Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The Liters/100 KM should automatically reset post switching off and it also varies according to the riding style. Neither way, it shouldn't get stuck. What I would suggest is remove your battery terminals for 15 to 20 minutes and reinstall and see if it throws up the same error again after riding. The --- next to L/100 km will start to work say after 2 to 3 kms minutes of ride approx, it wouldn't show up immediately, all it will show is --- that's one. Secondly, if you are facing the same issue every time, the console might be at fault.

Let us know how it transpires after doing the above method of disconnecting the battery terminals.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Bike has now reached 36k km. Honestly, i didn't think it would make it this far. Yes there's a loss in power and there's coolant & oil consumption, but it runs well.
Oh and i am still totally in love with the bike. :-)

Sharing another of weekend ride video:

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Awesome, get it serviced and enjoy your ride.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

When you say loss of power, did you get it dyno run? How much bhp/torque it has come down? I have been hearing this from many RC owners & i m being one of them now am concerned [emoji2]

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hi to all RC390 owners. I have observed tht my 2018 RC390 model, which has clocked 9k + kms, the front tyre is wearing out on the right half rather than in the center. Is this a known problem? I got the wheel balancing done & i ll observe for few 100 kms. But could this be due to front fork playing differently?

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience


It also does so due to road camber, roads are not always flat they are mostly midly ^ shaped, so when one part of the tire is pressed on the opposite side of the road camber, one sided tire wear occurs. It also occurs due to uneven tire pressure, uneven damping characteristics, fauly bearings etc. But, they show their faults eventually. Now that you've done your tire balancing, give it week to see how it fares. But mostly shouldn't be concern.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yes, i ll monitor it for another 500-1000 kms. If things continue to be same then probably i hv to address it to service center guys

KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Not able to post high resolution pic. Not getting any option

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Welcome to Tapatalk. [emoji28]

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Lol [emoji23], i posted one, but looking at the pic quality it was an insult to my machine.. so removed it

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The images will always be compressed. But, just post whatever you can.


Cheers!
VJ

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

here it is, my [emoji7]

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

You are right,
It's mainly due to camber

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

So finally the inevitable happened, the engine imploded! Was driving in 3rd gear at around 6-7Krpm then did a half throttle upshift dragging the clutch to 4th gear ( I call this the Money Shift), I heard a "tak" sound from the head/engine area and that's it the bike lost complete power, but wheels did not jam and bike rolled to a stop after depressing the clutch, so I knew at this point that bottom end was fine as there was no wheel lock and it was the cylinder/head.

Tried to crank the bike again and bike a 0 compression and could all I hear was only the starter motor sound, called up my service center and I personally arranged a well trusted local towing company "Rescue towing" for towing the bike and dropped it off at the SVC,
Thankfully this happened only 11kms away from the SVC within a crowded city center limits during afternoon and not somewhere in a remote place during a ride or in my native. Which saved me a lot of money for towing from a remote place and not getting stranded.

Next day, SVC has opened up the engine head and cylinder block, I went to take a look and I could not stop laughing at the point, I had never seen a engine blown like that

I let pictures do the taking.









Bottom end seems to be completely fine, no issues here. No play in the crank or no worn out bearings. So saved from a full engine rebuild.


One of the exhaust valve has completely broken off and forged into the piston and you could also see the stuck valve on the piston has hit the head and damaged the head and cylinder walls aswell, this happened because the cams timing slipped when I did the shift at high rpm and the valves went out of timing due to this, an exhaust valve opened at when piston was at TDC and jammed itself inside)
P.S. (Timing chain was already weak, I could hear a little tappet and grinding judder noise from last 2000kms, to solve this I had just replaced only the tensionor few kms back to solve the grinding sound at low rpm, probably brand new tensionor with weak old timing chain din't go well as planned)

So, the bike now needs half engine rebuild. Head is completely gone so needs a new head and valves, new piston and cylinder block, new intake and exhaust cam lobes, gears and guide cover set. Approx initial cost to wallet tally is at ₹30-35K

Rough Parts cost
Head ₹6000
Cylinder Block and Piston at ₹13000
Cams ₹2000 per set(intake and exhaust)
₹500 per valve
₹2500 Miscellaneous Head and Valve cover gaskets, springs, tensioner, timing chain and guides etc etc.
Clutch is also at 60-70 stage(so if we include this while we are at it, another ₹3500-4000)
₹1250 New Oil

Rough Labor cost
Hear Overhaul ₹3500
Cylinder block Overhaul/Replace ₹2500
Valve lathe and lapping ₹1000
Clutch Overhaul ₹1500

My initial mixed feelings about this right now. This too shall pass.
Am I angry, No!
Am I disappointed, No!
Am I sad, Yes!
Am I happy, Yes! For all those miles till now the bike covered and the joy that came along with it, the way it has performed all those miles and the way it has handled all those aggressive riding style and those eargasm joyful upshifts and downshifts sound!
Will I continue to Love this bike, Absolutely 199% Yes!

But hey, at the end of the machines need TLC and they too breakdown just like humans and it gives back in-return what we give to it with smiles per mile.
With a bunch of new parts fresh from KTM/Bajaj factory , It'll be all happy and riding again! I still say its the cheapest bike you can buy for highest smiles per rupee (even after factoring in a half engine rebuild)!

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Had similar kind of breakdown on road. Had to call my brother since it was an isolated patch on highway around 10pm.

Mechanic had strictly asked not to try starting it. So, Kawasaki helped in towing RC390 that night [emoji28]
Through a rope and all, that was fun too. Haha

Got it fixed in next 2 days, piston (something around it) was gone due to the insane load I had always put on this sweet machine.
Damage was around 8-9k (saved some because of good rep at svc)

Same as you :
Not mad, still believed in this bike but yes felt sad because of what had happened to it.

KTM is so cheap to maintain, we get full freedom to abuse it. Haha
What can I say, last year I even got a Duke 390. KTM [emoji817]

Attaching a frame out of video I had made while towing haha. [emoji51]