Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Is polishing forks a good maintenance practice?

How often should I do that and any recommended polish brand?

I live in a particularly dusty area called Gurgaon.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

what he probably meant was some form of way to 'remove' the scratches or pitting.. only he will be able to explain his methods better.

Don't use any polish on the forks. just clean them with some soapy water.
and periodically (one in 3-4 months) you can slide the outer dust cap and clean it using the fork seal doctor tool (ktm svc might be having it, mine does). it basically goes under the dust cap and removes the grime that gets caught under. and slide it back up, you could also add a very light lube like wd40 around it so it slides more freely (this is infact mentioned in the service manual)

basically there are 3 parts .. the outermost dust cap (what you see on the fork), a dust seal under it and a oil seal behind the dust seal. during a replacement, it is the dust seal and oil seal which are replaced. the dust cap is present on the Indian model (the initial 200's did not have it), and some export models still don't have it. seems to be added for our dusty conditions as an additional layer of protection.

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will let you know if i come across one for the 2018 bs4.. but most of it should be the same with earlier P220 unless you are looking for specific spare part numbers.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Great. Thanks a lot for insight.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Vaibhai, polishing means not using compounds that are available off-the-shelf, normal polishes which is a STRICT no-no. The method is performed by using a certain grade grating paper and then polishing the tube uniformly. Not everyone is aware that this process exists, but it does, this is possible. The actual dilemma exists in finding such lathes where they polish the fork slider for mild rusts. These papers are costly and the reason most lathes don't do this. A Pulsar 150 with rusted fork stanchion was mended using this method.

Remember, this method is very, very effective for mild to medium rust deposits, which are easily polished off and not rust pitting. Pitting means a small indentation on the tube which cannot be mended even if the surface rust is removed.

Keeping it simple. Thirdly to maintain our dusty fork tubes, it's better to wash them off with mild soapy water and them wiping them off clean. Try not to DRY rub or get along the tube with dust particles and grime on the tube.

There is no timetable on the frequency. Cleaning the tubes every weekend is more than enough, or when you observe the fork action separating a thin layer of dirt along the tube. That's pretty much it.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I went to KTM Kondapur and Banjara Hills both of which are owned by Varun Bajaj.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Was it replaced under warranty yet ?
I used to be a regular at the banjara svc. Speak to Mr.Kumar the manager at kondapur or Phani the SA at banjara.. these guys were pretty helpful if you strike up a rapport.. but these days due to the rush and no. of bikes, i felt the service levels have dropped.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


They asked to bring my bike today for rectifying the issue and as of now it is there at the kondapur service center. I think they will replace the chain sprocket assembly. Will get the complete details in the evening when I collect the bike. I will update the forum with the details about what all was replaced, any additional cost incurred, etc.

I know Dinesh who manages 3 KTM showrooms and Chandu from KTM kondapur showroom. Both of these guys are extremely courteous and try to help in every way they can. But Service guys of KTM banjara hills seem much better to me compared to Kondapur guys. I guess I have been treated well every time I have visited KTM showrooms.

About the service front, will report back after the 1st service which will be due in 2 weeks from today .

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

yeh chandu used to be at the banjara svc too, in fact he was the one who did the paper work when i took delivery of my bike 4yrs ago. these guys keep shuffling between their showrooms.
am surprised the chain issue cropping up so early, doesn't usually happen. do let us know how it goes.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I am quite sure that this is not a chain issue . The chain seems to be tight just below the swing arm, but if the rear wheel rotated a little, it becomes loose. This is either a defect in rear sprocket that it is not perfectly equal in radius or it will be something with the rear rim. Check the below attached pictures.

In the 1st pic you can see that the chain is very close to the swing arm. When I rotated the real wheel a little, at the same point the chain becomes loose. This chain was a new chain so that means that my old chain did not cause this issue.

I have attached the pics of front and rear sprocket as well. I checked the teeth but there was no damage or bent that can be noticed.

The bike is still at the Kondapur service center and seems like they are still trying to figure out what the issue is. The only good thing is that now there is no question about not fixing things in warranty. I asked them yesterday how much more time this would take, they were polite and told me 1 more day while also adding that I need not worry as warranty will cover whatever is going to be changed.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Why do I feel that the below circled part in the plastic chain protector looks damaged or bent and out of shape?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Its not bent or out of shape. On top of the chain cover there is a fin type thing coming out. From the angle of capture, it makes it look like the chain cover is bent upwards but its not.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

For a while I thought that maybe this plastic protector is bent making the noise touching the chain or tyre. I got confused by the optical illusion.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Have you checked if the rear wheel alignment is proper ? The adjusters on both sides of the swingarm should be at the same position.
Need to inspect the sprockets for any bend or warping too and change the rubber dampers too. Quiet a bit of troubleshooting to do.
Also compare with another 390, so you get a better idea on this.
Do keep us posted on this.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The newer lots of the RC series only get this mild bulge on the chain cover. It should be included to prevent grazing of the chain on the cover from what my commoner sense suggests. Strangely enough the naked siblings don't get the same.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

True, troubleshooting problems on the RC is big pain then compared to the naked sibling, everything is tightly wrapped up with the faring and underbelly cover and hard to reach.
Literally in past 6 months I have atleast 5-6 screws/hex nuts that have fallen off randomly from all places, doesn't matter even if it is tightened to right torque specs.

I really had to look hard everywhere to find out what's missing and making wired rattling noises.

So, also add to the check list that all screws and nuts are in place, and what you already mentioned to check the rear wheel rubber dampers aswell.