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KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

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  • #1

    KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

    Ive been a loyal Royal Enfield rider for more than 10 years now, The bike is all metal hence heavy, stable, slow and is great on the highways.

    Took a few short test rides of the 390, and had my mind blown.

    How good is the 390 for lets say loading a pillion and 50 kgs of luggage and traveling across the country? I'm getting great reviews of the bike for in city riding and short sprints, but no one is giving me any info about the touring capabilities of this motorcycle?


    Unfortunately, the KTM 390 is the best bang for buck i can get in India right now, the street 750 is more than double of its cost, and personally im a little tired of the unreliability of the enfields. (Broken down so many times, its not even funny)

    the only attractive factor in the KTM for me is the superb performance, I loathe the way it looks (its personal, im a traditional motorcyclist who rides enfields)


    what i'm thinking about is taking all the plastic out i.e the tank and the little plasticky fairing under the seat and the seat aswell, and get go to a fabricator to get a bigger tank made. and a much more plush seat. and maybe work on the foot pegs to be more comfortable for both me and the pillion.

    What im thinking a more triumph bonneville-esque tank and looks, would that be doable on this Y shaped frame?

    the idea is to make this bike travel friendly, and not look like a college kid with a colorful bike.



    any opinions?

    help wanted!
    Last edited by kartikdhar; 04-02-2014, 05:56 PM.
    Tags: delhi, ktm duke 390, touring, travel
  • #2
    Re: KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

    Duke is a very reliable and as you said "value for money" machine.

    The small tank is definitely an eye sore but chances are that you will very rarely venture into places where the petrol pumps are hundreds of kilometers apart.

    Now comes the pillion part, the Duke 390 or 200 are not at all pillion friendly. The pillion seat is virtually non-existent, uncomfortable even for a city ride, forget touring on it. Include it in your plans of changes if and when you buy the Duke.

    Query approved.
    (Been There Done That) x 3.25

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

      I am in the same boat buddy. I had a duke 200 and it seized. I sold it, and now i am looking to buy my next bike. For the moment i got a used r15v2.


      I have kept Bajaj/KTM out of the options list plain reason being their shoddy quality. I have seen numerous 390s with leaky engine as well as engines being opened up due to seizing. Add to that rims cracking up and parts falling of while riding.

      I had narrowed down on CBR250/Inazuma/Ninja 300. CBR was out of the list after my friends who own the bike suggested it still had some time to go before it felt like a Honda unit.

      Plus Honda svcs are below average in Mumbai.

      Inazuma felt good, is butter smooth, has solid build quality seating is comfortable for rider and pillion both. However, it was priced closer to Ninja300 which was wrong. The dealer called me yesterday and gave me a discount, and now the price of Inazuma is solid 60k less than Ninja.

      However, for the moment it is Inazuma vs Ninja 300 for me as both offer level of quality which nobody does right now.

      I am still holding on as I heard Z250 will be launched sometime next month, and I want to see it before I sign the cheque.

      Duke 200/390 may be cheap to buy, but then quality itself suggests it is nothing but cheap.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

        Originally posted by chinmayakar View Post
        I am in the same boat buddy. I had a duke 200 and it seized. I sold it, and now i am looking to buy my next bike. For the moment i got a used r15v2.


        I have kept Bajaj/KTM out of the options list plain reason being their shoddy quality. I have seen numerous 390s with leaky engine as well as engines being opened up due to seizing. Add to that rims cracking up and parts falling of while riding.

        I had narrowed down on CBR250/Inazuma/Ninja 300. CBR was out of the list after my friends who own the bike suggested it still had some time to go before it felt like a Honda unit.

        Plus Honda svcs are below average in Mumbai.

        Inazuma felt good, is butter smooth, has solid build quality seating is comfortable for rider and pillion both. However, it was priced closer to Ninja300 which was wrong. The dealer called me yesterday and gave me a discount, and now the price of Inazuma is solid 60k less than Ninja.

        However, for the moment it is Inazuma vs Ninja 300 for me as both offer level of quality which nobody does right now.

        I am still holding on as I heard Z250 will be launched sometime next month, and I want to see it before I sign the cheque.

