Re: 2017 Duke 250

Now that the wobble is present even after replacing the front tire/rim along with the axle. I'd strongly recommend you to look for front fork alignment i.e. Both the tire and handlebar should be straight. Just in cycling days, when we fall the tire and handlebar goes in different directions and mend it by holding the tire in between our legs and straightening the handlebar to align it straight. The same process applies here too. Check for trueness between the handlebar, and the front T stem/tire. A bar that's off alignment will cause uneven tire wear and wobble.

Secondly and lastly the front forks themselves. If either one or both the forks are bent or are aligned unevenly, one up and one low, the bike's handling can and will go for a toss. I'd suggest you to do this as a final try, try swapping both the forks of any other Duke and see if it helps. Also, I'd strongly recommend you to check for T stem trueness in the process.

It shouldn't wobble at any speeds. The Dukes handle such speeds with ease.

Hope it helps! Keep your observations posted.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Thanks for the response guys.
But my problem is that the SVC guys test rode the bike and feel that there are no issues with the bike's handling and they closed the case( though they themselves claim that they can't ride the bike above 100 kmph to check for any problems). I then had to complain to ASM( i guess assistant service manager) Mr. Varun Chaddha at KTM who told me to wait till first week of September for his visit to Delhi as he would himself ride my bike and check for any problems.
I think this is plain BS from KTM's part but what else can I do?

Re: 2017 Duke 250

If you find the other bike doesn't have any problem, and yours does, you have a problem. No matter what BS the SVC chaps offer you, it's no use, because you're the end user and not them. Follow the above procedures I mentioned, yes do take it to the regional heads, and opt for a replacement of the complete front end if not satisfied with the due course. Don't give up on it yet.

Cheers!
VJ

2017 Duke 250






Just completed spiti valley.

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Congratulations. Do post your ride experiences, especially the mods carried out, how the bike behaved, just the finer details.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Did Ladakh in June and with 10 royal enfields and my only KTM. This baby performed really well upto the mark especially on the clean roads of ladakh but when it came to off-roading it was really pain in the ass because i wasn’t aware of the rear mono shock setting and off-roading tyres. I got a fuel economy of 38-40 Km/l which made me happy and didn’t affected my pocket that much the only problem it gave me was of early morning start there was a place called Whisky Bar it comes when you are leaving ladakh via Manali we stayed in tents and it was cold enough i guess the temperature went down to -1 degree
and we had to leave early morning in order to clear the zing zing bar. Then in the morning it refused to start where all the royal enfields were starting up with the single self i was cracking the 15th self then finally desi jugad came into action ‘The Dhaka Start’ and finally it started.
Now talking about the Spiti Ride i did in August with 2 royal Endfield Classic and one Himalyanit it was fun but dangerous you never know when you’ll get to see shooting stones its pure offroad experience same like ladakh but spiti is much raw whereas ladakh is developed. So i went there with ralco’s off-roading tyre which costed me around ₹4000 for pair and as they were bigger in size i was getting problem with the front one it was rubbing with the mudguard so i installed aluminium risers (pati) for uplifting the front mudguard and increased the level of monoshocker which made bike tall and more comfortable to ride. Other mods were the windshield,handle risers,mobile charger and rear rack for luggage
these all mods did well. I was carrying gear oil to lube the chain and it performed really well lubing chain after every 300kms it is really cost effective when compared to chain spray. Now the same thing happend in the spiti on 9th day when we were leaving from chandertal to manali the cold start problem and i had to use Dhaka start, rest the bike performed really really well i never felt any loss in power or something else, but in some cases you need torque like in water crossings where you have to cross really big stones or any standing still road but still it is manageable if you are a experienced rider.
Duke 390 may give you power on these roads but will eat your pocket so in the end what i think is duke 250 is the best motorcycle for touring it will give you proper balance of mileage and performance.
Make sure to do the above mods before going on a long Ride.

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Hey guys...It's been a couple of weeks of running around KTM SVC's but they still could'nt solve the wobbling completely.
AS the Gurgaon SVC could not find any problem the ASM suggested to visit faridabad. At the Faridabad SVC it was found that the front tyre was not properly seated into the rim therefore it was losing air when driven at high speeds (Acc. to the mechanics there,some earlier duke 250 batches have had the same issue).
But for me the the wobbling is still not resolved as while leaned in for overtakes or at very high speeds the bike still wobbles.
I have documented my ordeal on Quora -https://qr.ae/TW2s4s
Today, left side leg guard nut broke on its own in front of the ASM himself ( I was at gurgaon SVC and the ASM was testing my bike on a expressway) ...I had to go to a welder to get the broken piece out and the bolt which the SVC gave was of duke 200(by mistake).So, tomorrow i will again have to got to the SVC.

