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Let me share a little (read big) background before I start this review.
I've been riding motor bikes since 2001 with Hero Honda Splendor as my first bike.
Although this was my Dad's bike, he never rode it. I was the only person who rode this bike and took care of it.
23 years on, I still have this bike.
I rode lord Splendor for a good 15 years till I bought my own bike, a freakin Yamaha YZF R3 in January of 2016 on my Birthday!
This was an unexpected jump in power. I have no idea what I was getting into. I bought the R3 as a rebellion to go against my parents wish for me to buy a car.
No sir, I was not going to be a car wala.
However, I soon realized that the R3 draws a lot of curious eyes and started giving me anxiety while riding it and while parking it anywhere else but home.
To tackle this issue, I ended up buying another 2-wheeler.
In comes KTM 125 Duke (Read worst financial decision)
Given the great refinement of this engine with a huge lack of power, this bike did not feel like a KTM at all.
It had low mileage (for a 125cc bike), hard seat, stiff suspension and a clunky gearbox.
I kept comparing it with my R3 and had to get rid of it for a loss of 60k within 4 months of use.
Immediately after I sold the KTM, I got the opportunity to buy the newly released TVS Ntorq125 (first batch).
This was a great scooter and apart from its teething issue of failure to start when cold, there was little to complain.
However, a few weeks on, I started to get back pains on this scooter. So much that I could not even ride it for 15 minutes.
Strangely I had no issue on the R3. So, I ended up selling the Ntorq after 11 months of use.
Nothing could come close the mighty R3 in terms of power, refinement, looks and comfort.
It's the year, 2020 and COVID puts the brakes on Biking. Apart from starting the bike once a month, there were times when I could not even see it as I was in my hometown.
The first lockdown lifts and I was back in the hunt for another contender. After many discussions with myself, I went on to buy the Yamaha MT15 in the Feb 2021.
This bike aces in many aspects.
Yes, however no bike is perfect. The stiff suspension and jokingly small seat made for an uncomfortable experience on every outing. (I'm 6ft tall)
3 Years and 10000 Kms later I was ready to move on to bring home the next upgrade that could sit next to the mighty R3.
It's the start of the year 2024. R3 is now 8 years old and still immaculate. I never dropped it, kept it covered in sheltered parking away from sunlight, never abused it, did not take it to track. This was my Sunday ride to church, and I had clocked only 16k on it.
I am ready to move to the Adventure category and made plans to buy the KTM 390 Adventure until my friend gave me his brand spanking new Gen 3 KTM 390 DUKE.
I test rode both bikes back to back on his local dirt track (a badly maintained Bengaluru road) and found the duke to be very similar to the comfort level of the ADV. In fact, its front forks gobbled big bumps for breakfast. I could not ride it fast, and I wanted to check if it would ride well on a highway.
I asked KTM Marathalli to give me a longer test ride. Which they obliged. I rode the bike on the highway and found it to be too good on the highway. minus the slight vibration.
Trust me, everything feels vibey when you are a regular Japanese bike rider.
After this test ride I was thoroughly satisfied that I can live happily with the gen 3 Duke.
Alas, family steps in and I am faced with only 1 option. Keep my 2 Japanese bikes or replace them with the Austrian beast!
Well, I did the unthinkable. Exchanged the MT15 for the gen 3 Duke and found a new home for R3 within the R3Owners Group Bangalore.
In comes THE CORNER ROCKET.
Review: After 4700kms and 5 months
Apart from 1 less cylinder, this bike was an upgrade in every aspect when compared to my previous bikes.
Bigger engine capacity 399cc
Higher power 46Bhp
Adjustable suspension - front and back
Suspension travel of 150mm travel on both ends - is this an ADV?
Dual channel cornering ABS
Cornering traction control
Launch control - rockets need this.
Better mileage
Ergonomics:
Seat: Its soft but feels stiff after half an hour of riding. The taller seat is apparently better. I am yet to find it.
Seat height: Kind of low for me but it's very easy to move the bike in traffic. At 800mm this is a very good seat height for most riders.
Seat real estate: The seat is narrow but has enough space for you to move back or front and I did not feel as cramped as my MT15.
