Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences



Check the brake pad for wear...
The lever kissing the grip is pointing to leaking brake fluid... get it checked

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The bike does need some initial heat up...
If you are to start off with a cold engine... more throttle than normal would be required else the engine stalls...

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Congrats on the receipt of a replaced bike...

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IMPORTANT INFO for the mumbai fellows especially South Mumbai:-

Avoid the SOUTH MUMBAI KTM service center, these people seriously dont care about your valuable machine:-

Horrific First Service Experience:-

I took my bike for first service on saturday to this service center (21.12.2013)

The coolant in the bike was already at MAX since the delivery, These fools topped it up to the brim...

I had reported weak horn problem (Due to loose connector), They said that they clamped it, the horn worked properly for 15 mins only...

The extra coolant was simply thrown off by the engine when the engine reached operating temps, orange paint from the frame was onto the engine giving a GUTHKA spit image...
Coolant pond got created above the engine, had to flush it off with 2 litres of water.
Removed the extra coolant with a syringe...

The bike was washed with no care at all, alright the rims were sparkling n all but they did not care to blow air into the switches, the water was spraying on my helmet while riding...

They did not care to reset the SHIFT WARNING indicator, acceleration and clutch freeplay still same..

All they did was:-
Change engine oil
Change the oil filter
Wash the bike
Top up coolant without checking whether top up is required or not...

Seriously if these people are to provide this kind of service, it is better they start selling the engine oil, oil filter, o rings n all over the counter.. so that atleast one could get it done properly from a local mechanic...

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Like Cyrus said the fan is triggered at a certain temparature. I experience this regularly with my car.

The doubt I have is, can we turn off the engine immediately (even if parking for long) while the fan is still on or should we wait for the fan to stop before we switch off the engine? In cars the advice given is to wait for the fan to turn off before switching the engine off, the reason I don't remember now :-(

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

In the DUKE you will keep waiting but the fan will not stop...
I turn it off, tried waiting once but it got on my nerves...

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

True, I tried it a few times and have switched off but I need to be patient. Some stuff I've manged to get from internet on this subject:-

Wondering if [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] sir would be able to add/clarify.

I am going to wait till the fan stops the next time I park the bike, atleast to see the time it takes for it to stop.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

The Fan never comes up when I am stationary at the Traffic signals. It is just that the time when I reach home or office and when ready to park, the fan comes up. Kind of self check that my bike know when it has reached home or office :P Just for Fun.

The exact temperature is 96.5 Degrees. My bikes temperature gauge has never been to all the bars or even the 10th bar. Max was 9th bar. I dont mind turning off the engine even when fan is running, because the fan will turn in opposite direction and it will directly throw the heat from engine on to radiator. So its better to stop the engine to avoid more heat thrown on to radiator. When I start the engine again, the 9th bar comes up and goes off in a minute.

As I said, 96.5 is the temperature where Fan comes up. And I don't see any reason why I should wait when Fan is running when I want to turn off the engine.


Conventional bikes where radiator fan always throws the air towards the engine, they have this assumption. But I do not know the reason why we must not stop the engine when fan is running

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

The thermostat in 390 opens at approximately 74~76 degrees C and allows coolant to start circulating through radiator. The cooling fan is set to switch on at 96 C and switch off at 90 C. When the bike is running, the inrush of ambient air, through the radiator , helps in cooling . when the bike stops, there is no more cooling from air passing through the fins, and so the Radiator fan switches on...It is Good practice to wait for the Radiator fan to switch OFF before switching off engine. The engine heat is transferred to ambient air by means of Coolant, Radiator and the fan...switching off engine when fan is running ,stops this function and engine head and parts will reach high temperature, without a means of quenching it, which is not good for the engine.
The Radiator guard in front of Radiator is like a Louvre we see in windows. Air will flow through such system only during slightly higher speeds. For better cooling this can be removed , and instead the normal chicken mesh can be used for improvement in cooling .

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I idle the bike everyday for 2 mins but the fan never comes up in fact it barely gets heated maybe 2-3 bars at the gauge max. Is it the weather difference ?

Another interesting observation is that I feel the heat more in the night while going back home than in the mornings while starting from home. Anybody feels the same???

My "Mastiff's" fan almost always comes up in traffic signals, also when I am a bit slow. It just hates to putter around and gets angrier with heat.


So what's the consensus on turning off the engine while the fan is running???
Till now I always turn off the engine (using engine kill switch) in traffic even tough the fan is running . Am I harming it in any way?
I think no , since I have seen keeping the engine on results in more heat while stationary but I may be wrong.

The below post clears the air...

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Thanks @psr - From now on, will let the engine run till the fan stops...

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Thank You [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] sir. I will wait from now on before switching off the engine.

