Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

If your camshafts are scored as well as the finger followers, it's primarily due to faulty oil pump or blocked camshaft oil galleys. The oil pump is fully serviceable and can be removed and cleaned. Secondly, though oil traces are present on the head, it doesn't mean they are getting the required oil for lubrication. Secondly, it can also be that your oil pump would be fine, and would still read the desired pressure readout, but the galleys on the head can be blocked causing not efficient oil flow, and hence ruined your cam and finger followers. RTV, if applied correctly aren't a problem, if it's too much and pish pashed everywhere, they can ball up and in fact block the galleys and ruin the engine. Start off by removing the cam shaft and finger followers, and remove the top bridge and get it thoroughly air cleaned, especially the oil galleys. Then make sure, your oil pump is cleaned and also your oil filter isn't gunked up. A failed oil filter can and will cause seizure, starving the engine off of vital engine oil.

1. Get your valve cover bridge inspected.
2. Get your oil pump cleaned, that's more than enough.
3. Make sure your oil filter is clean and replace if necessary.

Checking the above should solve your issue. Keep your observations posted.

Cheers!
VJ

KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


1. Already ordered a new one (it’s the type of rubber gasket which sits below the valve head right?)

2. That’s near the clutch plates right? Can’t find any info on how to clean it online. Any help on how to do it properly?
Will blowing air into it help or I shouldn’t do that?

3. Just installed a new K&N oil filter.

Also checked my valve clearance

Both exhaust are double of what they need to be
The left intake is also double and the right intake is near to 0 cause can’t even put my smallest feeler

Will check again once I install the new camshafts and rocker arms and then will measure and buy the shims

Ordered the parts
Would take around 7-10 days for them to arrive

Will post everything in detail once the bike is fully fixed
[MENTION=39214]B7ACKTHORN[/MENTION]

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Guys i am confused between rc 390 and duke 390...Is there any possibility 2020 rc390 will have those led lamps and tft display, as the old one seems to be outdated...and also i heard some news about 490s..should i wait for that?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Is the "thumb starter switch/button with wire" unit available separately as a spare? I have some shorting somewhere inside the wire and it needs to be changed. The SVC could not give me a proper answer to this.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

In all the Dukes, especially the 2013-2016 model sall have their thumbstarters integrated into the switch gear. In case they are faulty, you have to replace them. You can't change the switch alone. You can remove the switch and check the solder and re-solder if necessary and brush the contacts so that they work well. A local automobile electrician can do that for you.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey guys,
Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried ohlins KT303 on their bikes? Is there any huge difference compared to stock ones?
Thank you

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

hello everyone,

I had a doubt

I was working on replacing my camshaft and i had my bike in TDC of the compression stroke as required. By mistake after i removed my cams my TDC alignment got messed up and so I cranked the engine 2-3 times to bring it back to TDC but now I don't know if its TDC of the exhaust stroke or compression as I had removed my cams before doing so.

Is there any way to find out or it doesn't matter and I can put align the cams back at any TDC mark be it exhaust or compression?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Bring the piston to TDC mark on the flywheel, and make sure the you align the camshafts on the markings provided by them you will have to align them like this - o - against the head surface and install your chain, you're good to go. The key here is to bring the flywheel marking the same as the casing marking so the piston is at TDC and rest is just aligning the camshafts and installing the timing chain.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

So it doesn’t matter if I install the camshafts straightly at TDC in the exhaust stroke?


Cause when you open a head which hasn’t been open before the exhaust stroke TDC has it’s cams upside down

And rn I have no clue when it’s at the exhaust or compression TDM as the cams are out and the engine was bought TDC 3-4 times without the cam installed

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Make sure, you install the camshafts with the markings given them flush with the head surface. Before that, the piston must be at TDC. The flywheel must be rotated counterclockwise and the markings on the flywheel match the casing, and you're good to go.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

hey again

my manual says the valve spec should be

Intake 0.08 - 0.12
exhaust 0.12 - 0.17

Installed the new cams and now checked my valve clearance, they are .001-.002 out of spec on the loose end. Do you recommend changing them or its okay to be a tad bit loose?
The 2018 service manual changed its clearance too

now it says
intake: 0.10 - 0.15
exhaust: 0.15 - 0.20

If i go from the new manual I'm in spec, If i go from the old manual im .001-.002 on the loose end

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yes, the camshaft position is right. If you model falls in the 2018 and pre 2018, stick with the first one. 0.08 to 0.12 and 0.13 to 0.17. An mm of loose spec isn't a concern. You shouldn't have any problem. As it heats up, the shims expand and give the right clearance. Don't go loose more than than that.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey once again
So tried to start the bike today

It was cranking but wasn't starting

It was getting fuel as I removed the throttle body a little bit and was able to see fuel dripping

It was getting a spark as I removed it and saw that also, even changed it

Tried to run it without the cover and all the cams and valve were opening and closing as they need to

Still can't understand why it's not starting

Tried several times
All in vain

Thinking of reinstalling the cams 180 degrees and trying it again tomorrow. Might be installed at TDC of the exhaust stroke rather than compression

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

You might have probably installed it at the end of the exhaust stroke, which again would mean the piston is at TDC, albeit the valves slightly opened. It's easy. See, check the mark on the flywheel, bring it to the TDC, that's the TDC mark for the compression end of the stroke, where both valves will be closed, this is your sweet spot. Remove your cams first, then bring your TDC on the flywheel, then align the camshafts and install then try, it should start. Check your connectors, fuel feed, spark plug cap, everything once again. Also one easy thing to notice is whether it's in exhaust stroke or compression stroke is, in compression stroke, the lobes will be sideways and not inducing pressure on the valves, both intake and exhaust will be neutral meaning, the lobes will be on the side. If the lobes are slightly turned and you see them pressuring the valves, then you have the wrong timing.

Hope I am not confusing you.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Posting here after quite sometime. Just an FYI post.

Late last month, as I was starting for the ISG2G yercaud from Chennai, my bike's display stopped working. The display was working all fine until the ride day. I carried on with the ride thinking it would come up or we could fix it once I join the lot, but in vain. All through the ride the display didn't work and I managed coming back without it.

At the service center, we diagnosed the display and they mentioned that the display might have lived its life as a new display connected to the wiring worked directly. Either that or there would be some issue with the wiring which led from the connector inside the right fairing to the display. A day or two passed and we planned on rectifying the issue but the bike would not crank up that day. Bike did throw a low battery warning a week before that when the display was working so thought the battery might have lost charge as the bike was sitting idle. Battery in question is a nil maintenance Exide battery. So charged it(it was completely drained), put it on the bike and still no display. So, in another two days again the battery drained, this time I suspected the battery and charged it again, took two days to charge completely but this time the display came up but the bike didn't crank and the battery showed 11.4v reading. So claimed warranty and got a new battery after a week and voila the display started working as usual. Note that, since the display was not working, I could not guess that the battery might be the issue, all other electricals were working fine.