Rider Triangle: Its slightly forward set but you do not feel any stress when you put your feet up. The rear suspension sag causes your back to become straight.
Suspension: I have set the bike to the softest settings. However, the suspension is a little weird. It does not soak any of the roads minor undulations. But soaks bad patches and offroad patches which do not have any tarmac very x2 well. The compression of the rear cannot be changed and the compression speed of the front is not fast enough.
The bike rides bridge joints like they were not there. It climbs speed breakers very well and does not give you any discomfort.
However, you can easily feel the raised patchwork on roads, and illegal cuts in the road that are dug up to lay down water pipes.
in conclusion, the suspension is good enough for Ladakh but not great on city roads. It's weird.
Heat management:
The bike shows Low temperature on the dash upto 74c. Once you reach 75c the bike is ready to race. This bike does not heat up in traffic or while riding slow.
The bike's cooling system is designed to run the bike at 84c and the fan kicks in at 96c to bring the temperature back to 83c. This is when you may feel warm air but it does not get uncomfortable.
Unlike R3, this bike's fan only runs when the engine is rotating. the Fans stop within 2 seconds of hitting the kill switch.
While touring at 70-85Kmph, the temperature is always at 84c. When you reach triple digits, the temperature will settle at 96c. This is in the hot months of May and June.
Ride Quality:
Corner Rocket: The suspension even in its softest settings is corner ready and you will enjoy every bit of it. There are no instability issues. Maybe it's my experience.
Highway: The bike reaches 85Kmph at 4000rpm. I do not always ride faster than this. From 3k to 4.5K RPM, the bike is very smooth, and you will not feel any vibration. Same happens from 5.5k to 7k RPM. However, at this RPM the Bike touches triple digits and you get a lot of wind resistance. Most people who tour on bikes generally ride at a speed of 90-100Kmph. But the Duke has very unhealthy vibrations at this speed range.
City: The bike is very sedate under 4k RPM and will easily comply with stop go traffic. I sometimes forget that I am riding a 390Duke. It feels like an MT15 that vibrates but is as comfortable as a splendor.
Mileage:
City: Since I am almost always gentle on the throttle, I get 29Kmpl in City. Full Tank to Full Tank. I have done multiple tests and the mileage never went below 28Kmpl in City.
Highway: I have done 2 long rides of 450kms each and some shorter 300Km rides and all returned 33Kmpl minimum.
Mixed Usage: The bike will easily run for 400km before hitting reserve. Unfortunately, after it hits reserve, it shows 0 Kms range and I have no idea how far it would go. I have been able to ride 450kms without refueling in Bangalore city traffic so I am confident that on the highway, a full tank will easily cover 500kms.
In comparison: I never got more than 22kmpl in city and 28kmpl on highway on my R3 with the same type of sedate riding.
Nice to haves:
Auto cancelling Indicators with multiple modes.
Ride modes: The Rain mode makes the bike more sedate and is very good if you are riding offroad or in slush. However, it will make you stall the bike very often until you get used to it. Road and Track modes take you to hooligan territory.
Customizable Dash: This is by far my favorite, I have the temperature readout, ODO, Trip 1 and fuel consumption as custom readouts. You can set it to multiple different options.
Cornering traction control: I have had this cut power once when I got too happy on the throttle in a long swooping corner with luggage at the back and saved me from sliding and falling. However, it sometimes has a mind of its own. On a straight highway it cuts power and sometimes it goes total mad and keeps kicking in until you stop and restart the Bike. Like a ctrl+alt+Del. In 4000kms, I've faced this 3 times. So, I am not concerned.
Dual channel cornering ABS: Well, this is my first bike with dual channel ABS and the rear ABS kicks in on approach to most of the speed breakers. The brake lever flutters like a video game controller vibrates. It's a strange feeling that took me a while to get used to. But it has already saved me from an accident.
Quick Shifter: I always forget that I have this. Its great if you want to quickly overtake but you are fine even without it. It sometimes fails to shift. And if its ON, you cannot hit neutral as long as the engine is turning. So, at traffic stops, just use the kill switch and sit on 1st gear.
On-Demand High beam: High beam headlight works even with the engine is not running. Just hit the pass switch.
