KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi my name is Tushar Moily. I'm 26 years old and I stay at Thane, Mumbai.

Currently I ride a 2013 KTM Duke 390. Bike was purchased brand new from showroom so I'm the only owner. I purchased the bike on Jan 2014.

Bike - KTM Duke 390
Year - 2013
Kms on odo - 63k

Last November 2018 I got major engine works done which includes block piston change, all head internals change, and complete gaskets overhaul because the engine was on the verge of ceasure and oil was leaking from basically everywhere. I got these works done from a workshop at Mira Road, Thane. In spite of getting these works done, my bike was still leaking oil from somewhere down below. Changed gear oil seal, front sprocket oil seal but still leakage would not stop. Folks at workshop had no idea why it is still leaking. Then finally I gave my bike to authorised SVC at Thane. They cleaned the engine nicely with water and test rode my bike. They found out that oil was not leaking from any seals but from the plain surface of crankcase itself ! The crack was not even visible from naked eye and the oil used to leak only when the bike is ridden really hard. That's how minute the crack was. There was a dent too on crankcase which mostly occurred because I may have hit a high speed breaker with a pillion.

So the SVC guys placed an order for new crankcase. Part was delivered on the second week of order placement. Got the crankcase changed, the leakages stopped permanently. But the story does not end here.

After changing the crankcase, I started facing performance issues in my bike. Performance issue was mostly at the top speed. Top speed had taken such a beating that my bike was reluctant to cross 120kmph in 4th gear. We all know that a healthy duke 390 reaches 130 kmph with a blink of an eye. I was feeling that I was riding a Duke 200. To add to my horror, speedometer started flashing 'low oil pressure' !! I couldn't believe it. I spent so much money on engine rebuild and crankcase but still I'm getting this warning. I took my bike to SVC again. Told them about these two problems. For the low oil pressure, they changed the oil pressure switch on the head twice. Then I took my bike for testing and I trashed my bike really really hard in order to be satisfied that low oil pressure problem is solved. Speedometer then stopped flashing low oil pressure but then some weird noises started coming from the engine head because of extreme trashing and speedo showed 'high coolant temp'. Boiling coolant was literally overflowing from the reservoir. They told me that it's simply the sound of the sims. About the top speed, they told me that my chain sprocket and clutch plates are gone. So I got both of them changed. Test rode my bike after that but still there was top speed performance issue. Then the SVC guys test rode my bike with a pillion. The pillion had diagnostic tool in his hand which was attached to my bike. They came back and assured me that top speed is okay. But I was not satisfied since I've been riding my bike for 5 years now and I know how she pounces like crazy post 6k rpm. That pouncing was not there.

So I decided to take my bike to a different SVC. I went to KTM SVC at Vikhroli. Showed them the weird 'khat khat' sound coming from the engine. After opening the head and checking, they old me that intake camshaft's lobe had become uneven because the head was not getting oil. Got it changed which costed me 4.7k with labour. Took my bike and test rode it only to find 'low oil pressure' warning again ! Took my bike back to SVC again. They fitted a brand new oil pressure switch. Test rode it again but I got the same warning again. Went back there again. They checked pressure with pressure guage. Duke 390 should have 1.5 kg of pressure at idling rpm. Guage was showing zero pressure. So they also fitted a brand new oil pump which pumps from crankcase to head. Checked with guage again. It showed only 1 kg of pressure.They told me to leave my bike here for few days so that we can take a long test ride and check the actual problem.

They called me day after tomorrow and asked me whether have I changed the crankcase or not before. I say yes. They told that my bike is 2013 model and the crankcase they fitted is 2017 model (i.e crankcase of new Duke 390). Because of that there was mismatch in alignment of oil ducts and so the head was not getting oil. The solution of this problem was to change the magnet cover also (the one on which 'racing KTM' is written) to the latest model so the alignment is perfect. I wasn't convinced that simply changing magnet cover will solve my problem but I trusted them and gave a go ahead anyway.

