Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Overall the KTM RC390 seems to be a troublesome bike and don't know how long the engine is going to last. My radiator fan is giving problem again. This is the third time in 5000kms. And the bike seems rough. Well, maybe all high performance machines have frequent issues, I don't know.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I have completed 16kms and till date hav r got 250kms on it. I live in Mumbai and till pune my fuel gets over taking an average speed off 80kmph


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Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

With power comes maintenance all high performance bikes keeps getting such small wear and tears but ya ur radiator fan stopping so frequently needs to be flagged at the SVC


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Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

yup! I got max 195kms before coming to reserve. so its 8Ltrs=195kms ~ 24kmpl for me with highway travelling @ 80-130kmph

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

It's been a while since I've been observing problems after problems from your motorcycle, especially when it comes to the the radiator fan unit. What exactly is the issue that you're facing now?

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Sorry i forgot your name again, but have a look at this.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

It is not possible in our bike as its not like regular clip on handles. There should be grooves to lock the handle otherwise on a speed breaker if you hit it hard it may slide done however tight it may be but still its dangerous.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Its a simple clipon, this is how clipons should be in the first place. I dont thing it will slide down.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Huh... I am starting to get bored up with the motorcycle. And I am definitely changing my mind about buying a liter class motorcycle. Will go in for a good car or SUV instead. Ok. now the problems are: at around 1500kms my fan was behaving erratically till it finally stopped working and the SVC changed the fan assembly. At 3900kms, the fan again stopped working and this time the heat sensor had gone and they changed that. Now again my fan stopped working at 5500kms and sometimes it works sometimes it does not and the fan speed seems very slow.
I called the SVC guys and kind of complained and asked them for a permanent solution. Their answer is that the Compay has instructed them to just keep replacing the fan and heat sensor when the problem arises. No doubt it is done free of cost but it is so damn irritating and I have to spend almost 600-700 bucks on taxi from the SVC to home and back.
I am planning on getting an used fan assembly from them and modifying it or I am also considering on looking at the option of fitting a car fan assembly. I know the modifications would be extensive but I am sure it will perform better than what these guys provide. I am planning on starting this project next month. Because I have never seen a radiator fan failing on a 4 wheeler.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I wonder if the KTMs around the world have similar kinds of problem or is it just the ones sold in Indian Domestic market, that are made with lower quality parts and keep getting such issues.
Seriously, if one is planning to keep the bike (Any RC or Duke ) for a long-ish period of time, say like 10+ Years, just in a collection, and using frequently, is it even possible to do, or just sell it off after 4-5 Years or around 70,000 Kms of usage.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Faced the same issue with my Duke 200. Fan gave up around 5k kms and the 'High Coolant temperature' warning was flashed. I had to stop my bike after every 2-3 minutes in heavy traffic for the engine to cool down. The resolution given by the service center was the same. They replaced the fan saying it was faulty. Thankfully I did not face the issue again. But being fed up of other issues cropping up now and again, I sold my Duke after 25k kms.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

A perfect question and I had this same questions before purchasing mine. I made my mind that this thing is not going to last like my RX100, so enjoy it as much as you can and dispose it. The batches which were sold until now and the future ones that are being made are in the same case until KTM realizes their mistake. Selling might not be a worthy option after 4-5 years or 70,000 kms, I don't think there will be much left in the components. Maybe a rebuild could make these machines roadworthy and not track worthy.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

OT: (can be taken over by PM as well)
What do you ride now?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

TVS Jupiter! Zyada Zyada!!

It's a temporary ride. Planning for a sept purchase. R3 or who knows, Benelli maybe

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Its been a week since i took delivery and it seems to have passed in a haze.

Bike has done about 600 kms and should be ready to service next week.

So here are few words on initial impression and personal opinion.


The Engine:

First and foremost, the real draw to the 390 is the without a doubt, the engine.
43 Ps of raw power. I still havent expoited it to the fullest and keeping the RPM
below 7.5k and even till 7k it explodes like a rocket.
The test ride bike that i rode a while back was in such a bad nick that if i were to purely base my desicion
on the test ride, i would have never thought of buying this bike.
The test ride bike was quick but engine was so rough it almost seemed as if it was low on engine oil and would seize
any moment.

Now i know what the issue was, if you ride the engine below 4000 rmp it coughs and flutters and vibration itself
make the ride coarse.

this issue is simply resolved by keeping the engine between 4500 - 7000 rpm thus keepin it within the recommended
rpm before first service. and beyond 6000 rpm vibrations subside and engine is peppy and smooth.

Gearshift are smooth all through out, no issues there.

As for clutch, it does seem a bit hard in stop go traffic, but on highway one might not feel the heaviness as the
release will shoot you off into a time warp and all your concertration will be directed towards harnessing that
unrelenting acceleration.

Yes,Yes. i know i am behaving like a kid. but i know i am gonna go nuts after first service. Now I know the what
the D390 guys were always talking about.

Kudos Bajaj/KTM


The ergonomics:

I have been riding R15(V1 and now V2) for almost 6 years now, with 18 month of brief CBR 250 ownership. and all
these bikes though come with sport riding stances(CBR being much more comfortable than the R15's) just make you
feel that the body might have gotten accustomed to agressive stance. Or so i thought, but i couldnt have been more wrong.