On-Demand Hazard Lights: you can activate them and lock+remove the keys from the bike and they will continue to blink till you re-insert the key and switch the bike On to disable them.
USB C charging port: This is a 1A port and will sort of fast charge your phone.
Sound:
RAM AIR type of intake that starts from the front of the bike makes a howl at soon as you reach 80kmph. It's a different kind of music.
It does not sound like a rickshaw and It's Quiet on the highway - You can barely hear it.
Performance:
If you are not careful, this bike will go out of control very quickly.
The revs climb very unnaturally, and power comes wayyy too early. It goes 0-60 in OMG WTF lol what was that?
This will scare new riders and bring a big smile to seasoned riders.
Don't give this bike to your colleagues in road or track mode, they may hurt themselves. Rain mode is best for novices.
Desigh and Looks:
Looks different is all I have to say. The extended tank shrouds and a problem when you have to park in close quarters. Some scooty wala will definitely scratch your bike.
In traffic, you need to be careful not to come close to other bikes especially scooters as you may hit them with your tank blades.
Overall the bike is quite small and its not easy to spot it in traffic. But it automatically attracts chapris.
Not so nice to haves:
1: Vibrations: On long distance rides, you will not enjoy the transition from low to high vibrations and back. You cannot always ride in the sweet spot. After 6-7 hours or riding you will wish for the punishment to end. I have heard that the gen 3 250 engine is more refined.
2: Weak headlight: it's alright for city but on highway you may have to be careful
3: Small tank surface: You cannot mount a tank bag easity. Find the smallest one if you can.
4: Rear seat is small for luggage, so luggage can slide to the front as there is nothing that you can tether it at the back.
5: Semi sporty riding triangle puts a lot of strain on your tail bone, and you will start to feel the pain in just half an hour of riding.
6: Rear Suspension sag: As soon as a pillion sits on the bike the headlight starts facing the moon. There is no tool in the toolkit to adjust pre-load.
I've been riding motor bikes since 2001 with Hero Honda Splendor as my first bike.
Although this was my Dad's bike, he never rode it. I was the only person who rode this bike and took care of it.
23 years on, I still have this bike.
I rode lord Splendor for a good 15 years till I bought my own bike, a freakin Yamaha YZF R3 in January of 2016 on my Birthday!
This was an unexpected jump in power. I have no idea what I was getting into. I bought the R3 as a rebellion to go against my parents wish for me to buy a car.
No sir, I was not going to be a car wala.
However, I soon realized that the R3 draws a lot of curious eyes and started giving me anxiety while riding it and while parking it anywhere else but home.
To tackle this issue, I ended up buying another 2-wheeler.
In comes KTM 125 Duke (Read worst financial decision)
Given the great refinement of this engine with a huge lack of power, this bike did not feel like a KTM at all.
It had low mileage (for a 125cc bike), hard seat, stiff suspension and a clunky gearbox.
I kept comparing it with my R3 and had to get rid of it for a loss of 60k within 4 months of use.
Immediately after I sold the KTM, I got the opportunity to buy the newly released TVS Ntorq125 (first batch).
This was a great scooter and apart from its teething issue of failure to start when cold, there was little to complain.
However, a few weeks on, I started to get back pains on this scooter. So much that I could not even ride it for 15 minutes.
Strangely I had no issue on the R3. So, I ended up selling the Ntorq after 11 months of use.
Nothing could come close the mighty R3 in terms of power, refinement, looks and comfort.
It's the year, 2020 and COVID puts the brakes on Biking. Apart from starting the bike once a month, there were times when I could not even see it as I was in my hometown.
The first lockdown lifts and I was back in the hunt for another contender. After many discussions with myself, I went on to buy the Yamaha MT15 in the Feb 2021.
This bike aces in many aspects.
- Power on demand,
- Mileage of a Splendor,
- Japanese refinement
- Bullet proof reliability
- Excellent handling
Yes, however no bike is perfect. The stiff suspension and jokingly small seat made for an uncomfortable experience on every outing. (I'm 6ft tall)
3 Years and 10000 Kms later I was ready to move on to bring home the next upgrade that could sit next to the mighty R3.
It's the start of the year 2024. R3 is now 8 years old and still immaculate. I never dropped it, kept it covered in sheltered parking away from sunlight, never abused it, did not take it to track. This was my Sunday ride to church, and I had clocked only 16k on it.