Next day I went to collect my bike. Found a nice stretch of road, opened the throttle fully, and I was so happy with the results ! The original acceleration of Duke 390 was back ! She was pouncing like crazy post 6k rpm..so much that it was almost overwhelming and so I had to slow down and contain my happiness and excitement. Who would have thought that simply changing the magnet cover will solve all of my problems? She is now performing like a brand new Duke 390 straight out of showroom. I expected the folks at Thane SVC to tell me that I should change magnet cover also but they did not. How unprofessional ! I cannot thank the folks at Vikhroli SVC enough for fixing the problems in my bike.

What I feel is that since there was misalignment in oil ducts, there was a lot of back pressure to the oil pump and so it got damaged and top speed took a beating. Oil pump is not motor operated but rather from the engine itself.

So there are two reasons for this long post.

1) If you own a 2013 Duke 390 and your crankcase has got cracked, change the crankcase and also the magnet cover. There won't be any loss in performance.

2) My ABS has stopped working on it's own. The folks at Mira Road workshop tells me that mostly some ABS motor is gone and the motor costs 20k rs ! Damn that's almost my 1 month salary. Is there a cheaper alternative to fix my ABS?


Thanks for reading my long post.

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

So while coming back from work today I hit a pothole. Must be riding at a speed of 40-50 but because it was a nasty one I got home and checked the rims and found them to be bent from two different regions on either side of the tyre.

Is this a quality issue? Has anyone faced a similar situation? What other damage I should be wary of? Solutions? Please help.[ATTACH]248925[/ATTACH][ATTACH]248926[/ATTACH]

I have also damaged my front rim due to potholes. Sadly it's just the way it is. I've heard that newer Duke's wheels are slightly more flexible and can handle potholes better than first gen Dukes. Still I would recommend you to run your bikes with slightly higher tyre pressures to avoid cracks and bends. Now my bike's front wheel is of RC 200 and I run tyre pressures of 28 psi and 32 psi.

[Nikesh Nadar]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi my name is Tushar Moily. I'm 26 years old and I stay at Thane, Mumbai.

Currently I ride a 2013 KTM Duke 390. Bike was purchased brand new from showroom so I'm the only owner. I purchased the bike on Jan 2014.

Bike - KTM Duke 390
Year - 2013
Kms on odo - 63k

Last November 2018 I got major engine works done which includes block piston change, all head internals change, and complete gaskets overhaul because the engine was on the verge of ceasure and oil was leaking from basically everywhere. I got these works done from a workshop at Mira Road, Thane. In spite of getting these works done, my bike was still leaking oil from somewhere down below. Changed gear oil seal, front sprocket oil seal but still leakage would not stop. Folks at workshop had no idea why it is still leaking. Then finally I gave my bike to authorised SVC at Thane. They cleaned the engine nicely with water and test rode my bike. They found out that oil was not leaking from any seals but from the plain surface of crankcase itself ! The crack was not even visible from naked eye and the oil used to leak only when the bike is ridden really hard. That's how minute the crack was. There was a dent too on crankcase which mostly occurred because I may have hit a high speed breaker with a pillion.

So the SVC guys placed an order for new crankcase. Part was delivered on the second week of order placement. Got the crankcase changed, the leakages stopped permanently. But the story does not end here.

