Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Riders
I am presently planning to buy a pre-owned KTM Duke 390 really soon. Earlier I have owned and ridden Yamaha FZ16, Bajaj Pulsar 200NS, Honda CBR250R(STD) and a couple of gearless scooters(basically my sisters scooters which I used the most&#128514. So for now both my heart and mind are inclined towards D390 only(well even I believe that it will be a proper upgrade and even is under my budget too). After a long hunt I came across to a 2015 model D390 with 4010Kms ODO reading(genuine ODO i guess as metzes are in good shape with no scratches on the rims which occurs during tyre replacement). Bike is in immaculate condition with ZERO drop. So riders I want some PDI TIPS for the same.

Even have any one personally used Engine Ice coolant(no youtube reviews please)? If yes then please share your experience as the very first upgrade from my side would be a 2017 model radiator Fan and Engine Ice coolant.

Thanks in advance ☺

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

check the service records of the bike if available.
a 2015 model already comes with the 'new' design fan i.e. shroud around fan (in fact it started appearing on late 2014 models itself).
in our temperate climate along with the hotheadedness of the 390, the engine ice may not help much (unless you fall for the placebo effect it's name gives you). I have a friend in chennai who runs the engine ice and it hasn't made any difference whatsoever (i have ridden that 390), but atleast no negative effects. I personally switched to motul motocool expert on my D200 and even that hasn't shown any improvement.. just as good as stock.
Since the bike you are buying now would be 2 yrs old, I'd advice you drain the coolant, run some water thru the radiator and flush/drain it and then fill up with fresh coolant (motul inugel expert, motul motocool expert or engine ice ... that's in order of the cheapest to the most expensive ones). A lot of folks use motul motocool and its easily available and does a good job, just costs more. This is marketed as a motorcycle specific coolant, whereas the inugel expert (used at ktm svc) is marketed as a coolant for both cars & motorcycles.
and remember when you fill up coolant.. fill up the radiator first and then the plastic expansion tank. and after a couple of days you may notice a drop in coolant level which is normal.. just top it off and keep an eye (shouldn't drop thereafter).

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Yes I asked the present owner about the past service invoice and for any other major or minor repair invoice and he agreed that he is having few of them. Though he claims that his bike never ran for even a single minor repair but I will inspect the same from my end from KTM ASC. About ratiator flushing, well I was planning to get every fluids flushed out(engine oil, coolant and brake fluids) and pour it with the new one just for the peace of mind. And along with this air fiter, oil filter, fuel filter, clutch cable, throttle cable and spark plug will be replaced. Thankyou for your input about engine ice coolant and I guess I will switch to motul motocool for now. In future I will switch to SPAL fan and make it combined with engine ice but for now my budget is relatively tight.

And I am having a question i.e do i need to change the fork oil for now(after getting my hands on it)? Basically I have read somewhere that fork oil need to be replaced at every 10,000Kms.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences


Though you yourself have brought out good enough points on what should be changed and what not. A few pointers from my side would be, check the chain sliders, and observe the condition of the chain. Non-usage always means chains can and will get rusty. Do a thorough chain lube and clean. Secondly, apart from flushing, engine coolant, engine oil, and replacing air filter and all the nitty-gritty, do get it connected to the diagnostic tool and check for any errors if registered (though this will show up in the console) Thirdly, you can also consider changing the spark plug for peace of mind. Though the minimum interval for a spark plug replacement is 10k plus, it can be added in the bucket list of changing things in one go.

Yes, fork oils too can be replaced as a proactive measure during replacement of all fluids. But, make sure they use new seals and the proper amount of oil. The nakeds use 450 ML, being mindful of the quantity that goes inside the fork reduces chances of bust/leaky fork oil seals, thanks to our pothole ridden roads.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Very thanks for your valuable inputs sir. I am making a to-do-list and will be going to follow up the same.

Cheers ☺

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Has anyone carried out front brake master cylinder mod on their bike, please do share details as to what master cylinder they are using now

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Bro, can you please share the price that has been decided for the same. Even i am considering this option (will be helpful)

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Asking price is 1.6 though I am still negotiating. Sounds kind-off overpriced I guess but the condition defines the price.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Would love to hear others thoughts on this or those who had done any modifications to the master cylinder piston kit. But, you definitely can check the MY 2017's master cylinder and replace that with the current setup. If my memory serves me correct, there has been been some positive changes in the braking department on the newer 390s, the front brake, courtesy the new bigger 320 mm rotor and the new stock sintered pad setup. Do check it out.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Is the rotor of the newer 2017 D390 interchangable with the older ones? I guess because of size difference they might not be interchangable(correct me if I am wrong).

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Sorry for barging in, why don't you try to look for 2016 BS3 D390. There were news of some stick still left at a few dealers. You will probably get a new bike in same cost or even lesser and you will save the additional expense of the changes you listed in previous post too.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Sir I have been hunting the same since last 1 month in my state(not only my city[emoji23]). The stock is over way before. Even I did planned to buy a new BS3 model from some other state though but the expences along with xyz additional expences in the end of the day will be way beyond my budget and even will take a lot of time. So the only option which is left with me is to get a pre-owned D390 with much minimum ODO and immaculate condition. So basically I am left with this single option only. Even though I CAN NOT enjoy the warrant if I will get a new BS3 D390 as KTM India clearly says that warranty of the m/c doesnot gets transfered to the second owner(its an excuse but is truth[emoji28] ).

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi Sid,

I've got to disagree with you on this one :P I ran Engine Ice on my older 2016 390 and it definitely helped. Yes, it's obviously not going to make a difference when the bike is stationary. The fan used to come on and cut out, something that never happened with the shitty stock coolant. I even saw temp bars drop by 1-2 bars when riding in rain.

On the new 2017, I've flushed it with engine ice again. And trust me when I say this, my bike temperature doesnt rise beyond 5 bars ( 4bars- Normal temp 8bars- overheat).

I've seen many 2017 390's display " High Engine Temperature" because they're using the stock shitty Bajaj Coolex when caught in traffic .

So yes, it does work.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

I have come across bikes 2016 4-5k for 1.60 after negotiations. So 1.30-1.4 for a nice bike is good i guess

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Did not quite understand: is the warranty not valid on second hand or new bs3 vehicle on discount?