I am ready to move to the Adventure category and made plans to buy the KTM 390 Adventure until my friend gave me his brand spanking new Gen 3 KTM 390 DUKE.
I test rode both bikes back to back on his local dirt track (a badly maintained Bengaluru road) and found the duke to be very similar to the comfort level of the ADV. In fact, its front forks gobbled big bumps for breakfast. I could not ride it fast, and I wanted to check if it would ride well on a highway.
I asked KTM Marathalli to give me a longer test ride. Which they obliged. I rode the bike on the highway and found it to be too good on the highway. minus the slight vibration.
Trust me, everything feels vibey when you are a regular Japanese bike rider.
After this test ride I was thoroughly satisfied that I can live happily with the gen 3 Duke.
Alas, family steps in and I am faced with only 1 option. Keep my 2 Japanese bikes or replace them with the Austrian beast!
Well, I did the unthinkable. Exchanged the MT15 for the gen 3 Duke and found a new home for R3 within the R3Owners Group Bangalore.
In comes THE CORNER ROCKET.
Review: After 4700kms and 5 months
Apart from 1 less cylinder, this bike was an upgrade in every aspect when compared to my previous bikes.
Bigger engine capacity 399cc
Higher power 46Bhp
Adjustable suspension - front and back
Suspension travel of 150mm travel on both ends - is this an ADV?
Dual channel cornering ABS
Cornering traction control
Launch control - rockets need this.
Better mileage
Ergonomics:
Seat: Its soft but feels stiff after half an hour of riding. The taller seat is apparently better. I am yet to find it.
Seat height: Kind of low for me but it's very easy to move the bike in traffic. At 800mm this is a very good seat height for most riders.
Seat real estate: The seat is narrow but has enough space for you to move back or front and I did not feel as cramped as my MT15.
Rider Triangle: Its slightly forward set but you do not feel any stress when you put your feet up. The rear suspension sag causes your back to become straight.
Suspension: I have set the bike to the softest settings. However, the suspension is a little weird. It does not soak any of the roads minor undulations. But soaks bad patches and offroad patches which do not have any tarmac very x2 well. The compression of the rear cannot be changed and the compression speed of the front is not fast enough.
The bike rides bridge joints like they were not there. It climbs speed breakers very well and does not give you any discomfort.
However, you can easily feel the raised patchwork on roads, and illegal cuts in the road that are dug up to lay down water pipes.
in conclusion, the suspension is good enough for Ladakh but not great on city roads. It's weird.
Heat management:
The bike shows Low temperature on the dash upto 74c. Once you reach 75c the bike is ready to race. This bike does not heat up in traffic or while riding slow.
The bike's cooling system is designed to run the bike at 84c and the fan kicks in at 96c to bring the temperature back to 83c. This is when you may feel warm air but it does not get uncomfortable.
Unlike R3, this bike's fan only runs when the engine is rotating. the Fans stop within 2 seconds of hitting the kill switch.
While touring at 70-85Kmph, the temperature is always at 84c. When you reach triple digits, the temperature will settle at 96c. This is in the hot months of May and June.
Ride Quality:
Corner Rocket: The suspension even in its softest settings is corner ready and you will enjoy every bit of it. There are no instability issues. Maybe it's my experience.
Highway: The bike reaches 85Kmph at 4000rpm. I do not always ride faster than this. From 3k to 4.5K RPM, the bike is very smooth, and you will not feel any vibration. Same happens from 5.5k to 7k RPM. However, at this RPM the Bike touches triple digits and you get a lot of wind resistance. Most people who tour on bikes generally ride at a speed of 90-100Kmph. But the Duke has very unhealthy vibrations at this speed range.
City: The bike is very sedate under 4k RPM and will easily comply with stop go traffic. I sometimes forget that I am riding a 390Duke. It feels like an MT15 that vibrates but is as comfortable as a splendor.
Mileage:
City: Since I am almost always gentle on the throttle, I get 29Kmpl in City. Full Tank to Full Tank. I have done multiple tests and the mileage never went below 28Kmpl in City.