After changing the crankcase, I started facing performance issues in my bike. Performance issue was mostly at the top speed. Top speed had taken such a beating that my bike was reluctant to cross 120kmph in 4th gear. We all know that a healthy duke 390 reaches 130 kmph with a blink of an eye. I was feeling that I was riding a Duke 200. To add to my horror, speedometer started flashing 'low oil pressure' !! I couldn't believe it. I spent so much money on engine rebuild and crankcase but still I'm getting this warning. I took my bike to SVC again. Told them about these two problems. For the low oil pressure, they changed the oil pressure switch on the head twice. Then I took my bike for testing and I trashed my bike really really hard in order to be satisfied that low oil pressure problem is solved. Speedometer then stopped flashing low oil pressure but then some weird noises started coming from the engine head because of extreme trashing and speedo showed 'high coolant temp'. Boiling coolant was literally overflowing from the reservoir. They told me that it's simply the sound of the sims. About the top speed, they told me that my chain sprocket and clutch plates are gone. So I got both of them changed. Test rode my bike after that but still there was top speed performance issue. Then the SVC guys test rode my bike with a pillion. The pillion had diagnostic tool in his hand which was attached to my bike. They came back and assured me that top speed is okay. But I was not satisfied since I've been riding my bike for 5 years now and I know how she pounces like crazy post 6k rpm. That pouncing was not there.

So I decided to take my bike to a different SVC. I went to KTM SVC at Vikhroli. Showed them the weird 'khat khat' sound coming from the engine. After opening the head and checking, they old me that intake camshaft's lobe had become uneven because the head was not getting oil. Got it changed which costed me 4.7k with labour. Took my bike and test rode it only to find 'low oil pressure' warning again ! Took my bike back to SVC again. They fitted a brand new oil pressure switch. Test rode it again but I got the same warning again. Went back there again. They checked pressure with pressure guage. Duke 390 should have 1.5 kg of pressure at idling rpm. Guage was showing zero pressure. So they also fitted a brand new oil pump which pumps from crankcase to head. Checked with guage again. It showed only 1 kg of pressure.They told me to leave my bike here for few days so that we can take a long test ride and check the actual problem.

They called me day after tomorrow and asked me whether have I changed the crankcase or not before. I say yes. They told that my bike is 2013 model and the crankcase they fitted is 2017 model (i.e crankcase of new Duke 390). Because of that there was mismatch in alignment of oil ducts and so the head was not getting oil. The solution of this problem was to change the magnet cover also (the one on which 'racing KTM' is written) to the latest model so the alignment is perfect. I wasn't convinced that simply changing magnet cover will solve my problem but I trusted them and gave a go ahead anyway.

Next day I went to collect my bike. Found a nice stretch of road, opened the throttle fully, and I was so happy with the results ! The original acceleration of Duke 390 was back ! She was pouncing like crazy post 6k rpm..so much that it was almost overwhelming and so I had to slow down and contain my happiness and excitement. Who would have thought that simply changing the magnet cover will solve all of my problems? She is now performing like a brand new Duke 390 straight out of showroom. I expected the folks at Thane SVC to tell me that I should change magnet cover also but they did not. How unprofessional ! I cannot thank the folks at Vikhroli SVC enough for fixing the problems in my bike.

What I feel is that since there was misalignment in oil ducts, there was a lot of back pressure to the oil pump and so it got damaged and top speed took a beating. Oil pump is not motor operated but rather from the engine itself.

So there are two reasons for this long post.

1) If you own a 2013 Duke 390 and your crankcase has got cracked, change the crankcase and also the magnet cover. There won't be any loss in performance.

2) My ABS has stopped working on it's own. The folks at Mira Road workshop tells me that mostly some ABS motor is gone and the motor costs 20k rs ! Damn that's almost my 1 month salary. Is there a cheaper alternative to fix my ABS?


Thanks for reading my long post.

I have been told the same by the service centre guys so I decided to do some research online and I got to know knw similar issues faced by many and all the owners are directed to change the ABS motors which is around 20k and a deal breaker. After lot of digging I found some help in the form of discussions here on XBHP and am almost convinced that it's not the ABS motor at all.