On the RC its not that the handle is lower than say the r15 but its the distance between the seat and the handle that
causes the rider to lean further in order to reach the handlebars thus leading to a more aggeresive stance.
It can get exhausting if you are stuck in traffic but on highways and on open roads it is the most natural sports stance.

The key here is to keeps the elbows slightly in bent position and trying to control your upper body weight at your waist
and gripping the tank while braking makes every thing fall in place and at the end one does feel more at home. I know I do


Suspension:

Front are just perfect, its the rear that needs adjustment IMHO. In stock it comes at 3 clicks of preload and the
suspension though not soft but makes the bike a bit bouncy. On straight roads its rather comfortable at slow speeds
and even at speeds around hundred it makes for a supple ride. Nothing scary. but its at corners where the real difference is felt.

At corners the bike feels stable but undulation on road does unsettle it a bit. I am around 75kg and have no idea about
how to set the sag but just for experiment sake i have set the rear at 4 clicks. It does feels more stable but until the first
service after which i will be able to push more and move upto 5-6 clicks and see how it behaves
For now its 4 clicks.

There has been no belly scrapping incedents yet while riding over speedbreaker.


Heating Issues:

Well, i was silently following the Duke 390 treads from day one. all the issues about engine overheating and burning/
roasting legs did scare me a bit. i remember that when i test rode the D390 about a year back around CP Delhi, it was
a short ride and i was so hooked up on the power that i didnot even notice much heat. around the same time the news was
going around that KTM has resolved the issue.

Honestly I dont know what KTM did back than with the Duke but now on the RC the heat issue isnt much of a bother. Be it
because of better routing of heat through fairing or God knows what, I have been stuck in traffic in scrotching Delhi
heat and when the fan starts moving except for the noise it makes, everything else seems ok. If I were to compare it
to the R15 or say CBR, yes its a bit warmer but managable. No leg roasting/ burning issues for sure


The Seat:

I should have included the Seat part in the egronomics itself but i feel they(it) require a special mention.

I will say it at the very beginning and put the issue to rest. The only thing i'll crib for long time to come is the seat.

Yes, while throwing her around the corners its a boon, its amazing actually. The rounded edges of the seat just let you
hang your bottom with such grip and comfort that its almost unimaginable once you look at that tiny padding resting between
the tank and rear seat/cowl .

Now having said that i should stop and move on considering this is one bike about which the company has always been clear
that it is a track focussed machine. Hmm. Where does that leave me than? I'll commute on it, i'll go on rides and than,
eventually, hopefully end up on track once in a while.

My belief is KTM/Bajaj might have been able to find a decent compromise between track focus and comfort.

But no complains here.


Tyres:

The Metz. To be honest, I really shouldnt comment on these or i'll come out as a real fool. Quoting Mark Twain "It's better
to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt'.

But since I have already said a lot, I'll say this 'I am yet to see what the big fuss is about when it comes to Metz'
May be in extreme leans they do aid grip like say on tracks or ghats but on normal roads they just are normal everyday
tires. No complains at all but its just that i havent experienced that oomph factor.
So until I take the bike to track or ghats(which is more likely to happen first), I'll stay hush hush.


Fit and finish:

The wires being clamped to the chassis wit zip ties is an eye sore. It looks as if the bike is still in preproduction stage.
but considering the complicated design involving numerous over lapping panels the bike does hold all the pieces with resolved
subtlety.

There are a few complains about the battery cover vibrations making annoying noise eventually, but I havent experienced any
such issues yet.

I should mention that the first thing that was done after getting the bike home was to take out the tool kit and checked all
the nuts and bolts accessible, starting with the infamous gear liver one. And except for the rear mud flap bolts, every thing
was in place, tight as tight as it should be.


One niggle deserving mention here. The rear brake fluid master cylinder. It just not in the right place. I had a feeling
that the easy access might makes it prone to unauthorized access by some unscrupulous elements in the office parking or
somewhere else. I usually love to be proven right, but not in this
instance.

So here is what happened. I believe that some malicious character spent some time on the bike in the office parking
(evident by the ofset RVM), the master cylinder might have caught his attention thinking that the fluid inside could
be fuel and rightly following his urge to open it and put the curiosity at rest. So he did. Finding otherwise, in utmost
dis-satisfaction he puts the cap back on the cylinder and decides not to tightly screw it in. I mean, who are we kidding,
why should he screw it back.

I have one question, how many of us check if the master cylinder cap is tightly screwed down before we start our ride?

Times are changing and we must learn and adapt. So those who did do it, I bow in reverence and those who didnt, Its never too late.

Only if they could have hiddin the cylinder or atleast made its access so damn easy.


As i bring my obervations/opinions to an end I'll say this for the aspiring buyers " You dont take a kitchen knife to chop
the firewood and you certainly dont take an axe in the kitchen to cut salad"

Finally in India we have purpose built bikes for almost every role, just know your cup of tea.

I'll stop my babble now, though there is a lot more to be said. I will definitly post some more afterthoughs after the first
service is done.