Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

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Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

the tank arches on d390 / d200 are a concern for some 6"+ riders.
what happens is, ur knees lock-in @ the arches & the seat hump between the 2 seats, restricts movement to ease out the stiff joints.
on technical / commercial / riding experience & most other fronts, the d390 appears to be a superior choice over cbr250.
this is purely my personal point of view.
i am 5'11" & hence if i were u, i wud wait for ownership experiences of other d390 owners & then decide what ride to choose... the cbr250 or the d390 or the d200 or the ninja300 or the r15.
just my 2 cents!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

[MENTION=55915]skv[/MENTION], You say you are a NOOB and want to buy a Duke390 or a CBR250R, bro are you kidding me. . ? Come on at least tell me whether you know to ride properly mann, why don't you start off with 150cc class bikes and then move on. . . If you know riding very well, then first take test ride of many bikes and then settle with the one you please, . . As for your height, a CBR250R might look good but seriously doubt a 390 DUKE, best try test riding once, if you are comfortable with it, then go for it and one more thing, just don't choose a bike for it's power. . .

Cheers!!!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

First of all thanks for the response
[MENTION=59533]Rakesh Rok[/MENTION] I do understand your concerns but by noob I mean not very experienced. I am riding ocassionally for some 8 years. I have also did some 100 km trip in need . But still a noob because didn't have bike . Regarding lower capacity bikes I would have gone for if they have been offered with abs as i consider it as must. (I dont think apache is my choice). So I am left with Honda cbr 250 (projected as good beginner's bike) and duke 390.
[MENTION=61028]whymail[/MENTION] Truely said duke 390 is superior in many aspects and cost same as that of cbr 250. Regarding testing and then booking I fear that I may not decide in such a short ride that which would suit me better . But still I will certainly TD both. And I dont want to wait for user reviews as it will again cause a delay of 2 months or so.

Regarding the compatability of my height, duke 200 and cbr 250 owners kindly throw some light and enlighten me.

I sometime feel annoyed that why these companies make such a good bike and forget about 6'+ people . It forces me to wish to be shorter :banghead:

Sent from my GT-I9082 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

Well Im dot 6 feet, and my thighs just about fit in the tank when hugging.do take a testdrive though.and regards you being noob, ask yourself, are you ready for 45bhp? If you know the nuances of riding, then yes go for 390, but be warned though, bike lunges post 6-7k rpm.cbr is also a capable tourer.decide what you want and go ahead.d390 with abs and metzeler tyres takes tge cake though, if you ask me.

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

Comfortwise I feel that the CBR would have the edge as D390 supposedly uses same setup like D200 in terms of suspension, frame,seats,etc.
Performancewise, Duke will obviously have the edge as its a good 125cc higher than CBR. Reagarding your height, I think that you may feel a little cramped on the D390 than the CBR. You wouldnt have too much problem on a CBR actually. But its upto your usage to decide between the two. If you are more of a city rider, go for the Duke, or if you prefer tourers go for CBR. Duke is capable in touring too, but I doubt you will be comfortable on it for long rides though.
There is no problem in starting with a D390 or CBR 250R. Its fine to start off with them even if you are a total newbie to riding, especially the CBR.
[MENTION=59533]Rakesh Rok[/MENTION] 5'8'' isn't short, its average

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

@skv I sometimes feel I should be a little bit taller as people call me short, although I am not soo much and my height is 5'8" and coming to these things, I am really happy for being short . . . Coming back to the topic, is ABS the main thing for you to have on a bike. . ? One more thing as said above, first ask yourself are you ready for 45BHP. . ? If you at least have good experience and also try with some lower cc bikes, now tell us what is the main needs and your budget and also why only the Duke390 and CBR250R except for ABS and after that we can try helping you out. . . Let me tell me you bit something, I have a friend of mine who brought a R15, it was his first bike and he started to get on with the bike and thought he was a pro after riding it for a 2-3 months and after then where the disaster happened, he thought he could ride the bike like a pro and started riding bit like others who raise their throttle and ended up in an accident, but fortunately, he was hurt only on his knees and arms and for his bike, shit the whole of the left part of his R15 except the handlebar was completely gone and he had to spend almost near to 20k to get the bike repaired, this is my concern bro, I didn't say this to scare you away but to make you aware of it and I don't want others to experience like this and as this is very common as I have seen many people who buy good performance bikes as their first bikes and end up getting their bike and themselves screwed up. . . So, my advice is take some time, just think about it, you have a lot of options to start of biking. . . Make a good choice and once done, don't listen to anyone, even yourself. . . If you think you can handle it, just go on or else just get more experience, read reviews, bikes, comparisons, etc., and you will know and don't make any decision in hasty. . Good luck. . . .