My case is sometimes it works but mostly it doesn't. Also the speedometer humps from real speeds to a flat 0 and stays there untill some drastic changes in speeds be it up or down and then again goes back to showing 0

On discussing all this with fellow XBHPians I found its the front wheel speed sensor which also acts as sensor for ABS has to be the culprit. But work has kept me away from finding it further but going to get back to it soon. Hope it's the sensor or else I would have wait for hell longer to replace the ABS motor [emoji28][emoji28][emoji28]

[Nikesh Nadar]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Also a quick update on some new things that I have on my Duke 390. Details coming in following comments

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

I have been told the same by the service centre guys so I decided to do some research online and I got to know knw similar issues faced by many and all the owners are directed to change the ABS motors which is around 20k and a deal breaker. After lot of digging I found some help in the form of discussions here on XBHP and am almost convinced that it's not the ABS motor at all.

My case is sometimes it works but mostly it doesn't. Also the speedometer humps from real speeds to a flat 0 and stays there untill some drastic changes in speeds be it up or down and then again goes back to showing 0

On discussing all this with fellow XBHPians I found its the front wheel speed sensor which also acts as sensor for ABS has to be the culprit. But work has kept me away from finding it further but going to get back to it soon. Hope it's the sensor or else I would have wait for hell longer to replace the ABS motor [emoji28][emoji28][emoji28]

My bike also had the same issue of ABS sometimes working and sometimes not. But now I'm certain that it's permanently not working. Even when the ABS light is on, front wheel will still get locked. It's scary tbh.

And yeah my speedometer is kaput too. It shows 0 sometimes but when I accelerate hard, it start showing speed.

Do let me know whether it's just sensor fault or you have to change to motor itself.

[Nikesh Nadar]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

As I had earlier said I was planning to go for some adventure tires on my motorcycle. Some research led me to these Timsun Tyres.
Was going to replace both front and back at once but budget and given my last Michelin Pilot Street Radial at the rear served me well over 28K Kms and was could have done more 5K Kms but the discovery of more than 10 puncture including 2-3 major ones had me to go for replacing the Michelin while the front is till served by Pirelli Angel CT which I got last in August 2018 after replacing the original Metz which served almost unbelievable 25K Kms [emoji56]

So the current pics are of Timsun TS822 140/70-17
Many of you must be knowing that the 150section available in this model is to big for our 390s as it rubs with the swingarm mid part below the mono shocks and also adjusting it by adding a link up in the chain is not suggested as this tyres or too heavy so better to stick to the 140 and I feel this one's heavy too but can't help as all adventure tyres are this way.

Performance wise I feel yes a slight delay in acceleration again because of the weight and cornering is not the same an can't expect it to be the same either as it's a completely different tyre design.
But it really performs well the way it's designed. I mean it soaks up the bumps feels sturdy on rough road patches and all. Just remember to keep the air pressure between 28-30psi for solo and 31-33psi with pillion. Again your individual weights do count so trying and finding a right pressure for yourself would be ideal.

Soon(I mean in few months [emoji12]) will be going for the front tyre as well.

Mean while keep a eye on my next post about the addition of some Auxillary LEDs lights on my Duke.

A lot of things are in planning and will be coming slowly but steadily [emoji869][emoji869][emoji869]

[Nikesh Nadar]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

My bike also had the same issue of ABS sometimes working and sometimes not. But now I'm certain that it's permanently not working. Even when the ABS light is on, front wheel will still get locked. It's scary tbh.

And yeah my speedometer is kaput too. It shows 0 sometimes but when I accelerate hard, it start showing speed.

Do let me know whether it's just sensor fault or you have to change to motor itself.

Sure will post the update as soon as find it out.
Meanwhile few questions for you as you said the wheel locks even I the ABS light is on.
1) We believe the ABS light is only on when the ABS is off or not functioning. I my case whenever it's works I have noticed the ABS light was off which means ABS was working at that point. So keep a eye on it and do the observations.
2) In your case it only the front wheel locking up? I mean what about the rear. Does the rear tyre skids on hard breaking.
If ABS is malfunctioning it will not work on both front and bad. So please check on that as well or else if it's the way you said then it would be a completely new case for all of us to study.

