Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hi..it happened again ..post deleted..
So i took my bike for some spirited riding ...installed ebc pad flushed brake oil some time back like 1000 km back...everything was fine till this time ..abs kicked lot of time and i was so happy with the brakes and than i was parking it and suddenly front brake lost all the pressure and i hit the wall but due to low speed all was fine otherwise i would be ex-xbhp member today if it would happened on the road...now i lost all the confidence..i squeezed lever multiple time and it started getting pressure again but not sure if it would trick me again and make me swargiya prashant...kindly advice please

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

Now i pressed the lever hard and tied handlebar with cloth and made sure its too tight so that all the bubble will be diffused and i am sure there are lot which are showing up now and surprising me if my mind is advising right after 1000 km and 3 month of riding after brake pad change and brake oil flushed
..shall i change master cylinder and i am happy to do that bcoz i think life is more worthy than the master cylinder what i have in 2014 model ktm which was never feedback rich..please suggest some good MC ..i have lot of contact in US And europe who can bring me one...i am really scared today to be honest@ B7ACKTHORN

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

What might be happening here is that your brake pads get pushed apart to the point where you need multiple lever pulls to get them touch the disk again.

Check for brake fluid leaks in the entire system. Also, check if your forks are aligned correctly, the axle bolt and the axle pinch bolts are tightened to the right torque spec. Check if your rotor is warped.

Did you bleed the brakes yourself or did you have someone do it for you? Sometimes the mechanics say they bleed the brakes but all they do is change the fluid in the reservoir.

About a new MC, I think the new 2018 MC is great. It has a bigger piston to provide better feel and stopping power. I recently swapped mine out. Will cost you around 2.5k and it comes with the adjustable lever. I don't think an aftermarket MC is really needed after this upgrade.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey rawat, absolutely sorry to hear that buddy. Thank your stars, and god forbid nothing happening unduly happened. Now, coming to your query, since you've replaced your pad set and brake oil. The loss in pressure can be related either to a faulty front MS piston. A faulty master cylinder piston won't be able to contain the pressure applied on the lever, and you have master cylinder rebuild kit which can perhaps solve the issue.

Secondly, bleeding must be done in such a way wherein the air is removed entirely from the system. The system should be bled twice to thrice to make sure the air in the system is thoroughly bled. Topping up the brake fluid won't solve the issue. I'd strongly recommend you to do the bleeding once again and make sure the banjo on the master cylinder and on the caliper is torqued properly.

Even though it's an option that can work, I'd strongly recommend you to replace your master cylinder kit to the newer 2017, they have a longer piston and the feedback is much, much improved. Either you can get the new 2017 master cylinder or get the newer front master cylinder rebuild kit and use it on the older master, as they are a direct it. The rear brakes are next to dead on the Duke series especially on the older lots, they don't provide any feedback whatsoever. The only way to anchor is to use the front for maximum efficiency.

Keep your observations posted.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Quick Update regarding the fuel bar issue:
As service centre is not giving me an option to repair or even check the fuel float + meter assembly, I spent a few hours yesterday to take out the tank from the bike. Noticed the airbox has a small crack meanwhile. How much does it cost since its way out of warranty? Mine is 2015 manufactured.
I am unable to take out the fuel from the tank although I have separated the fine fuel filter from the tank. Please help with an easy way out. Doing this for the first time.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The airbox costs Rs. 2700~ ballpark, and it's better to get it replaced as it can only progressively worsen. If you'd like to have a temporary fix, I'd recommend you you get M-seal putty and apply over the crack, it helps. Though it might be an eye sore, you can paint it black once its dry and set. The fuel will have to be siphoned out, as the fuel cannot come out just like that as in a carburetted bike. You have to first siphon out the fuel from the tank and then disassemble the parts.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Due to tremendous work pressure, I have not been able to give much time to the bike since Sunday. However, I just siphoned off the fuel and filled it in the car today. I have unscrewed the fuel bar/meter from the tank. The sock-like thing has some sort of gunk at the base. How do I clean it (with kerosene/petrol/diesel?) and how do I check if it the float is working properly? Upon physically moving it, the float moves freely without any hiccup whatsoever. I also plan to open the throttle body meanwhile. Any help will be appreciated.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

This is the fuel pump/meter assembly. Nothing seems to be wrong upon physical checking.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Has anyone bought these bubble visors from aliexpress?

Rs. 2,626.81 | For KTM RC125 RC200 RC390 2014-2018 RC 125 200 390 SX Duke 2014-2018 double bubble windshield visor

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Unfortunately, the pumps of the Duke 390 naked and the RCs seem to have a different float setup. On the Duke 390 nakeds you will have a rod with a floating float attached on one end and the other end directly connected to the fuel pump gauge meter which will have golden spaced pick ups spaced evenly which is easier to clean and mend it to an extent. Unfortunately with the RC you have a squarish metal tube, with the float on the bottom (the small black colored square plastic) this is what moves up and down with the fuel level inside the tank to give the gauge reading on the dash. Unfortunately, and AFAIK, it's extremely tricky to clean this sort of a float system.

Secondly, the bag that you see is basically a first safe point from the pump itself to filter the impurities on the fuel itself before the fuel goes to the second filter for filtration. This bag can be cleaned albeit they have to be removed and you don't get them as a spare from the SVC. Though you can get it outside SVC and get it installed on the bike. Removing it can be a tricky thing too, but it can be done. If you can air clean the thing using compressed air, it helps it clean well.

Soak the filter a few times in and out, and squeeze the filter till you don't see discoloration, then soak it again with kerosene and without squeezing the element, give it full air blown clean, like how they clean the airfilters with the air gun, it will be clean.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Does anyone know if the KTM dealers will sell the chassis over the counter?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

In all probability they won't. They will make sure the vehicle is inspected and replaced with them. Chassis itself isn't a part that will be readily available in most places. If you're lucky enough to find a brand new one, some lathering with those chaps can in fact get you one. 95% of the time, they won't sell it over the counter.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The chassis needs to have the chassis no. stamped on it again.. so they might hesitate to sell it over the counter.
Try your luck though, ask at a couple of dealers and let us know what you hear from them.
forget chassis, most wont even part with regular spares like filters etc

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Learnt it the hard way. Spoiled my fuel meter, fuel pump seems to be fine. After a lot of trial and error, got it fixed. Damn petrol pump guy bent the grill.

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

Got the pump and meter combo cleaned, dried and fitted back after cleaning the tank properly. Now it is working fine. The sock filter is somewhat cleaner now. Everything is going good, touchwood. I noticed some reasonable amount of dirt inside the tank and the sock filter, which might have resulted in clogging later on. As all this was open, I took liberty to clean the throttle body again, which was somewhat dirty as well.
Noticed an electrical issue where the wire connecting the LED pilot lamps and the tail lamp had some split ends. Fixed it.
ODO is 12800 kms now and I need a pair of brake pads.
Have any of you guys changed the ball racer bearings of the handlebar joint? What are the symptoms for it?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hi All,
Me and my friends are planning to hit the Leh and Spiti Valley circuit in May end.
While returning, I need a service centre in either Ludhiana or Delhi or Ghaziabad. Can anyone suggest which one will be the best along with prompt availability of parts? I might need a clutch plate replacement after the ride.
Will the stock tyres be too risky for the ride?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

There are a couple of decent service centres in Noida and a few in Delhi. Running parts shouldn't be a problem (based on my experience and observation).
I took my RC off-road & bad road (30-40 kms) and the stock tyres have no grip at all on loose surfaces, so I do think that you'll be safer and faster with a tire change. I'll also watching the responses here to see which tire is recommended for such use.