Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

[MENTION=62917]deepak82[/MENTION]: Judgements based on longevity and reliability, like yours, require time to be passed on. How do you believe so strongly that Duke or its engine wont survive long, especially when it's a KTM? They have a long history and massive experience on making big singles that have a feeling of rawness in their power. On the contrary, the engine is very robust and shall be satisfyingly durable.

As i have said before, initial issues look bad and leave a bad taste, but company's like KTM have generated strong goodwills over the years by consistently launching reliable products. Trust them to take care of these smaller Dukes, and more so, trust them to give a nice stick to Bajaj if there are build/finishing issues.

In general, i believe most owners are greatly enjoying the 390.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Not trying to sound rude, but, do you have facts enough to support this statement?

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Thank You.

But if you notice the link I have provided KTM VIN is different from the one quoted in this post. KTM's eight character is a number and not a letter.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences


Hello, got this beast delivered week ago, so far its being an amazing ride ! The throttle response is freaking awesome, the showroom guy suggested not to push beyond 7k rpm so basically maintaining mostly below 5k and that is just more than enough to cruise swiftly through city .
Few points :
1> The engine does heat up when you are in bumper to bumper traffic but it is definitely bearable with shorts on !
2> The Braking is really good with ABS on plus the sticky metzellers may have helped also , from 100 kmph to standstill in 50 meters that is just mind blowing for me.
3> The Fuel economy is around 28-30 kmpl which is definitely not bad considering the city use.
Only problem i have is a cranky noise that is irregular which is coming somewhere near engine i just cant narrow it down , i took the bike to service center but they were unable to observe due to heavy noise from traffic . The mechanic at service point said try to observe where its coming from if possible and that part is quite tricky.. its very uncertain but it does always come when the road is bit uneven like minor bump comes by ! i tried checking taking through rough roads its very silent on hard pot holes and rumblers , it just spooks me out every time i hear that noise :\ , at first i thought the chain may be loose so the chaingaurd is creating the noise but i got the chain tightened and still the problem persists ... if any one has been through this problem please let me know !
Apart from this, D390 is lone-rider styled monster !

P.S: only skinny babes would be comfortable for pillion seat !

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Anyone using ktm powerpart after market windscreen?
How much does it help in reducing the wind blast? Any reviews on the same?

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Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

And you're probably saying that because of some minor glitches the owners are facing, right? That's like saying that a small human child is a defective child because he gets sick too often and he has to be given medicines for the same. Imagine how we would have felt if our parents have said that we are a defective child.

If you think that the performance would dip after 10k kms, then, with all due respect, I suggest that you stop thinking and don't stress on your brain so much.

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Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I am the one who has faced a lot of issues with ktm but never once did I shy away from the bike or ever would. It is the single best thing that has happened to the Indian bike enthusiasts since rd days.
The best value for money performance motorcycle I guess in the whole darn world.

I was trying to avoid a comparison with cbr since yesterday but frankly speaking. We have a duke 200 from the first lot in our family, it faced all the initial niggles that were a part of the package but the engine is a beauty. It might eat chain sets like anything but when it runs on the road it makes you feel like the king. I have revved the hell out of it and 17k kms later I can still vouch for its performance.

The build quality is really good on the ktm's except for a part or two. The cbr's on the other hand are always affected from premature shim failure every now and then, poor brakes, vibes and noises from all the parts of the fairing and the engine tends to get rough at the top end of the rev range. I can go on here. So for everyone making a big deal out of how bad the 390 is. It is the best bike out there, starting from chassis, brakes, suspension, tires etc, it has everything better than the cbr except for the handlebar grips.
[MENTION=57449]Junaid[/MENTION] buddy a ktm 43hp becoming 22hp after 2 years is not a chance but I can assure you my duke 200, 2yr old can make a lot of cbr's eat dust till date. The engine is untouched.

If the cbr in question is a little old then probably even in terms of top speed my duke200 would give it a run because my duke runs on first mapping and the new 42t sprocket. So the limiter cuts in only at 142kmph. Another thing, mind you that the speedometer on the dukes are much more accurate. So when it comes to cbr vs dukes... I so wanted to avoid this but I guess I have started it all over again.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences


Adding to that, Dukes best part is the Engine and the gearbox. The chasis compliments them very well. No matter ho hard you thrash this bike it is always eager for more. I am happy I walked out of Honda showroom and bought my Duke.

