Find these new video of KTM 390:
Ninja 300 Vs Ktm 390 by power drift



Best Beginner naked bike by 1000ps (please ignore guy voice )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqwZYkkp3t8

Awesome. If price was not that high. N300 would have been a winner against D390!

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Pune Wakewadi SVC screwed my hooligan....

Ive been silently following this forum thread right from the beginning.
Got my Duke in October 2013.
I thoroughly enjoyed this bike right from the time i accepted delivery.

After the first service, the bike performed better and the engine sounded more refined.
However, it was not ment to last.
Before the second service, my duke was dropped by kids in my society while it was parked.
The bike fell on its right side on a parapet and the radiator was damaged which resulted in a coolant spill.
I took my bike to SNK KTM service center at Wakewadi here in pune.
The circled part in the image below was damaged and the radiator had to be replaced after that.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]153265[/ATTACH]

After the radiator was changed, i started noticing the coolant disappearing and the level dropping.
I tried to look for any visible leaks but could not find any.
Puzzled, i took my bike back to the service center.
The head mechanic, told me that there's nothing to worry about and topped up the coolant.

After a few days i noticed the coolant disappearing again after it was topped up.
It was time for my second service, so i took the bike back to the mech.
I gave the SVC a complete picture of what happened and also told them that the issue started after the radiator assembly was changed.
He drained the engine oil and checked its level to ensure the coolant is not getting into the engine.
This time, the mech told me that there was an air pocket inside the radiator which was causing the coolant to change levels.
I took their word and got my bike back after 2nd service.

I started keeping an eye out for any loss of coolant level and to my surprise i saw the level drop once again.
This time i was fried and took the bike again to the SVC and gave them a piece of my mind (3rd day wasted in the SVC)
The manager at that time, Mr Chintamani assured me that he knows everything about the bike and promised me that the issue will be rectified.
He kept my bike in the SVC for 7 days and only started working on the bike on day 5. In the meantime, i called everyday to get an update but there was no update.
Anyways, after 7 days Mr Chintamani told me that they have figured out the problem. He said that the engine head gasket was blown and was causing the coolant to disappear.
He also clicked a pic of the same. Attached below:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]153267[/ATTACH]

Apparently, the above image is of my bike when it was opened by the engineer. ( I seriously doubt it cause initially the manager was reluctant to share the pic with me)
Anyways, the head gasket was changed and the manager marked the coolant level with a marker to check the level drop.
I took the bike home thinking the issue is resolved.
Rode the bike for 2-3 days and noticed one morning that the coolant level dropped again.

The below pic shows no coolant in the reservoir after the head gasket was replaced. You can clearly see the markings made by the SVC manager.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]153266[/ATTACH]

However, this time i could see a visible coolant leak.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]153268[/ATTACH]

The washer in the screw in the above pic was done for and the coolant drained out.
This is the first time i saw a visible coolant leak.
I took the bike again to the SVC and this time they kept it for another 2 days.
They ensured that it was a minor issue and changed the washer as it had gone bad.
They again topped my coolant level and told me the issue is resolved.

I took the bike back home but due to heavy rains, i could not ride the bike for almost a month.
A few days ago i decided to take my bike out for a spin.
To my amazement, i saw the coolant level drop again. (There was no visible leak)
Also, the bike was making a weird noise and i found out tat the engine mounting nut was left loose by the mech.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]153269[/ATTACH]

I have no idea what to do and who to go to. Hence, im posting it here for everyone to know how a completely good bike was ruined by the SVC here.
These guys have no idea on how to diagnose the issue and find out the root cause of the problem.
Since day 1, i have been telling them that the issue started after the radiator was changed but these guys have not checked\replaced it to verify my claim.
I also told them to check the water pump seals as a friend of mine posted on another Duke 390 forum and was asked to check the same but they claim that its ok.
Link: Coolant disappearing - No leaks - KTM Duke 390 Forum