I got the same feedback from a good friend of mine who is an engineer in HAL. Even he said it is 'not good for the engine' but didn't mention anything specific. I think the quote I posted from the internet in the previous page points to the potential issues if engine is switched off while fan is still running.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I am still perplexed at the fact that the KTM 200 making 25 Bhp and Ktm 390 making 43 Bhp both have similar radiators, and same volume of 1.1 L coolant circulating through the system. Common sense tells me that with increased HP and heat , larger capacity for cooling is essential...In reality it doesn't seem to be so...I am still searching for an acceptable answer.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

explains to an extent the overheating issues.maybe in next model year(2014 already out) they could introduce a significantly larger radiator amd fuel tank.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

It's quite next to impossible to get the fan to stop in standstill if it has started while you are in standstill because at standstill there is not enough cool air (since the fan is rotating opposite way) for the temperature to cool down beyond the point is already has cooled. While in standstill the fan is only helping to stop the engine from heating up more, it will not be able to cool it unless it's 15degrees outside ambient temp

P.S: I would like to see someone time this to see how long it would take under normal conditions for the fan to stop while in standstill.

That heat from the engine isn't going to damage the radiator but what you must be cautious of is if you're standing at a long signal, you don't want to let the engine soak the heat up. The thing with the radiator is it takes the heat away from the engine and then cools it.. but if you turn off the radiator fan and let the engine stand by itself to lose the heat, then you are asking for the metal block to transfer the heat into the ambient air. Altough it isn't damaging, I don't need to tell you that it is not the most efficient way of heat transfer and the whole point is to avoid the block taking all the heat. So, although it is a bit of fuel wasting it would be best to not let the engine go through that heat-cool cycle and I would let the fan atleast keep the engine at the temp it currently is and once moving, it is normal.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION],

Assuming, the engine is turned off at a traffic light, the actual temp of the engine shouldn't increase, but remain constant (although the coolant and ambient air should still pick some heat off and the engine could cool a bit). Not sure about the harming part, since it would just take longer to cool off.

Since only heat expansion is the issue here and the expansion won't increase with the heat source turned off, not sure if any actual damage can be caused.

Sorry, not an engineer and don't mean to be a pain, but to me, it just doesn't seem a plausible enough reason.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

@DukeDey

where were you? had called and smed...

My first service report... @chaosaddict @Celebrity

skipped all the nearby ASS as they all are new . had already seen 2 mechanics from a new ASS at my house when they came to rectify starting trouble... just 1 word DUMB.
it took 120 kms to reach the ASS which had the most experience with D390, as i knew they had serviced almost 30 D 390s. Reached at 8.15 am.
their working time is from 8-1 and 1-5. just had a friendly chat, with SM, mechanics arrived and started work by 10.30.
I told about the starting delay and the works tried earlier by another ASS and i suggested few things. MY suggestions,

battery, starter, relays, fuel, fuel pump, plug are all okay.

I feel shame to say it openly, the ego was easily evident from them. they just asked me to sit back and see the work. I told them very clearly, 3 batteries were changed and checked. nothing with battery. they didnt listen. wasted 2 hours to confirm that battery was okay.

then they started playing with starter. its common sense, by hearing the loud cranks itself and checking the spark, made sure that starter was okay, but they were ignorant and cranked hell lot of times. experts can tell how bad it is to crank simply. i think the spark plug is already compromised...

then they checked spark plugs.

then they checked some relays.

then at last the idiot came up with the wildest idea. water in tank. i said an emphatic NO, as i got our own gas station, but as usual without any respect they continued. took 3-4 bottles from outside (God knows what was in it before). emptied whole 7-8 liters and found only petrol. poured everything back and smiled as fools and added, hence that confusion is also gone.

they killed time so much and it was almost closing time. by then SM told me, mechanic says, its due to decompression issue. and i asked back shockingly, so you gonna open its head?
he said yes and added, it would take 2 days, since report needs to be sent to pune and they would guide us. I said to myself F***. such a bad day, its 23rd, 24th, they said not possible, 25th X mas, so may be on 27th... He also said, dont worry , your bike is in warranty, as if its him who gives me. damn, that he doesnt know its manufacturer's responsibility.

I was left with no choice but to leave. A little rapport with me and they could have easily done it and sooner. but thats just a wish. i stay back from discussing about their knowledge. fingers crossed...
nothing to mention with washing. crap/.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

My doubt is that, especially on 390. The radiator works on opposite direction under speeds of 12kmph. The engine block which I assume will be obviously hotter than the coolant. When the fan runs, the hot air + ambient air will be blown towards radiator, which might possible increase the coolant temperature. For the normal radiators, your above eplanation is apt and I agree, my only confusion is with 390's radiator functionality.

+1
I believe parts sharing and cost cutting lead to 390's current ex-showroom price.

I don't expect engine to loose heat so quickly to the ambient air. further reasoning on above para

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

This is crazy and unacceptable but the bitter fact is that we can't do anything to change this type of approach by service guys. I wonder if they have the slightest idea that there can be informed customers. All they do is follow protocol instructions and play the fool. *darn pissed*

Do keep us updated about your bike.