Did a 1600 km ride on the RC over 2.5 days from Hyderabad to Bangalore to around Bangalore (Banyan Tree!) and back. It was one hell of a comfortable ride!

Only pain was the pathetic SOL helmet. The wind noise was killing me and felt like the helmet would be blown off at few places!
>> Same is with my MT blade even after doing some home MODs with double side tape
The distance is 600 kms one way for me. Safe to assume a 28-30kmpl mileage.
>> For me its 24/25 with sane riding, does addictive making difference in mileage?
7. Respect on the highway -
>>

Mods planned:
1. Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
2. Better brake pads - Nissin maybe (will get from Motozone)
3. HEL brake lines (Red ones) - for the looks and performance

Next trip would be probably to Pune and a visit to the geniuses at Motozone. Pics in the next post!

Hello Everyone,

So I ended up selling my KTM Duke 200 after it hit close to 90k kms on the odo, it was pending a valve train replacement and I did not have the heart to see the engine opened and taken apart so my only other option was to sell.

I was eyeing the Benelli BN600i and the price point made it seem like a very tempting upgrade, I went for the test ride, it felt a little lazy but I the note of the engine did make everything just okay. A few days before I was to pay the booking amount, the local KTM dealer in Hyderabad called me and asked if I would like to participate in the 390 Track day, I was told I would be given a bike as a favor since I was one of their first customers. So I arrived for the track day all geared up and as promised there was a Duke 390 and a RC 390 lined up for me. I picked the Duke for the first few sessions since I was already familiar with the handling characteristics and for the next session I shifted to a RC390 and let's just say I was impressed. The next few days were spent in deep thought, contemplating if the 600i would be the right choice for me.

In the end I decided to go against all logic and buy myself the RC390, it has been a little over a month and I have done about 3000 odd kms, with a majority of those miles covered on a track. I bought the RC to trash around the track and it has not disappointed except for a few pretty glaring flaws which I will list out later.

Within the first few 100kms the exhaust turned a bright blue and I went back to the SVC because I was pretty sure that the air fuel mixture was too rich since that is usually what causes the exhausts to blue. I was assured that the air fuel mixture is stoichiometric, after draining the engine oil twice and ensuring there were no more engine shavings I shifted to Motul 300V.

The RC390 for most part has been a satisfactory purchase but it is in no way as refined as the Duke 200 in terms of fueling and engine vibrations. I know I am picking at things most people would not even bother about but it does get irritating

- The Fancy mirrors take a while getting used to but are pretty useless for the most part, they do have quite a range of adjustment which surprised me but in normal riding, I can't see anything other than my forearms( I can a little more if I don't wear my riding jacket) unless and until I'm in a semi crouched position, at anything above 7.5k rpm, they vibrate violently and you most probably will just see blurred images of things behind you.

- The front bubble is pretty useless as well, it vibrates when you idle, it vibrates when you rev and it vibrates when you brake. I have tried multiple things uncludung fabricating silicone bracket washers to keep it from moving about but I guss that is something I have to live with

- The side stand keeps coming loose and needs to be tightened every week or so

- The fairing scrapes when you lean the bike over

- the front suspension is too soft and usually ends up compressing way too much under hard braking

- The ABS is a pain the butt, I usually end up switching it off while riding

- The riders seat is super delicate, I ended up breaking one of the clamp holders in the first week of having the bike.

- The rear is over tyred. I have no chicken strips on the front but have about a 10mm chicken strip on the back

Other issues like engine heat, hot starts and random fuel meter readings are minor niggles that don't bother me since this was bought to run on a track for a majority of the time.

Odo reading - 3192kms

Upgrades
- Changed front fork oil to increase dampening

Planned upgrades
- K&N 1211
- Powertronics Piggyback
- Pirelli Diablo Rosso ii
- CNC Levers
- Custom fabricated Rearsets
- Custom race fairing (Mukul from Autologue is working on something special)

I love the bike, and it has taken a few crashes as well but that is what i bought it for so I think that's okay.

Parts are cheap and I have never had spares cost me over 600 rupees per crash, which works out brilliantly for me. It works very well as a track bike, takes about 5 minutes to strip the rear foot pegs and mirrors, the rear number plate holder though is another story.

Will keep you guys posted on the upgrades, waiting for a few more parts that are being shipped.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----



Hi Pizzaboi,
I'm also interested in some track time but don't have much idea. Which track do you go to?
Could you please help me with contact/requirement for going to track and how much will it cost?
Thanks.

