Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

"only if i find something in RC that really might not be practical, riding posture etc i think i can live with."

I think you misunderstood this
I had meant riding posture etc are things that i can live with, which I actually would enjoy, and not the other way around

And the only reason I'm even considering 390 is that my friend got a D390 as first bike(if you don't count an activa), and it took him a while to get used to the power, but now he can't imagine not having a 390, which is why I'm inclined towards it

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Class-leading brakes? I don't think so, CBR300R takes that cake. But these are great brakes though, lacks bite but does stop the bike whenever and wherever you want.

I will echo [MENTION=70615]Ajay Vishwanath[/MENTION]'s advice. You still don't have a license and experience riding a committed bike. RC200 is the best bet, it gives you experience, throttle control and proper braking and also will be a lot more pocket friendly to a student than RC390.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I have already clocked 1500kms till now and i got my first service done 15 days ago..Now another problem arised, today morning when i started the bike, a continuous cluttering sound started. I tried to find out an origin of this annoying sound but it all went in vain. And unfortunately the SVC in my city is closed for two days. Waiting for sunday to visit SVC.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

@AngadV, though folks have given their insights, here is what a student can do. For college rides the 390 is an overkill, personally. You can get something that is cheaper commuter wise, and use the Duke for weekend rides or personal rides. The heat management of the Duke series is very poor, coupled with bumper to bumper traffic, you wouldn't want that dreaded High Coolant Temp or fan going bust, this is usually the case with almost all the Dukes which do city duties, especially the 390.

Now to not to daunt you though. If you're using your Apache, use it until your college time, it's cheap, and easy on pocket, than running a 390. GO ahead, and go for what you like, faired or naked, the choice is yours. Whatever you buy make sure you use it for the right purpose.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


I bought my RC from KTM Marathalli (Khivraj). All other showrooms claimed a 90-day waiting period while he had one bike ready as the customer had cancelled his booking. But since that was a 2014 model and I wasn't allowed by Dad to get the bike till Feb, I thought I'll wait for the 2015 model. The waiting period was claimed to be 45-days(exactly half). So I booked it on 22/12/2014. And the bike was ready by Jan 29th. I chose to take the Delivery on Feb 4th.

Coming to the Test Ride, I didn't have my license either. They refused to give it without a D/L.
Since I had decided to buy it if I liked the bike post the Test Ride, I carried a cheque ready to submit. I flashed the cheque and told them I'd book it, without a second thought he handed me the key. My friend filled the Test ride form and gave his D/L copy and they happily accepted it.
Got a 2Km test ride. Thoroughly impressed, I gave the cheque as soon as I finished my Test Ride and booked the bike.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Wow we have a very similar story LOL. Even I wasn't allowed to buy a bike till Oct(when i turn 18).
And yeah I'll try something similar about the TR, as I am really not keen to wait another month for a bike after DL :P

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Yeah ill definitely keep that open as one of my options, thanks
This was something i was considering too.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Then pick the RC200... Get adjusted to the pickup and speed.. Once you are comfortable and are completely set in.. Go for modifications like ECU (warranty will void) to get more punch after 2 years or so.. Once you are completely done with the bike.. Go for something bigger.. The 390 or the Kawasaki or R3.. One step at a time.. Because in case of trouble/emergency, you should be able to control the bike.. Hence going from a commuter to the 390 is not recommended.. The 200 will be a good upgrade from the RTR (power wise.. Don't go by cc" ride her hard and learn.. If you want to save more bucks.. You have the pulsar RS200.. Almost the same.. Slightly less power but nearly the same.. And not as aggressive as the RC.. Just telling your options here.. Take it 390 for a spin.. But remember the level of experience you have and then take your decision..

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Budget isn't a problem, so ill definitely keep RC 200 at the top of my list after seeing so many in favour of it
Thanks a lot, your opinions helped a lot

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

if you can be a mature responsible rider willing to take it slowly and understand the bike , the 390 will be the best choice.
but if you are going to be a typical teen on a fast bike, i will say stick to the 200.
200 or 390.. remember, nobody is a cat here with 9 lives. So chose wisely and ride safely

RC or D , enough has been said already.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yeah I gathered as much, with more power basically you would have to go really easy on the throttle as compared to a lesser powered one.
Now I would just have to test ride and see what I have to get.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

It's not just the throttle... respecting traffic rules, common sense, ego, road rage, traffic signal gp's etc... I think you will learn as you get older and wiser.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Well I have a friend of mine who has an RC390 and a duke 390.Both share the same philosophy and same parts etc (except for fairing & design).The bike has mad acceleration even with a heavy guy on the back.itbhas tremendous amount of power , probably insane would be the correct word.But it all comes with a cost.Read it below
1)Power is uneven and not linear.Post 6000 RPM you get a mad rush but power is no where linear through out the rev range.So think twice and ask yourself if you need a linear powered bike or you are okay with lower kicking at higher rev range.

2)Build quality.Oh now where do I start.I don't known what's with Bajaj to produce such sub par quality.Trust me I have seen newer Pulsars to have a better quality than KTM.Fairing vibes,levers breaking etc.....don't know where to stop.

