Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Buy RC390 and buy a power grip for hand exercise.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

[quote name="P3T3R" post=1138853]I am in a similar confusion, the difference being 190 cc.

Yes I have decided to pick up a KTM 390 and confused between a Duke and a RC. I could not find any thread for the same and this was the closest thread to my requirement. Well I have read all the comments here but still looking for your opinion. Mods kindly shift this to the appropriate thread if I have posted in the wrong place.

A few points about myself and my requirements:

1. I'm 168 cm in height and 88 kg in weight.



Same



2. I spend only half the year in India (4 months at a time) and for the 4 months I'm away there's no one to use the bike.



Same



3. All 4 KTM's are within my budget (including the fuel costs).



Same



4. Though my choice is between the 390's, I know there are some people who will insist on getting one of the 200's. Your opinions are welcome too.



Owned a 200 for 2 years, now moved on to rc390.



5. My primary use will be leisure riding. Most of the time evening rides from Margao to Colva or Benaulim (for those who are familiar with Goa) and maybe the occasional 100 km ride.



Same, just that i tour a bit.



6. I do not intend riding to Ladakh or Kanyakumari nor do I intend carrying my entire wardrobe, fridge, TV and microwave on the bike.



On the contrary, i want to. just that i travel light.



7. I do not intend doing any sort of stunts or racing on the bike (In any case Goa does not have racetracks)



Same, but want to do a trackday.



8. I will be having a pillion rider most of the time.



same



9. I do not have a problem with a crouched position, hard seats or stiff suspension (I'm a cyclist and ride a road bike).



Same



10. I would like to use the bike within the city sometimes.



Same



11. I currently ride an Enfield 350 standard and an Activa.



Used to ride duke and have a jupiter.



12. Previously I have owned and extensively ridden a Yamaha RD 350, Yamaha RX 100 & a Hero Honda CBZ (1st Gen).

13. I enjoyed the Yamaha's more than the other bikes. I like to rev the bike a bit.

14. I have ridden the Duke 200 when it was launched and a friends re-mapped Duke 390 recently. Still waiting for the dealer to give me a Test Ride on all 4 stock bikes back to back. They have promised me a Test Ride on the RC 390 tomorrow.



Replies inline.

Go and get rc390. Its fun, precise and fast. Most guys crib because of the riding position, but we cyclists make do with a lot less seat and similar or more committed crouching position without any thigh support. I feel you should do well with a RC390.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

I Own a RC390 and have not test ridden a D390 with slipper clutch. But I test rode a N300 with slipper clutch and found no difference in terms if softness or ease of use.
Slipper clutch is primarily (if not only) for preventing rear wheel lock during aggressive downshifting. Softness of clutch operation might be due to extra springs KTM would have added and is nothing to do with the slipper.
Now coming to RC and Duke (have owned both), D390 is a very very comfortable bike to ride compared to RC. If you are gonna ride a RC, a hard clutch will not be the only one of your comfort issues, add to it the crouched position, pressure on wrists and lower back. If you are able to live with all that and are able to acclimatize yourself to the RC riding dynamics, trust me on this - you will not miss the slipper clutch ever and you might just learn the art of throttle blipping!
But if you want the comfort ride (seats of the D390 are plusher than RC) and a soft clutch, go for the D390.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hey there.
Have the first minor problem on my RC post 1500 on ODO. When i parked it yesterday evening i noticed that its tilting way more than it usually does or when it came new. So tried to see the health of my side stand.
What i found was that side stand was perfectly loose from behind and i could tilt it upfront till it starts messing with gear rod. To my surprise i saw that it was actually gear rod above the side stand base which was holding the bike from leaning in too hard or may be fall. Got worried as did not want to park it that way, once i knew the issue. Also noticed that gear rod was slightly loose as well on both ends. I tried my best to figure out some tightening mechanism on the base of the side stand but could not succeed somehow, it being night and me being no crawler to see whats in the bottom.
Called up the guy at KTM showroom and to my surprise he called the KTM workshop mechanic back to work (it was around 8 in evening) to attend me. Went to workshop and this guy was waiting who did my first service. Told him the issue and he brought a wrench, put it somewhere behind the base and started tightening. In no time, it was okay. He asked me to visit in a few days for permanent fix.
I wonder how useful the middle stand use to be, where i did not need another person to hold the bike straight and crawl on ground to see the issue. Or may be i need to buy this rear wheel up lifter kind of thing to use my basic mechanic skill with my love.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

PS: tried my hands with the tools provided with the bike, under the seat. Bike on side stand, crawled beneath and saw tow bolts fixing it to the frame. Of which, one was fixed by the guy yesterday. It seems, the second bolt is quite hidden under thats how he must have asked me to come again. however, i could tighten the second one also myself.
Thinking of extending my skills to cleaning and lubing the chain myself now, as its quite dirty and greasy now. Further they charge about 300 plus taxes for it n it need to be cleaned quite frequently (500 km in my riding conditions). So went through a few you tube videos and learned a bit. Would buy the WD 40 and FS chain lube tomorrow and going by the prices on amazon, both may not cost more than 400-500. Only problem is that without the centre stand, it would be quite a job to keep moving the bike, untill all portions are done with