We have a tiny track in Hyderabad 1.2kms long, if you plan to go to coimbatore, there's kari and I think apex calls it home ground. In chennai, we have MMSC and open track days cost 2500

i sure do see pics of you folks enjoying it to the core....

You should come down sometime, totally worth it

cbr ain't fun as ktm on those curves
however will come down to see along with nandu and ram.

Could you help me with the following:
- Advantage of the Pipercross over the K&N, I have used BMC, UNI and K&N but never Pipercross. The reason i decided to use the K&N was because I used the same on my 200 and it performed without any issues. Also where can I source pipercross from, I don't think we have any dealers in Hyderabad
- I did consider an ECU remap, in fact I did run one of the initial KIIRUS remaps on the 200 before I switched back to the stock map and decided on mechanical upgrades instead. Long story. I think I spoke about it in one of my previous posts. Other that KIIRUS and the piggy back do you know of anyone else who can build a custom map for me
- Ohlins S46DR1- what would be the investment required? I was planning to get progressive dampner springs for the front and rear instead of changing the unit. What would you suggest?
- Contact for Motozone, if possible and would they be able to make an adjustable valve for me?

Thanks in advance.
-

1. I have used K&N filters for 20 years on my bike without any issues. It's just that Pipercross filters are much better suited in terms of dirt retention and extended cleaning periods.

2. The problem is not with piggy back system or remapping. Although a ecu remap is considered a superior option, at least in theory. The problem is with quality of fuel maps. If you are opting for a piggy back system, I do hope that you are going to do a couple of dyno runs to sort out the fuel maps. Believe me, it will go a long way in enhancing your ownership experience. You other option is to contact Motozone. They will be able to sort you out for your remap needs.

3. The Ohlins shock requires a some investment. My N300 shock costed me Rs. 30,000/-. But believe me when I say that the rear will transformed. Those chicken stripes that you mentioned will be gone.

4. You can contact Motozone through their Facebook page.


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Sad state of affairs. Culprit me and a crater sized pothole. Both alloys have cracked.

Dayum ..... A whopping total of 183 pages , dayum !

Finally made it to the end , read each and every post . Glad I read it all , got to soak in soo much information .

Kudos to everyone here at xbhp for putting in all the efforts so people can get a real world idea of the machines we love and loathe




That's sooo sad amigo ... is your bike a 2015 model ?

How fast were you going ?

As for speed. We are not allowed to post speeds on the forum But yes, I was over the speed limit.

Still do not base your buying decision on what you read here. Do test ride it extensively.

Hello,
Got my second service done at 5000 kms. Asked ASC to take care of chain slack. So they overdid it and now its too tight. In addition my rear tyre hugger, to avoid muck n all has cracked at one of the side nuts where its hinged. I guess ASC tightened it too much after doing necessary correction on chain slack. Any suggestion guys as to whether i should try to get it welded, get rid of whole assembly including the saree guard and invite curses from vehicles on the train in heavy delhi monsoon season.

In addition, i needed expert advice on the following matter:
While in ASC, i heard a D390 with IXIL exhaust. I have earlier watched videos where the baffle went out of it while riding. To my surprise when i asked the guy to let me hear the sound and he revved it, the baffle shot out from one of the pipes.
Now the dilemma is that i liked the sound very much, so at some point of time would give in and agree to burn 25k, all on smoke and some sound.
My question is that ASC says that they are doing the full system IXIL. In addition to sound (want to take it as a bonus only), whether IXIL or other full systems wouldnt require a change in filter and ECU remap. And doing that:
1. Whether it enhances the performance in any subtle or coarse way
2. How does it impact my FE, as i am using it for my daily commute of about 30-40 kms as well, hence it matters.
3. Is it just coincidence or the baffle in IXIL is prone to get loose.
3. Whether externally fitted IXIL change the limit for lean angle or say balancing dynamics of the bike.
4. Whether its coated with some heat resistance thing or the pillion gets exposed to accidental burns.
5. I have a zero dep, so when i renew it, would i be able to cover this as well or what.
6. is it legal to have loud voices on the road such as this. I pass through at least 7 checkpoints daily.
7. Though ASC says it wouldnt' spoil warranty, any second opinion on this.

I know that the list is long but would still appreciate some inputs here.
As the voice i heard there is still in my head.