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Sure will post the update as soon as find it out.
Meanwhile few questions for you as you said the wheel locks even I the ABS light is on.
1) We believe the ABS light is only on when the ABS is off or not functioning. I my case whenever it's works I have noticed the ABS light was off which means ABS was working at that point. So keep a eye on it and do the observations.
2) In your case it only the front wheel locking up? I mean what about the rear. Does the rear tyre skids on hard breaking.
If ABS is malfunctioning it will not work on both front and bad. So please check on that as well or else if it's the way you said then it would be a completely new case for all of us to study.

1) ABS light used to be on ever since I purchased the bike. I think it means that if ABS light is on then ABS is working. When ABS used to work, I used to get a 'khat khat' sound under hard braking. Now that sound is completely absent.

2) Both the front and rear wheels lock up under hard braking.

[Nikesh Nadar]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

1) ABS light used to be on ever since I purchased the bike. I think it means that if ABS light is on then ABS is working. When ABS used to work, I used to get a 'khat khat' sound under hard braking. Now that sound is completely absent.

2) Both the front and rear wheels lock up under hard braking.

Yours seems to be a bit different case as we all know ABS light if on means ABS is not working.

Don't worry will update you as soon as I find out the problem

[BikeOphilic]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi my name is Tushar Moily. I'm 26 years old and I stay at Thane, Mumbai.

Currently I ride a 2013 KTM Duke 390. Bike was purchased brand new from showroom so I'm the only owner. I purchased the bike on Jan 2014.

Bike - KTM Duke 390
Year - 2013
Kms on odo - 63k

Last November 2018 I got major engine works done which includes block piston change, all head internals change, and complete gaskets overhaul because the engine was on the verge of ceasure and oil was leaking from basically everywhere. I got these works done from a workshop at Mira Road, Thane. In spite of getting these works done, my bike was still leaking oil from somewhere down below. Changed gear oil seal, front sprocket oil seal but still leakage would not stop. Folks at workshop had no idea why it is still leaking. Then finally I gave my bike to authorised SVC at Thane. They cleaned the engine nicely with water and test rode my bike. They found out that oil was not leaking from any seals but from the plain surface of crankcase itself ! The crack was not even visible from naked eye and the oil used to leak only when the bike is ridden really hard. That's how minute the crack was. There was a dent too on crankcase which mostly occurred because I may have hit a high speed breaker with a pillion.

So the SVC guys placed an order for new crankcase. Part was delivered on the second week of order placement. Got the crankcase changed, the leakages stopped permanently. But the story does not end here.

After changing the crankcase, I started facing performance issues in my bike. Performance issue was mostly at the top speed. Top speed had taken such a beating that my bike was reluctant to cross 120kmph in 4th gear. We all know that a healthy duke 390 reaches 130 kmph with a blink of an eye. I was feeling that I was riding a Duke 200. To add to my horror, speedometer started flashing 'low oil pressure' !! I couldn't believe it. I spent so much money on engine rebuild and crankcase but still I'm getting this warning. I took my bike to SVC again. Told them about these two problems. For the low oil pressure, they changed the oil pressure switch on the head twice. Then I took my bike for testing and I trashed my bike really really hard in order to be satisfied that low oil pressure problem is solved. Speedometer then stopped flashing low oil pressure but then some weird noises started coming from the engine head because of extreme trashing and speedo showed 'high coolant temp'. Boiling coolant was literally overflowing from the reservoir. They told me that it's simply the sound of the sims. About the top speed, they told me that my chain sprocket and clutch plates are gone. So I got both of them changed. Test rode my bike after that but still there was top speed performance issue. Then the SVC guys test rode my bike with a pillion. The pillion had diagnostic tool in his hand which was attached to my bike. They came back and assured me that top speed is okay. But I was not satisfied since I've been riding my bike for 5 years now and I know how she pounces like crazy post 6k rpm. That pouncing was not there.

