MODS and DOC: Using this thread since I don not want to open up a new thread on Duke Ownership and Experience. Also this thread is used the most for anything related to duke.

Firstly thanks to doc for starting up the thread and others for directly or indirectly helping me out in owning the duke.

FYI, I got my duke on 30th of August. I am not posting any pics, since I do not have any pics taken due to my indulgence only in riding and just admiring with plain eyes while off it. Also, I feel, if I post the pics of my duke, it would be no different from any of the pics of duke seen so far.

The dealership experience here in Bangalore has been hassle free and quick. A couple of follow ups also have been done by them on my experience with the duke. The only silly point of disappointment for me was to see the key chain being given by khivraj during delivery here. I would have preferred something of KTM or something that looks classy, not necessarily expensive. It was an eye sore for me to see that crappy key chain. That is all about the dealership apart from the regular stuff during delivery.

About my initial riding experience, the duke has been all the fun to every word that has been said about it by people. And now by younger bro (who rides yamaha rxz) is on the way to becoming a duke owner too!!

This has been my first geared bike ever that I have owned. All my riding experience has been certain borrowed commutes of friends bikes. From all the borrowed bikes that I have ridden, Honda CBZ, Yamaha Rxz have been my favourites, but never had a fetish of owning one. Recently I did hire a bullet and did a ride to leh to result in love with the bullets. If I din have a lean built and 5.5 height I would have been owning a bullet. There comes the duke and hits the right chord for me. Simply in love with it and is going to stay with me forever, in spite of the few niggles that I have been facing as stated below:

Q: What I like?
A: Everything that has been said good about it.

Q: What I don't like?
A: There is nothing!!!. In fact my wifey insisted that I go for the r15 and I was on to duke. She did ask me "tujhe isme kya accha laga???" I said - "Dekh usko!!! kitna massst dikhta hai!!! tujhe usme kya accha nahi laga???"
(now it has grown on to her and she likes it over r15!. No offense to any r15 owners reading this. This is my story only!!)

Let me also put in some of issues that I have come across in my few days of riding:

1. A vibration sound of something like kirrrrrrrr coming from the front end. Happens only at certain times and while accelerating leisurely. Haven't figured out yet where the sound is from. Did try to place my hands on tank cap, mirrors, number plate but did not stop the sound.

2. A continuous noticeable "tik tik"s from the engine, when its warm. A cold running does not produce this sound.

3. Tak Taks as mentioned by others on rough roads. Due to my weight of 55+ and shocks at setting 3, I don't think its the fender hitting the hugger, but do believe its due to the chain hitting some part. (Doc or others, could you please guide me on how can check chain settings. All I did was feeling the slackness with fingers and it looks good to me. Am I missing something?)

4. While pushing the bike manually to park when its off, I hear a high frequency sound, which I believe is from the front discs due to dust. I did give it a pressure wash but the sound still exists. Any one come across this? Its audible only when the surrounding is silent, since its high frequency tone and lasts for a fraction of a second.

5. The MID condensation experienced only once after wash. It did not happen when ridden in rains or was getting drenched in rain while parked. The condensation was minor and I don't not think its of a concern, since its on the glass shield over the MID. And this may be due the some small gap between the MID and the shield which has let air inside and thus the temp difference make it condense on the inside of the shield. If at all this has to be solved, I think the MID needs to be taken out and check the mounting of the shield over it to find out the gaps.

These are the observations so far, which I believe are part and parcel of anything when it comes to a mechanical device. But its the sheer joy, happiness, fun and content of owning such a beautiful device that makes everything not worthy of a thought other than just mounting on it and having that huge curve on your face all along you are with it!!! DUKE!!!

P.S:
1. Eagerly awaiting for the first service to do away with the shift limiter at 5K rpm. the party song starts only after the 5K rpm. Have clocked only 350kms as of today due some of non riding days in between.

2. Bangaloreans!!! who's in for Orange Day on Sunday? I would be pleased to catch up with fellow BHPians here.

[ebonho]

Vinny thanks for a great post! I liked how you bulldozed your wife into liking the Duke!! LOL

Right now concentrate on ONLY the bike's motor. All other "issues" are very small in comparison.

One can live with a lot on a bike. And work out a lot.

But engine and chassis should be clean. Always.

For the chain, sit on the bike, bend to the left, and check the play of the chain at the point where the swingarm is fattest.

The chain should have a little give with you on the bike. And not be stretched rock taut.

If you ride pilion a lot, then do the same with wife on the bike as well.

Make a not of what the corresponding play of the chain in the same osition is with now you off the bike, and bike on side stand.

Do this with the wheel rotated through 360 degrees in at least 3-4 different positions.

The average of the 4-5 readings is what you should remember. So the next time, for the same shocker setting, you (and wife) need not be sitting on the bike and you could simply ask the SVC guys to set the chain for that slack with the bike on side stand.

This is different to what the manual says, but this works for me. Hope this helps.

