Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Drove my 390 in heavy traffic for almost an hour today (already finished 1k + first service). Just out of curiosity after reading some previous messages about the rear brake, i tried to touch it and it was reaaaallly hot. Front was much cooler. After that i watched myself and observed that since the foot pegs are rear set quite a bit, natural tendency for me is to touch the brake lever a little bit when i ride. I guess there isnt enough play in the lever to allow this. I drove the second half with my feet below the rear brake pedal and didnt use it at all. Found that the heating issue went away.

I guess this means that the brakes are not always on due to any flaw, but they are too sensitive by default. Will have to ask the mechanic to increase the play per instructions in the manual to the max possible. Only other alternative would be to replace the lever with a longer one

I am also begining to realise that front brake lever requires quite a bit of movement for the brakes to hit maximum braking. Put this along with the issue above, its a little bit of a bad combination (front requires lot of movement while rear brake lever is too sensitive) and might explain why people are talking about the rear abs kicking in early (which i felt too).

Again, not a huge deal, but will take some getting used to. I wish the rear brake lever was adjustable too just like the gear shift lever

And please, can we move past the whole cbr vs ktm discussion here? Please go do that in the review thread. This is the ownership exp thread. Lets try and discuss actual ownership experiences

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Took delivery of the 390 today.
The bike had 4kms on the odo.
PDI was done and everything was under check.
Started at 5.30 PM from cochin, as soon as i took it to the road the Fi malfunction light started to stay on. Took back to svc , ran the diagnostic test, no errors turned up, it was concluded that it was water in some sensors, a quick blow drying the sensors solved the issue.
So far the bike has been a delight, absolute breeze, munches miles like crazy, metzelers have crazy grip, the bike is very planted and precise, grear shifts are smooth, finding neutral is relatively easy.
Will be handling th ebike for a month before my brother takes it to bangalore. Here are a few pics





when the first 100kms came up.


Now the odo stands at 153kms.

Cheers
Ride Safe
Krishna

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

got my Duke today.I'm a happy man

regarding the debate going on here. look all of us bought the bike due to the fact we get 44hp+abs in 2lacs.that's it.I'm a yamaha fan.if they had something like this (ya, u wish) I would buy it in a heart beat.but NO ONE in India currently has this equation of low price plus performance.quality ain't up there I agree.paint already chipping from unused pillion foot pegs.engine rough and very vibey(hey its a high powered single cylinder OK) and fuel cap from pulsar!whatever.

there is only one reason I bought it. the same reason my fz feels like a damn bicycle to me now! (sorry yamaha,ur just too late).twist the throttle and vhrooooom..

I still have to commend on the suspension.being Kerala we have no lack of bad roads..I kinda have a sensitive back.so I know if its stiff or not. it is not.the seats are also fine actually.maybe I like what others call firm.still suspension soakes potholes just wonderfully.oh yes front gives u a good feel of road surface.right there.brakes lack feel I guess? I mean they do reduce speed fast but do other owners understand what I'm saying here?

Love the sound.will get an approved aftermarket air filter still when companies start releasing it specific to the 390.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

You can't do anything for the front, but the rear is a ten step adjustable one. And I must say, it absorbs every irregularities well with the front suspension being an exception. It transmits everything to your arms and shoulders and contributes well for a jerky ride. Even the slightest irregularities upsets the front suspension while cornering. And a bouncing front end is not good while cornering on our roads as they are not that forgiving. A pothole comes in the middle and thinks can go scary before we could even realize what's happened.
You are right about the brakes part. It definitely lacks some feel but I think its mainly due to the early kicking in of ABS. If we slows down quickly, we won't actually understand how much pressure we want to induce to the brake lever due to the ABS interfering with the brake force. I personally feel this is actually making the braking distance longer. What's the need of ABS before the wheel starts to skid? But on the other side, I managed to skid the bike on a road covered with sand and gravel, though the ABS kicks in, its not completely preventing wheel lockup. The bike always skids for a second and suddenly the ABS comes into action and begins to modulate the pressure. It happened every time I tested. Absolutely no clue.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Whats the default setting?

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences


Not sure about the default setting and I think there is no such setting. May be SVC people adjust it during the PDI to match the road conditions of the city or other way. Mine came with the setting at No.5, that means at the exact medium level. The user manual says No.3 is standard and No.10 at full payload. If you have a sensitive back, then go with lower numbers but should compromise on handling and dynamics. If you have a strong back, then a higher setup may suffice but you have to compromise with ride quality. Its a universal fact. If you want exceptional handling, you have to give up ride quality.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

For the people who have complaint about hearing buzzing sounds or like vibrations, try this.

There are couple of empty sockets that are not connected and not properly fastened. They hang little loose and tend to hit the surrounding plastic. Open up the front headlight and secure those empty sockets and see.

I used to feel those vibes earlier, but when I opened the headlight to change the pilot lamp I saw open sockets. I tied them properly and since then no sounds from front.


And regarding the chain slapping. Even mine had the issue. but gradually it has gone. Now I hardly hear even when on bad roads. The only thing I do is check the chain slack always and lube when ever required instead of 500kms interval.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Guys I've done 150 kms only in 10 days as I've yet to get my bike registered, hopefully it will be done by next weekend.
Observation:
- Granular seat cover is good as it prevent from slipping/skidding on seat while braking and accelerating but it's not god when it comes to cleaning it as its difficult to remove dirt from seat
- I found lot of heat even after 4-5 km (bearable heat) ya ya I know everyone knows this but when I observered it closly I found that engine was not too hot I can even touch it but silencer was very hot and as silencer design is different than conventional bike we feel lot of heat on left side of bike...please confirm if you also observed this even after long rides

-Happy Riding

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Has anyone gone for zero depreciation cover? The pune showroom has indicated they do not offer it. So I am looking for other options.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

Technically and usually the exhaust pipe is hottest component on the motorcycle. Even after 5 mins of idiling you cannot touch the outlet section coming from the chamber. Its that hot and never try to touch it. It is common on all bikes.

Mine had nill depreciation policy. From Hyderabad.


UPDATE: My 390 was leaking oil from oil filter area. Changed the O-ring in first service but it still remained. Today ( @3000kms) got the oil filter cap and o-ring seal changed under warranty. Now it does not leak oil.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

[MENTION=11141]riazmomin[/MENTION], which insurance provider are you using?

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

ICICI Lombard. Showroom was providing both Nill Dep and normal policy. I opted for Nill Dep for additional Rs 500/-

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

just called trivandrum showroom. they have not even heard of such Nil d policy. they are giving National insurance. anyway told them to get it if possible. i think it would be an asset in long run.
bit concerned regarding the oil leaks im hearing from you all. could you all post some pics of the area and the parts to look out during PDI?

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I have national insurance with 0 dep. It cost me 900 bucks more than the normal one. I have done close to 1000 kms and not faced the issue of oil leaks.

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Owners Reviews and Experiences

I know that silencer is the hottest part even after riding for few km...but what i want to tell here is that right side of 390 is not that hot as comapred left side since on left side silencer passes near the head of engine making it hotter.