Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

yes, the terms are used interchangeably.
you essentially adjust the valve clearances.. on the ktm's this is done by replacing shims. you cannot 'adjust' them (valve clearances) using the so called 'tappet' adjustment (i.e.commonly the nut type adjustment found on most bikes e.g. splendor, unicorn, cbz, etc...)

shims are tiny spherical thingy's (like a button cell) that are available in different thicknesses.. you swap/replace the shims to achieve the recommended valve clearances. on a 4 valve engine like the ktm, you have one shim per valve.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey guys,
It's time to change my tires,
I was thinking of going for Metz itself but since 70% of my riding is city commute I was wondering if Michelin was the suitable ones or not.
Please provide suggestions guys.
Thanks

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Michelins or mrfs should suffice.. Michelin pilot street radial costs around 10k a pair while the mrf revz c1 & fc1 (which imo is very good and value for money) costs approx 7k a pair

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Thanks s1d.
Actually I have lost my bikes top end power. It doesn't feel right. And even the engine is lot noisier than before. I wanted the service center guys to check the valve clearance and all. But the service centre guys are reluctant to open my engine and check. They keep giving excuses
Recently they even changed my clutch plates (at just 7000 Kms) but it didn't solve the problem.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

7000km is too early for clutch plate replacement unless you've been abusing the clutch. And I doubt the valve clearances might the cause of your issues. And yes checking and setting the right clearances requires some honest labor which ofcourse most svcs wouldn't want to do, these turds are more interested in simply replacing parts and making a quick buck.

A couple of easier things that you could ask them to do is:
1. adjust/reset the cam chain tensioner i.e. essentially, screwing it in and back it out a couple of turns.
2. Ask them if they can do a pressure test of the fuel pump
3. also connect their diag tool and read out the codes if any.

One last thing you can do is, use this additive "Adon P" which is usually available at some Indian Oil petrol pumps.. I find that it improves the throttle response a wee bit (and i know few folks who use this on their ktm's cbrs and r3 with positive results). It is also supposed to clean the injectors/deposits on valves.

That's about as much i can recommend without riding your bike.. if possible ride another 390 so that you get a fair idea if it indeed is an issue with your bike. I say this because the ktm's are known for their not so melodious exhausts which sometimes can be interpreted for abnormal engine noise
btw, i ride a d200 that's covered 30k km and still on stock clutch plates, rear brake shoes,chain kit (except front sprocket) never checked valve clearances (i prefer them monkeys not touch it since it is possible they screw it up), and only recently i 'cleaned' the throttle body without disassembling it using a tb spray cleaner via the air filter box(again because the svc folks said 'not required', blame their laziness)

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


I had same issue with my Duke 200. Simple and direct solution, clean injector solenoid and throttle body. The SVC didnt had the throttle body cleaner spray, so i bought it from a car spare parts store ( carb or injector cleaner spray). Issue fixed. I did even changed the rear wheel bearings and sprocket bearing.

Valves are adjusted around 60k kms only if you cold starts are taking longer.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Top end power loss can be caused by three main things, faulty fuel feed to the engine, and secondly an engine hesitant to rev, this can happen when the engine oil is extremely low and thirdly improper valve clearances. Start off with idling, see how well the engine idles, if it idles irrationally or constantly. No choking should be observed when the throttle is opened up to rev the engine, should be smooth and free revving.

Secondly, how old is your motorcycle, and how many kays clocked? Have you ever cleaned your throttle body and injectors? Due to the fuel quality we have here in India, the throttle body does get gummed up pretty easily causing all sorts of performance issues. As the fellow member too suggested, start off with the throttle body cleaning, inspect your valve clearance and get your timing chain and guide checked. Keep your observations posted.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I will try checking those things the next time I go the svc. And whoever has ridden my bike has confirmed that there's something wrong, it's not that free revving. It's almost a year now since I bought my bike but I can't ride it much as I'm not home. But the engine is cranked up once a week atleast. Since the SVC are very far from my place ( more than 400 Kms up and down journey to the nearest city) ,it's being a pain literally. And nearest one which was 1 and half hours away has already disappointed me.
But let's see.... hoping for the best. Thanks again 😀

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I was thinking the same about valve clearance but SVC guys refused to open as they had no shims and the throttle body and injectors were never cleaned. Idling I will check it tomorrow properly. And for the rest I will be taking it to SVC. My bike is lil more than a year old now. I have clocked little over 7000kms now. The bike mostly sits at home but it is cranked up atleast once a week.
Can by any chance water may cause this problem if it gets into the tank? Now as I think of it, it is not impossible because it's always rainy here in Assam and I had instances where I had to fill petrol in an open petrol pump.

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I think even I will have to do the same. I am giving a last shot at the SVC. If that doesn't work atleast I have some idea about what to do now😅😀. Moreover won't get time before new year's eve...

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hi all, I have a problem. One of the front sprocket cover bolt has fallen off. Please refer to the image.

Now pretty sure the threads on the crankcase side are stripped. Also note that these bolts are long and screw in somewhere deep.

What does it mean in terms of repair. Will it just be a case of retapping the hole or replacing that bit of the crankcase?

Also, I went on a 500km ride without this bolt and I see no engine oil leak anywhere. Is this fastener going to cause problems later?

Please advise.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


It's pretty normal for those bolts to fall off seen it happen on many ktm's including mine.. i doubt the threads are stripped. It could just the vibes/poor tightening that cause them to fall off (the bigger of the bolts attached at the frame is more prone to falling off).
get a new bolt and ask them to apply some thread locker i.e. loctite (they usually have the blue one, which is sufficient).. if not wrap some plumber tape on the bolt and tighten it.
If you check and find that the threads are indeed shot, then you will need to retap the hole to fix it.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yeah, the threads are stripped. I tried the bolt just below it in the hole. Just keeps turning. Any long term problems I might have if I choose to get this fixed later?

This is going to be expensive for just tapping a hole. The labor for just opening an engine case alone 500 bucks.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

If the threads are stripped, it's wise to get them re-tapped as threads wound on the casing are soft. It's the center of the three bolts that causes oil leak as that bolt serves as magneto casing bolt too. A workaround around this is, you can get the magnet cover removed (drain engine oil before that) take it to a lathe get it tapped and you can fix it yourself if you can do a little DIY. If not, get it to your nearest SVC, remove the cover and then get it tapped and install it at the SVC.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Thank you for input. I can DIY this for sure. I was unsure where the threads were. If it's a part that can be removed and tapped, it should not be a problem. Now, I would have to source a bolt that is larger in diameter with the same length. That would be challenge. Your thoughts?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The threads are located in the crankcase. opening the magneto cover should be easy and it can be easily hand tapped. Stock bolts M6x75. The only solace here is that it isn't a head bolt or critical hardware where the entire casing has to be removed for a threading. Since this is on the left of the motorcycle, opening the magneto should provide access to the crank case threads. Using proper tapping tools it can be done without any removal complications.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Thanks Bro .