying " low fuel " ???