3)The Heat.If you are okay to withstand the furnace which would between your legs then you can go ahead and buy it.Because the radiator fan reminds you every now and then that this bike is not air cooled.The heat is very annoying when on city rides and you can feel every bit of it.It just keeps on throwing heat again and again on your legs.If you are wearing shorts then it becomes intolerable sometimes .

4)Quality/Issues.My friend has visited the service centre almost 3 months out of 15 months owing the bike.The radiator fan went Kaput 3 times,Vibes all over the bike,Bore and Calmshaft replaced ,air filter box broken.....and some more which I don't even remember.These are basic quality issues that a bike should never have .now I M not saying that everyone has the same problem but ya I saw and from that time my prospective towards KTM has changed as I believe bike should never have so much problem .

5)Mileage. You are a student and 18 -20 is what you will get in city.Thing is are you okay with it.Now you might think you want to buy and can manage bit trust me its gonna cost u a bomb by filling fuel and fuel.Its a hungry fuel machine.I am talking about mileage because you are a student and every penny counts.

6)Riding dynamics.Its gonna pit your weight to your fists.A lot.its very aggressive in nature and not at all meant for city rides.But ya we want lots of features like projectors ,fairing at tjhe lowest price possible as when I sit on a duke 390 its very comfortable but it misses on projectors etc.

My point is you have to understand the basic.Its a single cylinder bike with 390cc and 44bhp.For a single cylinder that's a lot of numbers.Vibes will be there as its Single.There is a reason why Kawasaki Yamaha makes it twin cylinder when its even touches 300CC.Its because they want a niggle free bike and a liner power delivery.Heat will be there as its single,vibes wil be there as its singles.Quality has always been a question with Bajaj.So if you can ignore such things then you can have a joy ride in the bike as it has the most breadth taking power on it.
But what you do get is something that no other bike can give you.Its track handling capability.Its an awesome track racing tool and meant for only tracks and tracks.you can literally breaklap timings on it and would want to do again and again.it was made with one thing in mind,Cornering and twistie junkie.This is not a practical bike for a city ride as even its engine guard which also covers the underbelly exhaust scrapes more often because it was made for tracks and break lap timings.

If you are serious in learning track racing and cornering then this is the bike for you.but if ykh just want tl buy it coz it looks cool then I am sure you will not enjoy riding it at all.

Still if you can live with it and want to buy a fully faired bike in would suggest for RC200 as you will get good mileage.And the gear ratios is absolutely spot on.Specially the power delivery .Also the fuelling is spot on.It has a sublime throttle response because of the fueling it has.Now there are people whose bikes might not have even gone to service centre once or had any problem but this is what I saw and just informed you.....

Hope you decide the perfect bike for your need [emoji4]

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

"Power is uneven and not linear.Post 6000 RPM you get a mad rush but power is no where linear through out the rev range.So think twice and ask yourself if you need a linear powered bike or you are okay with lower kicking at higher rev range."
I didn't exactly get this point, could you please make it a little noob friendly? :P

My issue would definitely be with build quality, but I'm banking on the fact that it doesn't happen to everyone. My friend has had his D390 for 5 months now and no issue yet, and his riding is pure city riding only, never once also on highway.He does agree that theres lot of heating, so I will have to experience that myself and decide.
Plus spares are available easily and very cheap. However I'll be checking this with others too, as it is a big concern for me since i have to use it for a few years at the very least.

The reason I had decided on KTM was mainly the features available at the price it is offered at, and everything has a compromise, it can't be perfect, and compared to how duke was when it was launched, this is a huge improvement. I could go for a twin cylinder like the Ninja too, but it has no ABS(which is something I think MUST be there), less availability of spares, and costs 1.8L more than the RC, which I would not be comfortable letting my dad spend so much on my college bike.

I can get pretty confusing, I know :P

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


Its like a Turbo diesel vehicle. on lower RPMs its like meh. :/ Then turbo kicks is, and you go whoosh.

Or like an aeroplane. When its going to the runway, you know, its gently slowly just travelling, then the pilot fires up the engines, and you get pushed into your seat.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I could not disagree more.
The quality issue is overrated.very highly.

I am into the 10th month of ownership. It has no problems. Just the battery cover vibrating which has a qui fix.
Yes the fan was changed once. And once the new design fan was fitted, all good.
And FYI I don't just potter around town.
I have taken the bike to some places 90% here would never do.
A ninja 300 which is well kept had started having brake issues, idling issues in those terrains. My bike? Nah.
N besides the service, the acknowledgement of KTM I still found the best in the premium segment in India. If the parts are not available they take just a week for delivery. Kawasaki guys wait for months.
Let's not discuss about power anymore here. Let's just say in the segment everything else is slow compared to this pocket rocket.
Oh ya no leaks no more rattles.
I'm running an aftermarket exhaust too.
No drama there.
Just one word of caution if you are a newbie.
Respect her and love her with all your heart. She will reciprocate.

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