So I decided to take my bike to a different SVC. I went to KTM SVC at Vikhroli. Showed them the weird 'khat khat' sound coming from the engine. After opening the head and checking, they old me that intake camshaft's lobe had become uneven because the head was not getting oil. Got it changed which costed me 4.7k with labour. Took my bike and test rode it only to find 'low oil pressure' warning again ! Took my bike back to SVC again. They fitted a brand new oil pressure switch. Test rode it again but I got the same warning again. Went back there again. They checked pressure with pressure guage. Duke 390 should have 1.5 kg of pressure at idling rpm. Guage was showing zero pressure. So they also fitted a brand new oil pump which pumps from crankcase to head. Checked with guage again. It showed only 1 kg of pressure.They told me to leave my bike here for few days so that we can take a long test ride and check the actual problem.

They called me day after tomorrow and asked me whether have I changed the crankcase or not before. I say yes. They told that my bike is 2013 model and the crankcase they fitted is 2017 model (i.e crankcase of new Duke 390). Because of that there was mismatch in alignment of oil ducts and so the head was not getting oil. The solution of this problem was to change the magnet cover also (the one on which 'racing KTM' is written) to the latest model so the alignment is perfect. I wasn't convinced that simply changing magnet cover will solve my problem but I trusted them and gave a go ahead anyway.

Next day I went to collect my bike. Found a nice stretch of road, opened the throttle fully, and I was so happy with the results ! The original acceleration of Duke 390 was back ! She was pouncing like crazy post 6k rpm..so much that it was almost overwhelming and so I had to slow down and contain my happiness and excitement. Who would have thought that simply changing the magnet cover will solve all of my problems? She is now performing like a brand new Duke 390 straight out of showroom. I expected the folks at Thane SVC to tell me that I should change magnet cover also but they did not. How unprofessional ! I cannot thank the folks at Vikhroli SVC enough for fixing the problems in my bike.

What I feel is that since there was misalignment in oil ducts, there was a lot of back pressure to the oil pump and so it got damaged and top speed took a beating. Oil pump is not motor operated but rather from the engine itself.

So there are two reasons for this long post.

1) If you own a 2013 Duke 390 and your crankcase has got cracked, change the crankcase and also the magnet cover. There won't be any loss in performance.

2) My ABS has stopped working on it's own. The folks at Mira Road workshop tells me that mostly some ABS motor is gone and the motor costs 20k rs ! Damn that's almost my 1 month salary. Is there a cheaper alternative to fix my ABS?


Thanks for reading my long post.

Lack of proper knowledge for most SVC is the key reason for all your troubles. Appreciate your continuous efforts though. Happy riding your pocket rocket.

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Lack of proper knowledge for most SVC is the key reason for all your troubles. Appreciate your continuous efforts though. Happy riding your pocket rocket.

Thanks. Well, it's really disheartening when I have spent so much money on engine rebuild and crankcase only to find out that my bike is not accelerating like it has to. Low oil pressure, high coolant temperature, and reduction in top speed performance, all of these were solved together by simply changing magnet cover. Now I just gotta worry about regular servicing. [emoji4]

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Yours seems to be a bit different case as we all know ABS light if on means ABS is not working.

Don't worry will update you as soon as I find out the problem

I'm pretty sure that my ABS light was on ever since I had purchased the bike. You must be knowing that there's a hidden button on the speedometer which allows you to switch off ABS if you press and hold for 5 seconds. ABS light used to blink when the ABS is off. Then if you switch off the the bike and switch it on again, ABS light is on again permanently. I'm confused how it is opposite in your case. [emoji848]

[B7ACKTHORN]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Hi my name is Tushar Moily. I'm 26 years old and I stay at Thane, Mumbai.

Currently I ride a 2013 KTM Duke 390. Bike was purchased brand new from showroom so I'm the only owner. I purchased the bike on Jan 2014.

Bike - KTM Duke 390
Year - 2013
Kms on odo - 63k

Thanks for reading my long post.

Appreciate you penning down your thoughts.

