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KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

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  • #4426
    Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

    Bullets old or for that matter even new ones would need engine overhaul around 40 - 50K....

    Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

    Comment

    • #4427
      Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

      One of my friend has completed 28000 km on his 390...His bike still runs very smooth...Loss of power - He did not mention any such thing at the moment.

      Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

      Comment

      • #4428
        Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

        Originally posted by mustang28 View Post
        Question to the owners..

        How is the engine after running 10K? Does it have the same bite?
        I understand the other components of the bike (chain, sprocket and all) giving up but is the engine still good (wrt power and throttle response)?

        I would really like to know if I can keep this bike for ages (something like the Bullets) or does it have to go post 10-15K on the ODO primarily due to the engine giving up?

        Cheers!
        the term used , engine bite, is very relative. still i would try to meet up your question. that engine feel is related to other things as you said, clutch, chain, etc...Its same in all bikes. You change them and bike performs as new again. Any bike can live for ages if its not ridden... funny...

        ----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

        Originally posted by Rohit.nagamalla View Post
        One thing is for sure it cannot last as long as a Bullet but its runs much faster than a bullet . As per my information I got from Kishore(south India Service engineer for KTM) D390 engine life is around 40k to 50k kms after that u need to do the engine work.

        I have clocked more than 8k kms on my odo there is no loss in power still now but ya we have to make sure the chain, Tyre pressure etc are correctly maintained.
        All mass produced bikes need engine work at 50 k kms. Engine work does not mean to replace engine crankcase and everything...isnt. maybe some valve works, tappets, springs, clutch housing, cylinder kit... Cylinder kit is last. If maintained as per company, it can do till 1 lakh kms like other bikes for sure...

        This huge torque single cylinder needs to be ridden carefully. 1 rule is, never lug the engine for the sake of FE. Never ever. i think we all have that Indian mentality... from 3rd gear onwards keep it above 3.5 k rpm...

        Maybe, as Bajaj bikes, this ktm also needs faster change of parts which is cheap as opposite to yamaha...

        ----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

        Originally posted by vinayduke View Post
        One of my friend has completed 28000 km on his 390...His bike still runs very smooth...Loss of power - He did not mention any such thing at the moment.

        Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app
        is he an xhpian? many here are looking for long run 390s... Who has clocked most till now? Please report at every stage...

        ----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

        My bike also got its front sprocket and rear tail part replaced under warranty.. The rear under tail piece now given is very flexible and can almost be rolled, whereas the older 1 was very stiff...
        I'm a responsible rider.It doesn't matter what you ride,but what matters is how you ride.

        Comment

        • #4429
          Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

          Originally posted by vinayduke View Post
          One of my friend has completed 28000 km on his 390...His bike still runs very smooth...Loss of power - He did not mention any such thing at the moment.

          Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app
          Thats great to know.. DO share his experiences with the KTM post 10-15K (a year that is) if possible.

          ----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

          Originally posted by Legend Racer View Post
          the term used , engine bite, is very relative. still i would try to meet up your question. that engine feel is related to other things as you said, clutch, chain, etc...Its same in all bikes. You change them and bike performs as new again. Any bike can live for ages if its not ridden... funny...
          Totally agree with that.. Bikes can last forever if ridden as well with engine maintenance work.
          Its just that engines should not go beyond a repair point and should not require re-bore after 15K kms(something I did with my Rajdoot; after 20 odd years though).

          Thing with bikes is if you own them for long, you do not want to sell them no matter how painful the ownership is!
          There is no better therapy than riding a bike down a straight road at full throttle with the sound of the engine for company.

          Comment

          • #4430
            Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

            Originally posted by mustang28 View Post
            Thats great to know.. DO share his experiences with the KTM post 10-15K (a year that is) if possible.

            ----consecutive posts auto-merged-----



            Totally agree with that.. Bikes can last forever if ridden as well with engine maintenance work.
            Its just that engines should not go beyond a repair point and should not require re-bore after 15K kms(something I did with my Rajdoot; after 20 odd years though).

            Thing with bikes is if you own them for long, you do not want to sell them no matter how painful the ownership is!
            Here's a list of the bikes which are available in the indian market and are likely to run upto 1L kms without requiring bore replacement, provided, regular maintenance is carried out:
            Honda CBR250R / 150R.
            Kawasaki N250 / N300.
            KTM 390 / 200 Duke.
            Bajaj P200NS.
            Yamaha R15.
            Hero karizmas (older ones).