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

The stand you are referring to is called a paddock stand. Its available for 2/3k in most of the places. Be careful with diy. There was a video of some guy on this or other bhp forum who got his finger snapped.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Anyone "personally" using engine ice?
Please quote your experiences.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hi,
With reference to the center stand (Paddock Stand); It is very difficult and practically not possible to lube the chain properly without the stand. Just go buy the stand available for CBR 250. It is priced around Rs:3950 and is readily available. I was going crazy without the stand and asked the KTM guys and they quoted Rs:6300 and they said I need to place an order and they were not sure when I would get it and all the drama.... The CBR 250 is a much heavier bike and generally the SVC guys have only 1 or 2 stands that they use for all their servicing work. So when we buy the stand I think it should last a lifetime. The Paddock stand also helps in washing the bike properly as we are able to wash the back rim alloys well. Washing the from rim is a problem though as the bike kind of rests on the front wheel. Please see the picture I have attached for reference.

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Hello Friends.
This with reference with my "High Coolant Temperature" issue I was facing the past 20 days. What was happening is sometimes the fan would work as it should and sometimes it would not and the bike would overheat. I took it to the SVC on Saturday and they started the bike and left it to idle and see if the fan works. God, I was praying it does not work. And it did not work. They told me to leave the bike and collect it in the evening as they needed to check the temperature sensor and the fan to see what is the problem. It turned out the fan was faulty. They replaced the Fan free of cost under warranty and the bike is perfect now.
Another new experiment is; I have removed the handle bar ends and find the front end super light. The over-all feel of the bike has changed. You can always put it back if you don't like the feel. So if you guys want to try it out, it hardly takes 2 minutes if you have an Allen Key set.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Thats a new idea! ....will try on the weekend for sure and see how it feels. Thanks

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Hello Fellow bikers,

I have been following this forum since day 1. Since today I am a proud owner of RC390, with a lot of mind bugging phone calls i got it delivered in 4 days time.

Initial experience is Awesome, still getting used to the riding position and I am sure will get used to it, and cant seem to get enough of riding it.

Heating is definitely gonna be a problem as the summer is almost here. cant wait to finish the running in period so that i can open the throttle and let it fly.

Any advise for me.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

JLT, it will be about 2 months now, and I can't get over the bike. Sometimes I tell myself that dude you actually own this bike , wow :P Every morning after parking the bike in office and walking away I turn 3-4 times to see how sexy it looks, can't help I just have to turn. Also we have a Duke 390 which is parked in the office, mostly next to my RC, and I love it that I waited for the RC :P :P

Also have become very comfortable on the bike, I dont really consciously think on how i'm siitting and dont face any kind of pain. Its smoother now, heats slightly lesser than it used to.

However, I find that the acceleration does take a toll if a pillion is sitting. The mad accelration kind of softens up or lags slightly and post 120 its even slower with a pillion. Riding alone it goes upto 150 really fast.

Also, dirving this bike in medium traffic is not at a problem at all. Have started riding till 45kmph types in 3rd, till 65-70 on 4th and dont really use 6th for the city. The bike feels at home at these levels and I don't feel as if its overly eager and difficult to reign in in traffic. The power band kicking in after 5.5rpm types is another boon, as one can cruise along lazily by driving between 4-5 rpm in any gear, and still know that the power burst will come if needed just by moving to a higher rpm.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

This has been a pretty silent thread for quite a while, just though I should share some related news

KTM Track Day For Duke & RC 390 Owners At BIC On 26th April

KTM Track Day For Duke 390 & RC 390 Owners At BIC On 26th April | MotorBeam – Indian Car Bike News & Reviews

Riding Gear -
1) Full-leather riding suit with armour
2) Riding boots
3) FIA approved full-face helmet (Note: ISI approved will not be allowed)
4) Armoured riding gloves
Customers who do not possess leather riding suits and riding boots will have the option of using the ones provided by the organizers on sharing basis and will have to book the same at the time of registration.
Documents -
1) Valid driving license
2) Personal insurance/mediclaim policy
3) Vehicle insurance
4) Vehicle registration certificate

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Not sure how many are aware of this one. Now you can ride your RC 390 on your PC/consoles too



The race version as well,

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

[QUOTE=pcgamer;1141243]Not sure how many are aware of this one. Now you can ride your RC 390 on your PC/consoles too

The gamed named RIDE??

P.S. Do not quote the entire video, in your reply.

Re: KTM RC 390 Ownership Experience

Yup, have used it on my bikes for past 3 odd years. Have no complaints. No boil over ever observed. Not had to top up after change over. Only thing is don't expect it to work like some magic potion that Getafix has made.

You can refer to my post http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/general-...ml#post1056184 for details on how to go about changing the coolant.


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