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**sunilyo** · 01-28-2013, 03:58 PM

Originally posted by Pain View Post

Got my Duke a week back. I have managed to cross 600 on odo.
Mostly i ride with a progressive acceleration of about 10 kmph per 3 to 5 secs.
Eventhough the service guy told me that the engine can handle much more prior to first service, i still dont want to take.any chances with the new bike.
Just for 1 time i did pull the bike to 30 kmph on first gear. Hope it was not a grave mistake.

Well the following were my observations during my ride and hope to get some advice from experienced riders.

Engine made a lot of heat in the first 3 days.. which i assume due to ware n tear of mechanical parts.
Feel little grunt/ vibs on my foot pegs around 3.5k rpm. But not as annoying as pulsars. They fade away once i pull the throttle .
I am a heavy clutch user, especially when going on unexpected pot holes too keep things simple (cut off engine and be ready to concentrate just on break controling)
Do let me know if this would strain engine more

.

Also since i am nearing my first free service in a week do let me know what engine oil i should put and the advantage of it over the standard engine oil offered by KTM.
I have attached my bike pics hopefully they are attached properly.
Cheers!

Nice looking helmet. Which model is this and how much did it cost you?

I see that you have revamped with the complete raceline sticker set. This kit costs at for 5.5 k here in Delhi (Dewan Bajaj-Okhla).

**The Mountain** · 01-28-2013, 04:53 PM

I completely forgot one element of my review, based on some of the early posts about this bike. Specifically, I didn't address the issue of engine heat. Now, my ride was not all that long, but it should have been enough to get the engine to operating temperature. The weather on the day I rode was sunny, mid-afternoon, and the temp was about 30-32 degrees. I was wearing sturdy jeans, Gaerne motorcycle boots, a Joe Rocket mesh jacket, leather Icon gloves, and a full-face helmet. I rode the bike hard, and really did my best to push the motor (I rode it like I stole it, as the saying goes), but I didn't notice any unusual heat coming off of the engine either during the ride, or afterwards.

**telescope** · 01-28-2013, 06:55 PM

I somehow cannot take my mind off this one issue with my 3 week old Duke. The right side of the handle bar seems to be slightly lower than the left while riding on a straight road. The posture seems much better/straighter when taking those slight left turns. I noticed this immediately on the first ride home from the showroom, and I've gone to the service station twice already. Karthik (from khivraj blr) somehow thought there was no issue at all and both the times I had to return telling myself its just me.

I probably will get a wheel alignment/balancing check done at the first service.
Is there anything else I should be looking for in order to figure this out? I'm afraid this could result in uneven tyre wear-out or me eventually going crazy

THANKS!

**Pain** · 01-28-2013, 09:42 PM

Originally posted by sunilyo View Post

Nice looking helmet. Which model is this and how much did it cost you?

I see that you have revamped with the complete raceline sticker set. This kit costs at for 5.5 k here in Delhi (Dewan Bajaj-Okhla).

The helmet is SOL 68 series, dont remember the model name for sure. It cost me 4950 at Spartan pro gear Chennai.
I kinda liked KTM sticker over the standard.
Back to the topic, the vibs on the left foot peg is annoying me especially around 3-4 k RPM. Though i did not notice these annoying vibs if i pull the bike a bit harder.
Service guy tells me 'all is well'

May be i am comparing a beast with unicorn.

**Sh4n3W** · 01-28-2013, 11:12 PM

Originally posted by The Mountain View Post

I rode the bike hard, and really did my best to push the motor (I rode it like I stole it, as the saying goes), but I didn't notice any unusual heat coming off of the engine either during the ride, or afterwards.

I don't know whats all the exaggeration about. Worst case is when the fans starts and throws dust/particles to the knee and shin, specially if your not wearing full pants.

**incipient** · 01-29-2013, 04:38 AM

Originally posted by telescope View Post

I somehow cannot take my mind off this one issue with my 3 week old Duke. The right side of the handle bar seems to be slightly lower than the left while riding on a straight road. The posture seems much better/straighter when taking those slight left turns. I noticed this immediately on the first ride home from the showroom, and I've gone to the service station twice already. Karthik (from khivraj blr) somehow thought there was no issue at all and both the times I had to return telling myself its just me.

I probably will get a wheel alignment/balancing check done at the first service.
Is there anything else I should be looking for in order to figure this out? I'm afraid this could result in uneven tyre wear-out or me eventually going crazy

THANKS!

I had a similar problem when i purchased my bike an R15. It felt like the two sides of the handlebars (clip-ons in my case) weren't level, it seemed like they were off by a little in some 3-dimension.
After a lot of fretting over it, getting minor adjustments then ultimately getting a clip-on replaced, nothing seemed to make it right. So, out of frustration i let it be.
Well, its been 10 months since then and my riding has improved by a lot and so has the familiarity with the bike and its not a problem anymore.

I would suggest that you show it to an experienced rider or a good mechanic - if they don't think its a problem, then its not really a problem.
Also, its a good idea to keep the weight off the bars. Try keeping a light grip on the bars that might help.