Cheers!!!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

If you want to experience high revving engines, then start with --> Pulsar 135LS --> Duke 200 --> Then think of getting a Duke 390. You have to gradually learn, have a few accidents, etc, etc before you can handle that much of power. Even professional F1 drivers start with tin can engined Karts!!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

Unless you ride it in a decent way, it's fine but once you rip it up, you will know how a D390 behaves. . . A bike which can do a speed almost thrice that of a R15 and you think newbie's can handle it, if by mistake, the above said story might happen. . . It's all about the safety of both the Ride and the Rider not stopping him from taking a D390 or 250R. . . As I have seen things of people buying those and what happened to them later on, I would definitely say NO and also the guy who used to ride a R15, he used to do ride it in a smooth way but when you get that josh inside you, it'll make you to rip it up. . . And Ya I know my height is average, thank you but some people call me short , may be according to them I must be 6' minimum . . .

Cheers!!!

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exactly bro, you got my point except for the accidents which is not always necessary though , I think that's needed but minor and you gotta learn from each and everything, including accidents may be which you have met or seen others. . .

Cheers!!!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

Well if he's starting off with a CBR or D390 or a Ninja, I hope that he is a mature rider and atleast he has some experience of the roads as to how people would act/behave etc. Hell even I don't have much of an experience with a geared vechicle other than riding for short distances in my neighbourhood and nearby shops mainly because I don't own one. But that won't stop me from picking a CBR 250 or the Ninja. I believe that I can handle a machine like that. They are perfect for starters if you ask me. Also because I have some experience of the roads and am not totally new to it. But even if one doesn't have any experience of the roads, he can still learn from a machine like the CBR, he just has to practice riding slow in his neighbourhood and then get to city roads and then the highways. Many people who even start off with a bike like R15 or even pulsars crash because they start to rip the machine once they get to know to ride it. You have to be aware of your own limits and that of the machine.

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

There you go ............ you have already fallen for the legend killer

The physical dimensions of a Duke 200 and a Duke 390 are almost same ............. test ride any one of the 200 you find around and get an idea ........... since you will come back complaining that 390 has more power ........... so I will say "Man, you will soon get used to it "

By the way, why are you missing a location in your avatar ?? is there anything wrong in sharing it ?? It helps a guy to provide more specific pointers when he knows where you are from ................ catch up with the guys at the G2G in your native place and get a better live discussion

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

that's the clear thing I said, these bikes bring the hooligan out of you, they will provoke you to rip them after seeing others with smaller capacity bikes doing the same. . . The incident which happened with my friend's bike is unbelievable as he never used to rip the engine or even go beyond 5k rpm but that day as he saw someone else moving quickly in middle of traffic, he tried to do the same but he didn't made the proper choice and hence he tripped over a drainage cap which was a bit too big for that and was above it and fell down. . . I was also shocked as how come he fell down even though he used to ride it so smoothly, that's what I am speaking about,, these bikes BRING OUT THE HOOLIGAN IN YOU AT ONE POINT OR OTHER. . . I still remember when I started to learn riding bike back 7-8 years with a RX135, initially I was scared but just two days after riding it, I took it to 80-90kmph, that's the thing which provokes you to do so, if you ask me, it's best to start of riding with other bikes and mastering them before getting a Duke390. . . Ultimately it's him who has to choose and ours are just options. . .

Cheers!!!

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

So there seem to be quite a few of us eh? I'm 6'1" and 80 kgs+ and have the 390 on my list too. (there are a few others of our ilk with the same dilemma) That diminutive body work is such a let down, so I completely empathise with you buddy. Dont give a damn about how you will LOOK while riding it- although tall riders will look like a bear-on-a-bicycle. There are xBhians like JayD who are heftier and are buyin one

Read the Motorbeam report from a 6.2 rider- http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/showthre...070#post963070

Now I've barely ridden the D200 and it felt very weird initially with my knees almost touching the those infamous tank shrouds. But I'm guessing after a while we'll get used to it. The sure way to answer this is to TEST, TEST and TEST some more!
Borrow the 200 from someone and ride it for a few days- the ergos are almost the same, give n take a few mm. That should give you all insights

Now coming to your next query- I sense you've been riding for 8 yrs but very sporadically and you're not a daily/regular rider. In this case it's you who'll have the answer- are you confident enough to ride, say a P220, w/out a pillion anywhere, anytime? If Yes, you'll be fine with 390. If you're still pondering about the answer, restrict yourself to CBR or lower.

Personally, think you should pick CBR as by the fact that you call yourself a noob, you dont seem to have confidence. The CBR is a softer bike and is very manageable while the Duke has a steeper learning curve.
In our great country, it's perhaps more important to know the limitations of the environment- the damn infrastructure in most overcrowded cities can barely handle 20 hp bikes. Hence they say the D390 demands a LOT if respect from the rider here. This is a bike for novices and learners globally (which is why they didnt bother about full-sized riders), but it's definitely not one here

If you can, suggest you wait for the big Pulsar - Im sure we 6 footers will fit better. (that's what Im doing n I will also know a lot about the 390 from user reviews thill then) It will also have lower PTW ratio which will be good for you.

P.S. The average Indian male is 5'5"

Sent from my iPhone

Re: Is duke 390 suitable for me?

If this is going to be your first bike, Then don't go for it. Its way too much of a lethal machine for a beginner. Like someone's already said, Its better to start with a 150cc bike for starters and then upgrade.