At this point my bike is parked in the garage.
I do not know the extent of damage caused to the engine due to the SVC's negligence and their lack of knowledge about their own product.
However, during this entire period, i haven't seen the bike temperature go over 9 bar. I also have never received "High coolant temp" warning ever.
I am scared to take my bike back to the same guys cause im sure they will manage to screw it up more.
Also, from other owner reviews im not too sure about the other Service center located at Kothrud either.
Im not sure if the damage is spread to the engine head or piston rings.
There's no way to find out without the SVC guys opening up the entire engine.
Keeping in mind their incompetence i really don't want to give the bike back to them again.
Maybe ill write to the Bajaj\KTM to let them know how the idiots here are giving KTM a bad name.

Comments?

There are three possibilities of coolant disappearing.
1. Its getting evaporated somewhere.
2. Its mixing with engine oil (but acc to the svc this isnt happening).
3. Its entering the combustion chamber and burning along with the air fuel mixture.

Make the following checks once.
1. See if the spark plug has any deposits apart from black soot on the electrode. Also try to observe the threads of the plug closely for any tell tale signs of coolant burn.
2. Try to smell the exhaust gases from a small distance. Burnt / evaporated coolant smells pungent and normal products and by-products of combustion (carbon dioxide, water vapour, small amounts of carbon monoxide and small amounts of fuel smell tolerable).
3. Compare the sound of your bike with another trouble free 390, preferably one which has completed run-in. An abnormal burning engine will sound slightly different.
4. For a more precise analysis get a PUC check done. Unwanted substances burning in the combustion chamber will ruin the catalyser and increase emissions.
5. Observe the exhaust gas while the engine is revved. It should be transparent.
6. If the above steps are performed and bike behaves normally, the possibility of coolant burning is ruled out.
7. There is one particular hose attached to the coolant reservoir to the RH of the tank. That's the overflow pipe, meant to get rid of evaporated coolant gases and sometimes, excess coolant (i.e if filled in excess or if coolant expands too much). Few months ago i got coolant replaced on my 200ns as part of the 25k km service. The nincompoops had jammed one particular hose (not sure which) during the process. The coolant would never reach the temperature probe and in stop go traffic the coolant would heat and expand so much that the system would 'puke' it out through the overflow pipe. Now assuming that the dukes 200/390 have nearly the same working principle of the cooling system, blocked tubes can be a possibility. In 200ns, the overflow tube is short so in an event of overflow the coolant would splatter around the whole frame and engine so it wouldnt go unnoticed. Perhaps the 390's overflow pipe is long enough to directly discard it to the road so you arent able to notice.

What i advice you to do is, give the bike for service to the same svc again and after they tell you that the bike is fine and can be collected, ask them to place the bike on paddock stand and let the engine rev / idle till the radiator fan turns on & off or till theres any abnormal coolant overflow. Also keep a tab on the coolant level throughout the experiment.

Tip 1: try to monitor the service. Ask them to call you while filling up coolant. It is mandatory to fill the radiator TO THE BRIM with the engine switched on from COLD. This is to ensure that there are no air pockets in the cooling system and the engine temperature wont go beyond normal. Later the reservoir can be filled to max or just below that level. That's how I fill up the coolant if i ever remove it.

Tip 2: a mail to customer care does wonders, trust me!

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Thanx for your inputs Aditya.
Apart from posting on this forum i also sent an email to KTM customer care. Their response was quick
Mr Milind who happens to be the Service Manager for Maharashtra called me and assured me that he will get the issue resolved.
He has asked me to take the bike to the other SVC at Karve nagar in Pune.
Hopefully the issue will be sorted.
Ill kepp you posted

I used to get it till my helmet when I used a short tail tidy. But now again switched to the stock mud guard and now the spray is till the rear seat.
No tyre hugger in both cases.

Which tail tidy ?
R&G or Evotech ?

No brand. Had cut the rear mud guard and under tray with a hack saw.

The exhaust note changes after a while. Are you sure that's not the case? I have a 2013 model and it's got louder over the kilometers