            All the above bikes have very good quality refined engines, built using the latest tech. You can never go wrong with any of them if you're looking for engine longevity. But of course all of them will run into head maintenance / small replacements by 50k km but not major enough to burn a hole in your pocket. The 390 is equipped with a forged piston and nicasil coated bore so it can withstand great abuse. You wanna tour all day long? Saddlesore? Bunburner? Trackday? Drag racing event? You name it, the 390 will take it!

            Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2
            Last edited by Aditya N Bharadwaj; 07-31-2014, 10:41 PM.
            Sarcasm is my automatic response to stupidity.

            Comment

            • #4431
              Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

              I'm curious, how does a 2 cylinder engine fare against a single cylinder one in terms of engine longevity (assuming a similar displacement and riding conditions)? Mods sorry for the OT question

              Comment

              • #4432
                Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                Originally posted by Aditya N Bharadwaj View Post
                Here's a list of the bikes which are available in the indian market and are likely to run upto 1L kms without requiring bore replacement, provided, regular maintenance is carried out:
                Honda CBR250R / 150R.
                Kawasaki N250 / N300.
                KTM 390 / 200 Duke.
                Bajaj P200NS.
                Yamaha R15.
                Hero karizmas (older ones).

                All the above bikes have very good quality refined engines, built using the latest tech. You can never go wrong with any of them if you're looking for engine longevity. But of course all of them will run into head maintenance / small replacements by 50k km but not major enough to burn a hole in your pocket. The 390 is equipped with a forged piston and nicasil coated bore so it can withstand great abuse. You wanna tour all day long? Saddlesore? Bunburner? Trackday? Drag racing event? You name it, the 390 will take it!

                Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2
                You can add classic pulsar 180 to the list, I had one and it completed more than 60,000 kms without any work on engine and just one clutch change. I did varanasi-delhi-leh and back in 2006 with it (at that time it has aroung 28k kms on odo) without any problem. I guess life of bike engine also depend on how well you maintian it and how you ride it. BTW I used to drive it like I stole it but combination of accelerator, clutch was mostly good.

                Sold it after 60,000 kms because of some unfortunate accident.

                Comment

                • #4433
                  Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                  Originally posted by shootingstar View Post
                  You can add classic pulsar 180 to the list, I had one and it completed more than 60,000 kms without any work on engine and just one clutch change. I did varanasi-delhi-leh and back in 2006 with it (at that time it has aroung 28k kms on odo) without any problem. I guess life of bike engine also depend on how well you maintian it and how you ride it. BTW I used to drive it like I stole it but combination of accelerator, clutch was mostly good.

                  Sold it after 60,000 kms because of some unfortunate accident.
                  You can add hero cbz/hunk to the list... i have ridden it for 90k kms with still original clutch and nothing changed in the engine, only the gears have worn out as i usually use it for city rides. But yes its time for me to replace with new clutch plates and some tappets work and its ready to rock.

                  Comment

                  • #4434
                    Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                    Originally posted by Aditya N Bharadwaj View Post
                    Here's a list of the bikes which are available in the indian market and are likely to run upto 1L kms without requiring bore replacement, provided, regular maintenance is carried out:
                    Honda CBR250R / 150R.
                    Kawasaki N250 / N300.
                    KTM 390 / 200 Duke.
                    Bajaj P200NS.
                    Yamaha R15.
                    Hero karizmas (older ones).

                    All the above bikes have very good quality refined engines, built using the latest tech. You can never go wrong with any of them if you're looking for engine longevity. But of course all of them will run into head maintenance / small replacements by 50k km but not major enough to burn a hole in your pocket. The 390 is equipped with a forged piston and nicasil coated bore so it can withstand great abuse. You wanna tour all day long? Saddlesore? Bunburner? Trackday? Drag racing event? You name it, the 390 will take it!

                    Sent from my GT-S5360 using Tapatalk 2
                    We can't comment on the 390's engine longevity as the bike is pretty new and none haven't clocked much miles. But forged pistons, nicasil coatings, Bosch ABS, Metzeler tyres, trellis frame, an outstanding ECU, all under 2 lakhs is a bit skeptical. These parts if made well would have definitely cost a bomb, but still Bajaj managed to price the bike really low, while KTM is one of the expensive bikes to buy and maintain all over the world. We all know how Bajaj made this possible from the quality issues spread over the thread.
                    And speaking on the latest tech, our good old proven Hero splendors are capable of running well past 1 lakh kms,no matter how you abuse it, the engine never dies. Technology and durability are entirely different things. A technologically advanced engine may or may not be durable as the bottom line is the quality of the parts used.


