Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Motorbikes (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/)

-   -   The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/138082-ktm-duke-390-ownership-experience-thread-114.html)

Hi guys,

I am booking a 390 today and is there a checklist for pdi?

Thanks.

Hey Thanks Sridhu. I have gone through your above post a couple of times and had commented through my post just after yours and a lengthy one at that. I have closely seen the MRA fitting. that is fine. I am looking at the WS design itself. while the MRA WS looks perfect, the shape of the Fazer WS does not inspire much confidence with all the gaps and narrow shape at the bottom. Then VW mentioned about some one putting on the CBR WS. that shape seems pretty ok to me. Fitting a WS is one thing, getting proper wind protection is other thing. Aesthetics is another thing, Flexibility / Adjustability is another factor. I am thinking in terms of getting proper wind protection as I plan some long rides. I am in touch with Mr. vikas of JV-Promoto since some time, but yet to make my move.

I agree to your fact that if I am hard core Naked biker then MRA is the choice. I guess my next natural transition could be the 690 after a couple of years .. anyways let us see.

Doc had mentioned somewhere that it is a Naked Bike, so enjoy it as a naked bike. if you need wind blast protection, go and get a faired bike :) I agree. But I have a naked bike now (never thought this issue before purchasing) and practicality suggests that if I need to cruise at 100-120 for a fair distance on Highway which I will do often ( I am a lean, old guy with a frail neck. 100-110 is enough to make my neck ache over a longish period) that is where, I do need a proper WS.

Actually I said if you want wind protection, go and buy a car. :uncontrol

But yes to each his own. I tried the windscreen idea the first, and was also the first to discard it.

Because somehow to me the Duke becomes less of a Duke with a windscreen attached.

Maybe psychological, though I think there is more (physical) to it than that.

Doc. I love your pun :D The bike looks fabulous naked and I fully agree the WS makes it a lesser duke. The WS does not gel seamlessly with the duke. One of my earlier love was a Honda Hornet CB900 hornet (Image below). I have drooled endlessly over this bike more than any other faired Bike. See how closely it resembles the Pulsar at some angles, (the front upper and tank and all)

A Naked bike generally fools the other riders / drivers into believing that it to be a small / commuter bike and to be brushed aside while a faired bike is generally looked upon as the performance bike and given a bit respect it properly deserves on road by other road users. So it really amuses me during my rides when their thought process is turned upside down and I disappear in front ..

Back to point. Practicality on highway riding doing constant 3 digit speeds dictate that one needs some protection. ( Having known you personally, I know you are physically strong to take those stress ). and I dont want to be in a cage. I want wind (Not wind blast) in my hair and sun on my face :uncontrol

Actually i am tilted towards using the windshield within city while want to get rid of it in highway.

Inside city i am missing the gust of wind on my face which is needed to keep me fresh and not tiring due to heat.

So while checking for fuel efficiency post changing to premium fuel this is what has happened. I am saving close to 15 minutes on my commute meaning my average speeds have gone up and this basically means impact on the FE. So nothing to do with fuel and fuel quality. I am using lower gears to as much rev as possible which means i am hitting 60 and 80 in 2nd and 3 rd gear.

Today decided to ride it soft meaning hitting 5th by 50 and 6th by 60-65. The bike rode close to 40kms with 20 more kms left before i run dry.

This means around 24KMPL from usual 28kmpl.

The only thing i feel the bike could have been better is a slightly longer front end. The front end is quite abrupt and a little longer front end would have given the best balance for my size and weight.

I also observed this creaking sounds from the front whenever I apply the front brake. I think it is to do with the brake pads material. Got the brakes cleaned at 1st service. After that it did not repeat yet. The brake pads were polished with the sand paper before re installing. Though some material was removed off the pads, it seems to have done the trick. Slight misalignment also could be the issue. After all there are six cylinders in there.

Ashok,

CB900 is on top of my all time favourite list. I am also in eternal love with the Honda in line 4s from CB 750 (The legendary Night Hawk specially). I had one with me briefly in early 1990s and still regret not having kept it with me.

The scenario with what you guys are facing with Duke - I can say deja vu. This is what I faced in the early/mid 1980s being one of the earliest on RD 350 on Indian Roads.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

Fully agree Ram sir, I am sure with RD350 you have lived this experience many decades ago. It was a bike far ahead of its time, Infact that would be a more thrilling and far gratifying one over the present one that we are experiencing with dukes :)

Choc-o-Bloc traffic at Calangute. Rode through some narrow bylanes and went directly to the beach (On work with some pleasure sprayed like salt and pepper). Lot of sand spray over the bike. Got to check the chain-Lube/Clean it now

Err ... @ashok, i know you are going gaga over the bike but gagagagaga is a bit too much no?lol:

THe swing arm is remarkably clean.

@ashok..

That's plain ugly man. How can a KTM be so clean. The under body looks so clean.


In a serious note that's a clean bike :)

Doc will support that :)

Photos could be deceiving some time. If you look at her in real, you will be aghast:eek:

Thanks VW. Nice of you to say that. I am an extremely lazy guy and not the sort of guy who washes his bike every alternate day and pampers her with polishing and care. The only bath she gets is at the KTM A.S.S. during routine check up ( i.e. 3 times till now including 1st service in the last 56 days of ownership).

Happy New Year 2014 to you and your family.

Ride safe.

Hahaha Thanks a ton for your kind words. The 390 is indeed GaGaGaGaGa. I am sure many will agree. Actually I wanted to put GoGo Gone !!.

Happy New Year 2014 to you and your family.

Ride safe.

Started the new year installing a quick throttle mod. The throttle play in total is half the original is not more. Aks_karthik was stopped by a 200 brother who was surprised to see the response of the 390 now.

The bike jumps now and the sloppy sixth gear has got some life injected. More so the lower gears.

You get 10k rpm in one twist. Now you already know what the bike can do at each gear at 10k rpm.

Great mod.

Total cost 450. 43 for the throttle from pulsar and 400 for the cam mod.

VW is it a DIY job or a specialist work? Post some pics if you happen to take some during the installation. there was a mention by Doc in this thread earlier in response to one of your post that these quick throttle could get snagged or trip or the movements becoming Jerky / dirty. Does your mod take into consideration all these facts?? Curious to know.

That's a nice way to start the new year!
How is it to ride in city traffic? Do we have to be extra careful?