Thanks doc!! Looks like more practical way of setting the chain rather than following the texts. Will try it out soon. Wasn't in town for days to ride it. Few things I noticed today:

1. The chain has formed some yellow spots on all of the rings, (could it be kind of oxidization effect due to rains? its done 500 kms now and as such time for cleanining and lubing)

2. Gave a chain slack test again before mounting. The chain does touch lower end of the slider when the chin is pushed up. This could be the reason of the noise. Either ways I still feel the chain is on a looser end setting. I dont like it that way. I prefer more tighter setting with only a little hang.

3. The high pitch noise from front discs is more prominent now. Need to take it to the SVC, take it out and then get it cleaned. pressure wash is not solving it.

Also I am planning to get the first service done now it self. I can feel that the the engine has set in. Don't want to follow the schedule. your few cents on this?

P.S: I have read earlier that there was an update on the the chain slider. How do I verify if I have the updated one or the initial part?

[nitro.1000bhp]

Will a steering damper cure high speed wobbles due to cross winds? i am experiencing a lot of it. Think it is due to the ultra lightness of the bike. Problem is while cornering, especially at the exits when I straighten the bike out there is a significant (but not scary) wobbling effect. I simply let it do its thing and it comes back to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this ? if yes please share your thoughts

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by catchvinny

Thanks doc!! Looks like more practical way of setting the chain rather than following the texts. Will try it out soon.

You are most welcome bro. For my weight (92 kilos) and shocker setting (5-6) I find the slack per the manual recommendation (on side stand, no one sitting) to be around 12 mm (versus the 5-7 mm mentioned). At 5 mm, the chain becomes rock taut when you sit on the bike, and then you get the krrrrr krrrrr rubbing sounds from the chain sprocket. Surefire way to send your chain sprocket to an early grave.

1. The chain has formed some yellow spots on all of the rings, (could it be kind of oxidization effect due to rains? its done 500 kms now and as such time for cleanining and lubing)

Rust. Clean and lube. In monsoons, you may ned to do it after every rain/slush ride.

2. Gave a chain slack test again before mounting. The chain does touch lower end of the slider when the chin is pushed up. This could be the reason of the noise. Either ways I still feel the chain is on a looser end setting. I dont like it that way. I prefer more tighter setting with only a little hang.

Refer to the above. A little slack is a must. I prefer around at least 5 mm lift to the middle of the lower section of the chain with me sitting on the bike.

3. The high pitch noise from front discs is more prominent now. Need to take it to the SVC, take it out and then get it cleaned. pressure wash is not solving it.

Sometimes if the pads get hardened beyond a point, cleaning or wetting/softening does not work. Better to change them in such a case. Pads are cheap - The rotor is not!

Also I am planning to get the first service done now it self. I can feel that the the engine has set in. Don't want to follow the schedule. your few cents on this?

How many kms done (sorry if you've already answered elsewhere)?

P.S: I have read earlier that there was an update on the the chain slider. How do I verify if I have the updated one or the initial part?

Only way is comparing the two sid by side. There are two square shaped blocks at either end. The new slider has cross struts built within in the shape of a multiplication sign "x" The old one was simply a hollowed out square.

Originally Posted by nitro.1000bhp

Will a steering damper cure high speed wobbles due to cross winds? i am experiencing a lot of it. Think it is due to the ultra lightness of the bike. Problem is while cornering, especially at the exits when I straighten the bike out there is a significant (but not scary) wobbling effect. I simply let it do its thing and it comes back to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this ? if yes please share your thoughts

Something seems to be wrong bro. The bike is rock stable at any speed, at any lean, and very confidence inspiring. I plan to shift back to 5 from 6 cause I liked that setting better while cornering somehow. Other than that, no front end twitches or crosswind issues.

UPDATE: My left fork seals gave way a few days back. Waiting to get that done next week. Seems that ALL fork seal failures reported up until now in Pune are on the left side. Too much of a coincidence? Disc brake mounted on left side?

[Darth Sid]

My bike's engine used to stall without warning. Once it would stall, it would not start willingly. When the engine would crank, it would barely idle at 500 RPM and then die again. To start it successfully I would open the throttle as soon as the engine came to life. Later, I got used to it as I could feel the engine dying when I closed the throttle and the revs went below 2000. To keep it from stalling, I'd rev it up.

Then came the flash and remap. A KTM service manager brought his DNF tool which has the software to flash the ECU, one the service centre guys do not have. After the procedure, the cold idle RPM has remain unchanged at 1500 RPM but the hot idle speed has gone up by 100 RPM from the previous 1000-1100 RPM to 1100-1200 RPM. No stalling whatsoever and idling is more steady now. Low and mid range have improved slightly but this improvement is of no use to me as I always downshift when revs fall below 5000 RPM and alway upshift at 10,000 RPM.