I am eagerly waiting for RC390, and would be more than happy to be in KTM family with RC.

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Adding to that, Dukes best part is the Engine and the gearbox. The chasis compliments them very well. No matter ho hard you thrash this bike it is always eager for more. I am happy I walked out of Honda showroom and bought my Duke.

I am eagerly waiting for RC390, and would be more than happy to be in KTM family with RC.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

invite skinny Babes for ride - noted

Same Questions asked. no answer..
Its 2500 bucks. and seems toooooo tiny..

there is a thread of CBR windshield jugaad DIY. waiting for his report with the frame support thing.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

[MENTION=63586]DukeDey[/MENTION] and Chinmayakar....How do you feel the D390 would fare if it's ridden through Zanskar?? I heard the roads are pretty bad out there...

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences


I agree to your point. But judgements wont go wrong always. Some times common sense is just enough to make judgements. The Duke is 95 percent localized. So its not truly or a 100% KTM. KTM don't have its own manufacturing facility here. Yes, KTM's have a long history and massive experience in making big single cylinders but they does that in their own plant, their own assembly line in Austria. They have well qualified and skilled engineers and mechanics working on every bike that rolls out of the factory. Every raw material goes through stringent quality check by KTM's world class quality control department. I read somewhere that lot of dukes have been returned to India for not meeting KTM's quality standards. I saw one video on YouTube on the Chakan plant and the mechanics working there don't even wear proper uniform, forget about quality control. For example just compare
the Austrian made 690 duke and the Indian made 390 duke. The 390 duke is nowhere near 690 in terms of build quality. The 690 duke uses world class quality parts and the bike is build to last. Chains last for thousands of miles. Paint maintains its shine for ever. Electricals are flawless. Engine is a true workhorse. This is what a true KTM means. This is how KTM build their bikes. Unlike the Bajaj, who are making bikes for the past few decades, but still at no.3 in its own country. Even the Honda who came here just a decade ago overtook Bajaj in sales and are now at no.2. Bajaj haven't learnt anything from their association with Kawasaki, unlike the Hero Motocorp who are now more stronger without their partner and makes world class bikes. It doesn't matter how many bhp their bikes make but they just keeps the rider smiling for years.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

you are questioning ktm's engine longevity in india. lets wait and see. paint is a concern but as many others said its so cheap to buy one in respect to power for money. regarding engine , we will see as many owners clock kms. im among the fast clocking odometer riders. i have a lot of travelling to do daily.

previously i owned a P 150. always rode at 80 km/hr, thats almost redlines. always given best care possible, changes oil at 2k. cylinder kit lasted for 80 k kms. should have lasted more since it was maintained well but didnt.minor scratches and i thought of replacing it.
but i dont think a bike in collaboration with ktm will be like pulsars. definitely not.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

@junaid12345678

first of all.. my view is based on whether you can trust KTM to get Bajaj to take care of the concerning issues or not. There are some companies where you can conclude, with common sense, that they are not gonna improve and it's a waste of time. Then there are companies about whom you know that they will get things right soon enough. KTM is the latter one for me and that is why I mentioned about KTM's history and goodwhill.

All 200 and 390 Dukes that are made in India are still 100% KTM. They are designed in Austria while the production happens here. Though I absolutely agree with you that quality control by KTM needs to be stricter than it is right now even for Dukes that are sold in India. As you rightly say, all Dukes sold in Europe go through strict quality checks by KTM, but probably, KTM has completely left it on Bajaj for the quality checks on all Dukes sold in India. It is saddening if it's true. Bajaj might be making good developments in their own motorcycles, but I definitely do not consider them good enough to take responsibility of the quality on behalf of a European manufacturer.

The only reason I am positive about Dukes' quality to improve is because it is a KTM motorcycle after all irrespective of where and by whom it is made. And KTM must give Bajaj a good stick to keep the quality intact.

I am probably saying the same thing as you are, but I am more positive for things to improve

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Mate, just sell your 390 and buy whichever bike you think is reliable or robust according to you. No ill wil intended.
There is no point misleading prospective owners. This is an ownership thread, for people who have already bought the bike. No point going OT again and again.

Yep, even I had a look at it. In two minds whether to invest in that or not. So I wanted to hear from people who've already got it.
Another option is MRA windshield, but not really a fan of its looks.

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Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I know a couple of guys who have done that on their d200 and came back with nothing but praises for the bike.