I'll be selling the motorcycle now and I hope atleast the fellow Duke 250 owners keep on enjoying their steeds. It is a great bike (except the brakes) let down by shoddy service(I met the ASM and the way he talked and the knowledge he had was more akin to a roadside mechanic) , parts quality and poor QC.

I have 2 questions -
1. Will the Apache 310rr be a good replacement for the duke 250. I don't think I should say this but I ride like a complete hooligan on the road. With respect to the chassis and braking will it be any better.(also should I look into RC 390 despite how bad my experience was with the KTM).
I don't ride a bike everyday and therefore don't care about comfort much, just need an out there machine)

2. Is there a way to escalate the Duke 250 matter above the ASM Level? I tried the KTM complaint id but it reaches the ASM only.

Thanks

Re: 2017 Duke 250

I always say, don't ask anyone about what motorcycle, you're gonna buy. Because almost all the opinions are and will be based on the person's view point and not actually you. So, if you plan to sell the bike, and your gut instinct says you to do so, then go ahead, there is something very potent about the gut instinct that knows, this will be good or this will be bad. So, follow that. Secondly, the RR310 is a decent bike and yes, very much has the oomph factor than that of the Duke 250. Apache RR310 does have its fair share of pros and cons, and the reviews are there aplenty to let you get a detailed snapshot of the ownership scene.

Ride safe. Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: 2017 Duke 250

How much mileage are u guys getting??

Re: Differences between 2017 Duke 250 and 2019 Duke 250 ABS

What are the differences between 2017 Duke 250 and 2019 Duke 250 ABS?

I haven't ridden the ABS version yet. I'm having some doubts with regard to the differences between the two

1. Is there any change in low-end torque?
2. Any change in engine feel or smoothness?
3. Any change in gear ratios?
4. Has the braking improved?
5. Any other minor changes?

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Around 34 kmpl. 50% highways + 40% rurals + 10% bumper to bumper traffic.

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

1. Yes. The low end is a little smoother than before (previous was a bit jerky) and feels a tiny bit more torquey (bit more alive under 5k RPM)
2. Same as above and maybe engine has been smoothed out more but cannot say much as mines just new
3. Little bit. The 2017 ones used a 14/46 sprocket setup, newer ones use 15/46 setup (need to confirm that physically though)
4. I dont think so
5. Different rear grab rails, small heat shield on LH chassis, some ECU bracket & tail light mount strengthening. All added for good
My experience with previous 250 was a test ride motorcycle in ok condition.

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Hi all, I recently purchased the 2019 Duke 250 one month back and have since covered some 600kms. Now, I've already done the first service and the bike feels a little smooth now. But there are two issues which I'm facing wherein the first one I feel a slight vibration and noise just around the 4k rpm mostly in 1st to 4th gear but its not present if the bike isn't in motion. It lessens and disappears from 5 to 5.5k rpm. The 2nd issue is a a little worrisome cause from like a week or so I'm noticing that a very tiny bit of coolant rather a drop or two coming out of a very small pinhole just below the spark plug on the engine cylinder. Now it only comes out after stopping the bike after riding it for a while. I told it during the service but they couldn't reproduce the issue after running the engine for some time and thus didn't do anything! Is it a severe issue or anything cause I'm worried that it might be! Also i would mention that I went to top up the coolant as it was below the min level and the guy in the showroom topped it up more than the max level, so is it because of that? Cause this issue was not there from the beginning!

P.S.- This is my first post here so purdon for my mistakes!

Re: 2017 Duke 250

Hi, recently my Duke 250 had a fall. (No, injuries). But, yeah bent clutch lever and some liquid which had leaked. Not sure if it's coolant or petrol. Any ideas on which one ? Also, is it normal?

Re: 2017 Duke 250

The first thing to leak when a bike crashes is the radiator fluid, green in color. Oil is usually a result of severe crash where the engine casing is cracked open. If it's thick and slippery it's oil, either engine or fork, if it's watery and green, it's coolant.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: 2017 Duke 250

If I'm right it must be coolant. Got so stressed that I didn't even dare to investigate the leaked liquid, just left the scene.