The top speed has now been reduced by lowering the rev limit at 10,000 RPM in 5th and 6th gears. No, I'm not mistaken. After the flash, my bike hits the rev limit hard at 117 km/h (down from 120-121 km/h) in 5th gear and at 132 km/h in 6th (down from 137 km/h). I've verified by steadily raising the revs in 5th and 6th and even by accelerating hard. I can still touch 133-134 sometimes by crouching and making the engine speed shoot past 10,000 RPM. However, it also bounces back as hard to 131 km/h. Also, revs don't touch 10,500 RPM even when oscillating at the rev limit in the top two gears. The rev limit is still at 10,500 RPM in the first four gears.

Anyone facing the same issue? Why is KTM doing this?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Darth Sid

My bike's engine used to stall without warning. Once it would stall, it would not start willingly. When the engine would crank, it would barely idle at 500 RPM and then die again. To start it successfully I would open the throttle as soon as the engine came to life. Later, I got used to it as I could feel the engine dying when I closed the throttle and the revs went below 2000. To keep it from stalling, I'd rev it up.

Interesting info. As I suspected. Thanks for sharing.

If true, and they are curbing the flat out WOT revs, there can be only one reason.

And its not mileage.

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by nitro.1000bhp

Will a steering damper cure high speed wobbles due to cross winds? i am experiencing a lot of it. Think it is due to the ultra lightness of the bike. Problem is while cornering, especially at the exits when I straighten the bike out there is a significant (but not scary) wobbling effect. I simply let it do its thing and it comes back to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this ? if yes please share your thoughts

I am no biking guru so kindly refer to the twist of wrist book. I somehow feel that the tyre pressure in front is incorrect. Try to check for same. Also Wobbling happens when your exit speed isn't right, do you lean your bike a lot, or not lean at all? Try the twist if wrist book, it will help a lot. Cheers!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Interesting info. As I suspected. Thanks for sharing.

If true, and they are curbing the flat out WOT revs, there can be only one reason.

And its not mileage.

To be perfectly fair and realistic, the true real-life on-road regular riding speed of the Duke (even before this toning down, if that's what they have done in the pursuit of reliability) is 125, max 130and a shade above.

Its only with a full crouch and a long enough stretch that you (and I) can touch speeds of 135-136 and above (I've bounced off 140 only once in 5000 kms).

So I can live with a fall of 5 odd kmph in what was a unrealistic and more statistical top end, as long as it still rips and snorts in the low and mid range where this bike is truly a class in itself.

[Killer]

Originally Posted by nitro.1000bhp

Will a steering damper cure high speed wobbles due to cross winds? i am experiencing a lot of it. Think it is due to the ultra lightness of the bike. Problem is while cornering, especially at the exits when I straighten the bike out there is a significant (but not scary) wobbling effect. I simply let it do its thing and it comes back to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this ? if yes please share your thoughts

Its a simple fix and nothing to do with the wind as per popular misconception. Your rear preload is too soft, tighten it and the wobbles will go away. folks are complaning the stock setting is too hard when in fact its the other way round. Our country is just too used to plush bouncy suspension we dont know any better. I run 7 for normal road use. Theres a video on my youtube channel you can look at to see how it handles on that setting.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Killer

I run 7 for normal road use.

Hi Killer, how much do you weigh now?

I am 92 kilos, and was using 5 for quite some time (4 early on), and now at 6, though I "feel" that 5 was better for cornering (good tarmac), though 6 is definitely better on rough broken surfaces.

Maybe just psychological.

[Killer]

I weigh 72kgs. Yup you can vary between those for different terrain, when i did the orange day i used '6 as the track was very bumpy and primarily slow speed turns but i find that too soft for road. In general I ride strictly asphalt and so have set it up for that and high speed cornering. You also dont want to rake up the preload too much, it will leave you with almost zero static 'sag' and thats not a good thing. .if you set up the duke so specifically for one terrain, you WILL loose out on another.

[Rahulkool]

What is the default setting of rear suspension, i have not changed it but rear suspension feels ok, not too hard or soft. Front suspension is little stiff but i like it rather than the sea saw effect on braking which happens in most of the bikes. I weight around 80kg. Never rode with a pillion, maximum 50kms in total 4500kms i have done till now.

[Killer]

Mine was on 4 when i bought it, i guessing its the same for others. Dont have to change anything if it doesnt affect your riding, but in my opinion the stock setting is good only for offroad riding

[nitro.1000bhp]

Originally Posted by Killer

Its a simple fix and nothing to do with the wind as per popular misconception. Your rear preload is too soft, tighten it and the wobbles will go away. folks are complaning the stock setting is too hard when in fact its the other way round. Our country is just too used to plush bouncy suspension we dont know any better. I run 7 for normal road use. Theres a video on my Youtube channel you can look at to see how it handles on that setting.

Ahhh! Thanks for the tip bro. I weigh 70kgs too so I guess 7 should work for me . So have you been around the MMST on the duke. Any lap times you can share?