        Duke 200/390 may be cheap to buy, but then quality itself suggests it is nothing but cheap.


        Wow, I dont even know half of the names you have just thrown at me right now. for me if the KTM dosnt go, then its a standard enfield. i cant spend more on a bike, and all the enfields are the same really.

        So you would give a Nay to the 390?

        have you had a chance to look at the chassis of the 200 you had? is it easily customizable?

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

          Originally posted by kartikdhar View Post
          Ive been a loyal Royal Enfield rider for more than 10 years now, The bike is all metal hence heavy, stable, slow and is great on the highways.

          Took a few short test rides of the 390, and had my mind blown.

          How good is the 390 for lets say loading a pillion and 50 kgs of luggage and traveling across the country? I'm getting great reviews of the bike for in city riding and short sprints, but no one is giving me any info about the touring capabilities of this motorcycle?


          Unfortunately, the KTM 390 is the best bang for buck i can get in India right now, the street 750 is more than double of its cost, and personally im a little tired of the unreliability of the enfields. (Broken down so many times, its not even funny)

          the only attractive factor in the KTM for me is the superb performance, I loathe the way it looks (its personal, im a traditional motorcyclist who rides enfields)


          what i'm thinking about is taking all the plastic out i.e the tank and the little plasticky fairing under the seat and the seat aswell, and get go to a fabricator to get a bigger tank made. and a much more plush seat. and maybe work on the foot pegs to be more comfortable for both me and the pillion.

          What im thinking a more triumph bonneville-esque tank and looks, would that be doable on this Y shaped frame?

          the idea is to make this bike travel friendly, and not look like a college kid with a colorful bike.



          any opinions?

          help wanted!
          I think you should not go for the duke at all, it has the minimum possible touring capabilities. However, if you are looking for a daily commuter, you might give it a try. Nevertheless, i would still not advice you to get the duke as it has been found to have some issues, pretty grave ones. So unless, Ktm comes clear on the cracking of wheels, you should wait.

          Also remember not to haste to a decision. Take your time and try to identify the ideal machine of your character.

          I am currently pinned on getting the baby ninja. The rc series by the ktms should be promising, but i am not keen on compromises done with quality.

          Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk
          "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." ~ Leonardo da Vinci

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: KTM 390 or not to KTM 390

            Originally posted by kartikdhar View Post
            Ive been a loyal Royal Enfield rider for more than 10 years now, The bike is all metal hence heavy, stable, slow and is great on the highways.

            Took a few short test rides of the 390, and had my mind blown.

            How good is the 390 for lets say loading a pillion and 50 kgs of luggage and traveling across the country? I'm getting great reviews of the bike for in city riding and short sprints, but no one is giving me any info about the touring capabilities of this motorcycle?


            Unfortunately, the KTM 390 is the best bang for buck i can get in India right now, the street 750 is more than double of its cost, and personally im a little tired of the unreliability of the enfields. (Broken down so many times, its not even funny)

            the only attractive factor in the KTM for me is the superb performance, I loathe the way it looks (its personal, im a traditional motorcyclist who rides enfields)


            what i'm thinking about is taking all the plastic out i.e the tank and the little plasticky fairing under the seat and the seat aswell, and get go to a fabricator to get a bigger tank made. and a much more plush seat. and maybe work on the foot pegs to be more comfortable for both me and the pillion.

            What im thinking a more triumph bonneville-esque tank and looks, would that be doable on this Y shaped frame?

            the idea is to make this bike travel friendly, and not look like a college kid with a colorful bike.



            any opinions?

            help wanted!
            Saw your post in the ownership thread and then here. From my personal experience, you can do long distance on this bike. The sore point is obviously the tank range. If you keep it below 120, you would get a decent tank range (~250kms), else it just gulps all that fuel. I have met people who have gone on 20-25 days ride on this bike without any issues.

            Having said that, some people do not find the seating position to be good and have opted for aftermarket seats for more comfort. For modification of tanks, its a bit complicated to change as it has electronic sensors and a fuel pump inside it.

            The pillion seat is a pain, not because it is too uncomfortable, but, because you have to cling to the rider. Its good if the pillion is a gf or wife

            Best bet would be to wait for an adventure/ enduro version.

            Comment

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