**Doga** · 01-29-2013, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by telescope View Post

I somehow cannot take my mind off this one issue with my 3 week old Duke. The right side of the handle bar seems to be slightly lower than the left while riding on a straight road. The posture seems much better/straighter when taking those slight left turns. I noticed this immediately on the first ride home from the showroom, and I've gone to the service station twice already. Karthik (from khivraj blr) somehow thought there was no issue at all and both the times I had to return telling myself its just me.

I probably will get a wheel alignment/balancing check done at the first service.
Is there anything else I should be looking for in order to figure this out? I'm afraid this could result in uneven tyre wear-out or me eventually going crazy

THANKS!

It can simply be an illusion caused by the cable routing under the two sides. One side may have a fatter bunch and the other side leaner. When you say that the right side is lower, you are visually measuring the distance with the tank and the handlebar. The cables make the distance smaller in one case giving the impression that the bar is slightly lower at that end.

**Abhishek2255** · 01-29-2013, 02:04 PM

Originally posted by splus View Post

Hm, that's interesting...

Just out if curiosity, what's your riding style?
Do you go with ripping your bike without warming it up properly, esp in low temperatures?
Do you turn it off straight after riding it hard or in longer traffic?

If instant cooling and heating is the reason for this then I suppose we should try to avoid sudden changes in engine temperature (which is bad for everything, not just for these seams).
And I see you're from Delhi, I'm sure the cold winter (mostly) contributed to this...

Actually I guess I do that quite often, although now I make sure the bike warms up nicely before I go ripping.
And I wait for the radiator fan to go off (in case its on) before I turn off the Ignition.

**telescope** · 01-29-2013, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by Doga View Post

It can simply be an illusion caused by the cable routing under the two sides. One side may have a fatter bunch and the other side leaner. When you say that the right side is lower, you are visually measuring the distance with the tank and the handlebar. The cables make the distance smaller in one case giving the impression that the bar is slightly lower at that end.

No, its nothing to do with what I see. I can feel it. The right side either feels lower or slightly turned ...
Anyway, i'll just go with incipient's suggestion. This is nothing specific about the Duke anyway.

I can however related to most of the other issues like the plastic banging sound when going over potholes, high pitched squeaking sound from the front disc when turning the handlebar, etc. This thread has helped a lot there.

Otherwise, there are no major issues with the bike and I love it!

**saunakhvshg** · 01-29-2013, 09:48 PM

Hello Everyone,

I have ridden my duke for 840kms and i will be going for my first service in a few days. Was curious looking at the FE review , last time i did a check on FE -- Shell petrol-- 8.5L kms ridden - 319.3 Kms
next petrol -- IOC (COCO pump) 9L -- kms-- 260Kms.
I would also like to add that i had red lined the bike just just here and there and that too my rev light blinks at 5500.
Wondering why i am getting so less mileage??

**joshzma225** · 01-29-2013, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by saunakhvshg View Post

Hello Everyone,

I have ridden my duke for 840kms and i will be going for my first service in a few days. Was curious looking at the FE review , last time i did a check on FE -- Shell petrol-- 8.5L kms ridden - 319.3 Kms
next petrol -- IOC (COCO pump) 9L -- kms-- 260Kms.
I would also like to add that i had red lined the bike just just here and there and that too my rev light blinks at 5500.
Wondering why i am getting so less mileage??

Just check your tire pressures front and back are correct at all times before you go for a ride. It is advisable to correct the tire pressures only when the tire is reasonably cold. Do it when the tire is hot and the pressures will be all wrong once the tire cools down.

**saunakhvshg** · 01-29-2013, 10:05 PM

Originally posted by joshzma225 View Post

Just check your tire pressures front and back are correct at all times before you go for a ride. It is advisable to correct the tire pressures only when the tire is reasonably cold. Do it when the tire is hot and the pressures will be all wrong once the tire cools down.

I will again do a check today i will fill up from Shell and will also check my tire pressure in the petrol pump only. Will post the result there after.

**Edd** · 01-30-2013, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by telescope View Post

No, its nothing to do with what I see. I can feel it. The right side either feels lower or slightly turned ...
Anyway, i'll just go with incipient's suggestion. This is nothing specific about the Duke anyway.

I can however related to most of the other issues like the plastic banging sound when going over potholes, high pitched squeaking sound from the front disc when turning the handlebar, etc. This thread has helped a lot there.

Otherwise, there are no major issues with the bike and I love it!

Hi, I recently started observing the same things:
Plastic banging sound and Squeak sound from front brakes. Can you tell me how you solved it?

**saunakhvshg** · 01-30-2013, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by saunakhvshg View Post

I will again do a check today i will fill up from Shell and will also check my tire pressure in the petrol pump only. Will post the result there after.

The tire pressure was a bit on the lower side, rear was 31 and front was 26.

**Pain** · 01-30-2013, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by saunakhvshg View Post

The tire pressure was a bit on the lower side, rear was 31 and front was 26.

It is perfect if you go with a pillion rider on consistent basis. If not change it to 25 on front and 28 on rear.
I think the reason why you would see a slight drop in mileage is due to the change of petrol. Popular belief is that Shell offers better performance and FE in comparison to IOC.
Do let me know incase you face the same issue with the usage of Shell.

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