                    Originally posted by Rohit.nagamalla View Post
                    You can add hero cbz/hunk to the list... i have ridden it for 90k kms with still original clutch and nothing changed in the engine, only the gears have worn out as i usually use it for city rides. But yes its time for me to replace with new clutch plates and some tappets work and its ready to rock.
                    +1. I ride a cbz xtreme which has clocked 60k, but still running solid on fully stock parts. These Unicorns, Hunks and Xtremes are highly reliable motorcycles, with most parts just refuses to wear off. I have seen them involved in serious crashes but can be ridden home just after with small bends and cracks here and there
                    Last edited by junaid12345678; 08-01-2014, 04:19 PM.
                    If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on.

                    Comment

                    • #4435
                      Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                      Well. All bikes require maintenance, its not only the KTM that does.
                      And comparing the longetvity of a ~400cc high revs engine with a 150 cc engine that would run under low revs most of the time is completely not justified (comaprisons with Unicorns and Spendors and all).
                      And well, I believe Bajaj did a great job with KTM to bring the D390 to India priced at 2.2 lakh. The niggles are there but lets give some respect to KTM for bringing a bike to us with all that it has under 2L.
                      In my total senses, I would consider paying ~1.7L for a painted 500cc metal engine that does 24bhp or so and has no hint of technology or engineering in it is overkill. Before, you train your guns on me I would say that I own one of those, but yeah it was in one of my less sensible moments.
                      There is no better therapy than riding a bike down a straight road at full throttle with the sound of the engine for company.

                      Comment

                      • #4436
                        Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                        Originally posted by mustang28 View Post
                        Well. All bikes require maintenance, its not only the KTM that does.
                        And comparing the longetvity of a ~400cc high revs engine with a 150 cc engine that would run under low revs most of the time is completely not justified (comaprisons with Unicorns and Spendors and all).
                        Lets talk revs. A 400cc bike does 100 kmph in about 5000 rpm and at the same time a 150cc bike does that in about 8000rpm. So if both the bikes are out on the highway, doing 100kmph, which bike would be revving higher? Which bike would run more strained? The D390 revs to 9.5k rpm and most 150cc bikes out there revs till 9k even with having longer stroke than the 390. The CBR150R redlines at 11.5k, R15 redlines at 10.5k and the N300 at 13krpm. So, the D390 is low revving here.
                        If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on.

                        Comment

                        • #4437
                          Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                          Originally posted by junaid12345678 View Post
                          Lets talk revs. A 400cc bike does 100 kmph in about 5000 rpm and at the same time a 150cc bike does that in about 8000rpm. So if both the bikes are out on the highway, doing 100kmph, which bike would be revving higher? Which bike would run more strained? The D390 revs to 9.5k rpm and most 150cc bikes out there revs till 9k even with having longer stroke than the 390. The CBR150R redlines at 11.5k, R15 redlines at 10.5k and the N300 at 13krpm. So, the D390 is low revving here.
                          R15 has a diasil cyllinder and an undersquare engine (excellently engineered), Ninja 300 is a parrallel twin and CBR150 has DOHC, naturally they will rev more.


                          Sent from my GT-S5360 using xBhp Connect mobile app

                          Comment

                          • #4438
                            Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                            When I made out the list of bikes which last upto 1L kms, I should have typed *performance bikes* earlier. That probably would not have started a D390 vs Honda unicorn comparo. No doubt those commuters last that long. They are built to last and make peak torque low down on the rev range. Performance bikes are built to be thrashed. And if they still manage to last long, there you have a masterpiece.
                            Sarcasm is my automatic response to stupidity.

                            Comment

                            • #4439
                              Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                              Not only the revs.But it really matters what power and Torque the motor generates.... Any motor tuned for performance can have relatively early maintenance versus the not so highly tuned motor, primarily commuter segment...

                              390 makes highest power in its class with Power to weight ratio at 300+ equal to an Aston Martin... So it not right comparison...

                              Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

                              Comment

                              • #4440
                                Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

                                Visakh Asok has completed 28000 km on his 390...Not sure if he is on xBhp. But will find out on the bite / pull aspect at next G2G.

                                Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

                                Comment

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