Yes, mismatch of components can in fact cause all sort of problems, and mainly it's either proper mating of surfaces or oil journals. With continuous improvements and teting, parts are updated silently in a automobile series, so it's always wise to get them double checked before installation. Secondly, when you start the bike, and start moving, with a couple of seconds, the ABS light should turn off. Once it turns off, it means your ABS system is perfectly fine and operating as it should. If your ABS light blinks or is constantly glowing even after 15 seconds of riding, it means the ABS system is faulty and has to be inspected. It happens when your front or rear wheel sensor is not working or your ABS HECU is faulty. Or it can be as simple as bent ABS rings.

If one sees the ABS light on constantly, the bike will switch over to normal braking, but you won't have ABS system operational, so what this means is that, your wheels will lock given the circumstances.

Cheers!
VJ

[Tushar Moily]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

Appreciate you penning down your thoughts.

Yes, mismatch of components can in fact cause all sort of problems, and mainly it's either proper mating of surfaces or oil journals. With continuous improvements and teting, parts are updated silently in a automobile series, so it's always wise to get them double checked before installation. Secondly, when you start the bike, and start moving, with a couple of seconds, the ABS light should turn off. Once it turns off, it means your ABS system is perfectly fine and operating as it should. If your ABS light blinks or is constantly glowing even after 15 seconds of riding, it means the ABS system is faulty and has to be inspected. It happens when your front or rear wheel sensor is not working or your ABS HECU is faulty. Or it can be as simple as bent ABS rings.

If one sees the ABS light on constantly, the bike will switch over to normal braking, but you won't have ABS system operational, so what this means is that, your wheels will lock given the circumstances.

Cheers!
VJ

Hey man, I must say that you're absolutely right ! It is me who was terribly confused.

So today I left for office at 8:30 am. I stay at Thane and my office is at Goregaon which is 30 kms one way. I started my bike and my ABS light was off. First I tested by pressing both the brakes hard. No wheel lock. Then I pressed only the front brake hard. No wheel lock. Then I pressed only the rear brake hard and I was like now the wheel has to lock. Still no wheel lock ! So yeah, if ABS light is off then it means that ABS is working perfectly.

But after 30 minutes of continuous riding, ABS light was on permanently. Now that I realise it, this is always the case. ABS light is off when I start my bike everyday and it gets switched on after 30 minutes of riding.

So does this mean that my ABS motor is gone or it's just the fault of ABS sensor at front wheel?

Also my speedometer behaves erratically. It shows zero sometimes and when I accelerate hard, it starts showing speed again. Are these two problems related?

[B7ACKTHORN]

Re: KTM Duke 390 - Ownership Reviews and Experiences

But after 30 minutes of continuous riding, ABS light was on permanently. Now that I realise it, this is always the case. ABS light is off when I start my bike everyday and it gets switched on after 30 minutes of riding.

So does this mean that my ABS motor is gone or it's just the fault of ABS sensor at front wheel?

Also my speedometer behaves erratically. It shows zero sometimes and when I accelerate hard, it starts showing speed again. Are these two problems related?

Sweeping it from last, the speedometer showing erratic reading especially when revving hard can mean that your front wheel ABS sensor has gone for a toss or a faulty stator coil or a combination of both. This thing charges your battery and if your battery doesn't get the proper charging current, then it will be undercharged and hence the electrical components can receive less than adequate power and hence irrational functioning of the components.

First I would recommend them to check with any other Duke's sensors on your bike and observe it the problem repeats itself. If yes, then stator can be the issue as it isn't charging the battery properly. A voltage check across the terminal at terminal should be 13.5 to 15v at 5000 RPM. If it's higher than this or lower than this value, it's time to replace the stator. The zero almost always is a tell-tale sign that something electronic is going to go bust soon or already have.

Check all these, see if a good battery charge helps the ABS turn.
Check the voltage at the terminals since this is the root of all problems.

Cheers!
VJ