Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Thank you for the response.
So, this gives me a feeling that the Service Adviser is moving in the right direction. Is that right ?

Cheers,
Nawaz

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Well,the tik tik sound is likeliest to originate in the head

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

At least, the SA that you spoke seems to be astute. Yes, there have been many cases of shoddy repair work on countless 390's where the mechanics' "expedited nature of the work" adds to the conundrum and brings in new set of problems, which many here would echo. There have been cases of seizures post new piston and cylinder kit installation, improperly checked shim clearances, nuts and bolts severely undertorqued or sometimes extremely over torqued. The list is one too many.

As Zest mentioned, Head is nothing but the top of your bike where all your cams, valves, rocker arm, springs basically the entire valve train is present. Once you remove the head, all you have is the piston and the cylinder also known as bore. Just Google motorcycle head you will get the gist of what it is.

Try not to ride the bike till the parts arrive. If you can, speak to the SA manager that you'd like to keep your bike in the SVC, and request them for a spare bike till the spare arrives. Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Alright!
I must hope for the best
Will keep the thread posted on future progress.

Cheers,
Nawaz

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Yes, this SVC seems to be the busiest in Kolkata, and they do have quite a load of work. The others (located in suburbs) are comparatively less crowded, but do have their fare share of negligence, eg: Unavailability of Engine Oil(KTM Hooghly), Frequent power cuts and no backup power (KTM Barasat), etc.

I realize that I need to learn a fair bit about engines, and identifying myself as a "noob" is not an acceptable excuse in the real world. I need to at-least understand what exactly is the work being done, as it seems my era of frequent visits to SVC have started. Thus, will start educating myself.

I have also given a thought that tonight will be the last 27kms (office to home) on the Duke till the parts arrive. The VIP Road SVC has tight parking area, and I think keeping the bike with them won't be a good idea, as we never know some guy from the SVC might decide to go on a casual spin!
Till then I am lucky to use my Dad's Dominar as a backup. That machine has run only 1700kms in 7 months.

Going by comments from [MENTION=42309]zestbiker[/MENTION] and you, I think this time the diagnosis (though in the dark) is taking a good direction, thus, I am hopeful.
And I will keep updating the thread.

Thanks for being supportive, I guess, this is where biking brotherhood helps
Being able to vent out the frustration of repeated failures, and receive helpful advice in return helps in keeping the mind from going insane!

Cheers,
Nawaz

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Got my bike back. They blame it completely on powertronics just like you said. Got a bill of around 5k. Which included an blown out O2 sensor , 1k for electrical check and 1k for labor charge. Will contact techs over at RD to clarify the issue.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

I run the same setup as you on my rc 390, which version of powertronic are you using?
Which map were you running on?
How often do you clean the air filter?
Did you revert to stock after the failure and check if the bike is starting or not?

About the piggyback - the 390 runs lean from factory, so the fuel controller/piggyback helps a lot here but it depends on which map ypu're running.

The SVC has old habit of blaming aftermarket parts even if its not the part's fault for failure.

But yes, do speak to powertronic about this issue.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Though PT is a reliable box, there have been instances where the boxes have been faulty causing intermittent stalling and the taking the rider by surprise during riding, only to start after a while and sometimes not. Though genuine mechanical problems can't be ruled out, maps do play an important role and so does blame game from the SVC. Sadly, the SVC folks, always find ways to procrastinate and start accusation on something that is not part of the OEM equipment in case of a mishap. Do inspect the PT box and share what they have to say.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

I had bought the version 2 box from them, it ran fine for few months after which the stalling issue plagued my bike.
I spoke to PT and they asked me to send the box back to them and after few days I got a version 3(current one) as replacement.
Its been running fine since then.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Update on the stalling issue. Left the bike at ASC, when I suggested throttle body might be causing the issue, the mech said, if throttle body was dirty, then I would face the stalling even if the engine is running, and the idle would have sudden dips. Since my issue happens only in cold starts(even when warmed up) he said throttle body would not be causing it. He was said it might be the spark plug or adapter(don't know what adapter he is talking about). He said he will look into the issue. Fingers crossed....

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi,

I have few queries regarding KTM 390. I hope the vintage bikers can throw some light on it, since I am planning to purchase either of Duke 390 or Dominar :

1) Does the high compression ration of the engine effects negatively on its longevity ? Out of the KTM Duke 390 and dominar, which one would have a longer road life, considering similar care is given to both the bikes.
2) Is 80000 additional cost of KTM Duke in comparison to Dominar, worth it, in terms of quality ?
3) Which bike is better for two up riding (with a pillion). I have heard the 2017 version Duke has a better saddle for the pillion.

Thanks

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Not really. Stalling, and intermittent idling both can be caused by a clogged or a gummed up throttle body. How much has your motorcycle run, and when was the last time you considered TB cleaning. I'd definitely recommend you to carry a thorough throttle body cleaning procedure, you should definitely see a difference post the procedure.

80,000 worth the sweat? Yes, you get, 8 horses more, you get USD forks, you get a brilliant chassis, you get those lovely Metzelers, you get LED headlamps, you have that lovely TFT display. There is a notion prevalent that high compression engines do not last long, which is falsifying. Take Diesel engines for example, they have compression ratios to the 15 all the way upto 23:1 and they are some of the reliable engines out there. Compression isn't going to bring down the engine life, the fuel quality, the maps present and how well fueling is delivered is what determines the life and very importantly how well the rider takes care of the motorcycle which is directly proportional to reliability

Pillion comfort is miles better on the newer version on an apples-to-apples basis, and vibrations have been controlled to excellent levels. Dominar is a power cruiser, with good pillion comfort, and lovely soft suspension that can cruise along the highways with ease, but don't expect the handing and agility of the 390. Take a test ride of the both, if feasible with a pillion and proceed from there.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Thank you Blackthorn. Does the duke have an adjustable rear suspension ?

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Yes Duke has adjustable rear suspensions.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Spending 80K extra?
My observations:
1.) 8 extra horses and 2 extra NM
2.) Duke is almost 20 kgs lighter then Dominar
3.) Fantastic TFT screen
4.) Brutal, infact best acceleration among all bikes available in country under 3 lac
5.) Though looks are subjective but Duke 390 beats dominar hands down in beauty contest. Second look guaranteed
6.) better quality of parts
7.) Better brakes
8.) Pillion Comforts: request you to kindly do a back to back long test rides as a pillion and judge. Other ride on air or gel seats are always there for occasional pillion rides.
9.) High compression engine and longevity: well engine life depends on many factors such as how well it has been driven, oil change durations, operation area etc etc
So don’t fret on this issue as generally engines are tested for more then a million or half a million kms before putting them into commercial usage.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Thanks h_Bharti. Planning back to back test rides this weekend, with my pillion.