Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey guys! Has anyone retrofitted Slipper Clutch on their old RCs? Would like to know the difference. Thanks!

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

get the damaged parts replaced and have them connect their diagnostic tool and clear out any dtc (diagnostic trouble code). the fall could have triggered the bank angle sensor to cut off the ignition and the corresponding code stored in the ecu. and when they clear out the dtc's/memory, the bike will idle erratically and sometimes shut down when you try to take off in first gear.. its perfectly normal and will be ok after a few km. or you could just let the bike idle for 10 to 15 min after they clear the dtc/mem.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Why you need slipper clutch?

For soft clutch?
For track days?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I would really love a soft clutch . Do you have any idea to achieve it without getting a slipper clutch?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yes.
Just replace the part number JY541251 and your clutch will be 50% soft .
Its just 104 rupee part and require 10 minutes job.

Few members already done it. If you go back few pages you'll get details.



Don't go by the impression that this small part will not make much difference. Believe me it will make clutch 50% soft for 2014 and 2015 models.

If you don't get part then just shoot mail to ktm.

Thanks goes to members rawat97 nilesh9777 and thrustrev who posted their experience and details.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

What part is it? I mean name of the part?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Its shaft clutch release assembly part.
It comes with 2016 model and can be retrofitted on older models.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I called noida and gurgaon service center for this part but neither of them have it. And then I called kirti nagar,delhi showroom for the availability of this part. To my luck they have it. Will go soon over there to get it fitted.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Please upload a pic of the above mentioned shaft clutch release assembly .

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience



Don't go by the impression that this small part will not make much difference. Believe me it will make clutch 50% soft for 2014 and 2015 models.

If you don't get part then just shoot mail to ktm.

Thanks goes to members rawat97 nilesh9777 and thrustrev who posted their experience and details.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

It takes hardly 5 mins to fit this part. They'll say they need to open a lot of things to fit it and will require a lot of time, don't fall for it.

This part makes quite a lot of difference but at the end of the day there is not getting around the fact that the clutch on the non-slipper clutch versions is hard.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I find the clutch perfectly ok for me as I'm used to the clutch of benelli tnt 600i and let me tell you that thing is hard, like really hard.
But then many others find the clutch hard, to each his own.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The leaning position on rc390 along with hard clutch add to the woes.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


I had the same issue and this also resulted in a bad crash for me - just after my 1st service. Ever since then braking was not confidence inspiring to the point i was at the verge of hating the bike. Adding fuel to this problem was also the spongy feel of the breaks. My brakes where worst - no breaks till the brake lever was half way pulled in. The break lever needed to be pulled all the was in very close to the accelerator. So close that i always had my four fingers placed on the front brake lever. Also the stopping distance was bad.

The worst part was that when you needed the brakes to work in sudden emergency situation, it wont. I had 3 close calls in about 2 months after the accident. Once at around 50 kmph i applied brakes - I felt the brakes anchoring, then ABS kicked in, the brake lever vibrated and went full in close to the accelerator, but bike kept moving and i almost crashed into the guy in front of me. Luck i was applying the rear back as well that assisted. I was quiet upset and felt that even non disk bikes had better brakes.

While all this was happening i was always complaining with SVC about this problem. They always said the spongy feel of brakes was with all KTM 390 bikes. When i showed then its not with examples of other bikes which had come for service - the SVC guys saw that my front brake lever was a tad bent and changed the lever (i paid 150 or so) which helped a bit but the braking performance was still not up to the mark. With gloves it was worst - if i used 2 finger breaking then no breaks got applied, the brake lever just used to touch by other two fingers on the accelerator. I was constantly complaining with SVC and after few visits they accepted to raise this with KTM - a KTM service representative was to visit them in a week and they told me that they will call me once his visit is confirmed.

Meanwhile i exchanged my bike with Chris for a weekend (Both of us have the RC390 from same batch Beginning of 2016 with slipper clutch but with headlight switch). This actually helped me understand that only my bike had this issue. Chris bike brakes had real good feel, bite and the stopping distance was way shorter than mine. Chris also confirmed that my bike breaks had a strange unexplainable problem. He tried bleeding by brakes but still they lacked the bite.

I kept following up with SVC guys for about 3 weeks, at last SVC guy said that KTM engineer had advised them to try a part they will send. The KTM engineer didn't even see my bike so my guess is such a guy never existed and that the SVC guys where making this up or other KTM bikes had the same problem and they knew how to fix it. I just booked appointment with SVC to leave the bike on Saturday.

@ SVC
I was the second person to leave my bike at SVC on Saturday and was asked to collect the bike at 3PM. When i returned to SVC at 4 PM they had just got my bike into workshop, but thats ok since i was curious to see what part the KTM engineer had sent. To guy attending to my bike just went to spares and got a brake hand lever unit along with the reservoir. So they changed this unit. But the result was same. Then opened the brake caliper unit. Checked the caliper pistons , i felt one of the pistons was not working properly and the pistons where not operating evenly. (Sorry didnt take any pictures). After fiddling with with the pistons and putting them all together - also a lot of bleeding. They asked to me test the brakes. I took a short test drive and felt the brakes to be better but still spongy.

I still kept my calm and explained to the SVC operations head, they had no other ideas to try - they offered to hold the job card open for 2 days and said there is 90% chance that the brakes would get better as i use. I accepted to test, although the brakes where better than earlier i was not 100% happy.

The Surprise:
Just after 2Km's i felt the brake was a bit firm unlike going all the way close the accelerator. I tested it over the weekend - Drove 100 KMs on highway and now the brakes are as they should be. I can use two figures to brake and the brakes had better feedback and bite. Am happy with the brakes now and they are confidence inspiring.

The only downside is that the brake pads are in touch with the disc a bit and i feel its a bit impacting the front Tyre from rotating free, but its very minor hence ignored.

So i suggest you to keep pushing the SVC guys and ask them to cover it under warranty (Mine was done in warranty and i didn't pay any money). Sometimes its frustrating with SVC but always keep your cool - be polite and reason with them. If you make friends with them i have seen that the work is better.

Please have your brake lever assembly changed and caliper pistons checked. Hopefully this will solve your problem.

Good Luck

Cheers

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I have the same mentioned problem! Suddenly the brake lever just goes in and it feels like abs is kicking in but no brakes get applied at all.. brake lever just vibrates and gets pulled in very easily... my brakes are spongier than all the rcs in my group too..