Highway: I have done 2 long rides of 450kms each and some shorter 300Km rides and all returned 33Kmpl minimum.
Mixed Usage: The bike will easily run for 400km before hitting reserve. Unfortunately, after it hits reserve, it shows 0 Kms range and I have no idea how far it would go. I have been able to ride 450kms without refueling in Bangalore city traffic so I am confident that on the highway, a full tank will easily cover 500kms.
In comparison: I never got more than 22kmpl in city and 28kmpl on highway on my R3 with the same type of sedate riding.
Nice to haves:
Auto cancelling Indicators with multiple modes.
- If you are standing with the indicator On. It will keep blinking forever.
- if you are moving slowly in 1st or 2nd gear, the indicator will stay On for 40 seconds and then turn off.
- If you are turning and then start accelerating and move up to 3rd gear 40kmph or cross 4th gear the indicators turn off
Ride modes: The Rain mode makes the bike more sedate and is very good if you are riding offroad or in slush. However, it will make you stall the bike very often until you get used to it. Road and Track modes take you to hooligan territory.
Customizable Dash: This is by far my favorite, I have the temperature readout, ODO, Trip 1 and fuel consumption as custom readouts. You can set it to multiple different options.
Cornering traction control: I have had this cut power once when I got too happy on the throttle in a long swooping corner with luggage at the back and saved me from sliding and falling. However, it sometimes has a mind of its own. On a straight highway it cuts power and sometimes it goes total mad and keeps kicking in until you stop and restart the Bike. Like a ctrl+alt+Del. In 4000kms, I've faced this 3 times. So, I am not concerned.
Dual channel cornering ABS: Well, this is my first bike with dual channel ABS and the rear ABS kicks in on approach to most of the speed breakers. The brake lever flutters like a video game controller vibrates. It's a strange feeling that took me a while to get used to. But it has already saved me from an accident.
Quick Shifter: I always forget that I have this. Its great if you want to quickly overtake but you are fine even without it. It sometimes fails to shift. And if its ON, you cannot hit neutral as long as the engine is turning. So, at traffic stops, just use the kill switch and sit on 1st gear.
On-Demand High beam: High beam headlight works even with the engine is not running. Just hit the pass switch.
On-Demand Hazard Lights: you can activate them and lock+remove the keys from the bike and they will continue to blink till you re-insert the key and switch the bike On to disable them.
USB C charging port: This is a 1A port and will sort of fast charge your phone.
Sound:
RAM AIR type of intake that starts from the front of the bike makes a howl at soon as you reach 80kmph. It's a different kind of music.
It does not sound like a rickshaw and It's Quiet on the highway - You can barely hear it.
Performance:
If you are not careful, this bike will go out of control very quickly.
The revs climb very unnaturally, and power comes wayyy too early. It goes 0-60 in OMG WTF lol what was that?
This will scare new riders and bring a big smile to seasoned riders.
Don't give this bike to your colleagues in road or track mode, they may hurt themselves. Rain mode is best for novices.
Desigh and Looks:
Looks different is all I have to say. The extended tank shrouds and a problem when you have to park in close quarters. Some scooty wala will definitely scratch your bike.
In traffic, you need to be careful not to come close to other bikes especially scooters as you may hit them with your tank blades.
Overall the bike is quite small and its not easy to spot it in traffic. But it automatically attracts chapris.
Not so nice to haves:
1: Vibrations: On long distance rides, you will not enjoy the transition from low to high vibrations and back. You cannot always ride in the sweet spot. After 6-7 hours or riding you will wish for the punishment to end. I have heard that the gen 3 250 engine is more refined.
2: Weak headlight: it's alright for city but on highway you may have to be careful
3: Small tank surface: You cannot mount a tank bag easity. Find the smallest one if you can.
4: Rear seat is small for luggage, so luggage can slide to the front as there is nothing that you can tether it at the back.
5: Semi sporty riding triangle puts a lot of strain on your tail bone, and you will start to feel the pain in just half an hour of riding.
6: Rear Suspension sag: As soon as a pillion sits on the bike the headlight starts facing the moon. There is no tool in the toolkit to adjust pre-load.
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