Team-BHP - The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashkamath (Post 3342955)

I have tried this on my Duke. the bike moves in 1st gear without any throttle. the bike maintains the speed of about 9-10 kmph without any throttle (idling) and even at 2nd gear, with zero throttle, the bike moves at about 13-14 Kmph without stalling. Even a slight upward gradient does not stall the bike moving without throttle in 2nd gear. so it is possible. I have checked it out.

Closed loop control of idling speed. Popularly called 'anti stall feature'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan (Post 3343553)

I'd look at some things here;

1. A electrical short or some problem with the clutch lever safety switch.

2. Side stand sensor/switch acting up causing engine shut down.

3. Defect with Engine Kill switch. Someone did post that their engine kill switch packed up on the 390.

4. Some bikes come with a safety feature that cuts the engine if the bike tips over a certain angle. It is a crash safety feature. This could be acting up.

If each of these have a easy remove snap fit connector or spade, I'd try removing it and checking if the engine dies out of the blue, while on the move.

While these are all possibilities, gut feel tells me it is an ECU programming problem. To be sorted with a firmware upgrade.

Regards
Sutripta

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akhilash95 (Post 3344645)

Can the hand guards be bought individual or is it sold only as a pair?

Interesting. As a spare, I think it should be available individually. Simply because if some one were to damage one of his knuckle guard (as it is called) due to a fall or some mishap, buying a pair does not make sense. Just like buying a RVM. you could buy a pair or one.
and I think that is the reason behind this question.

But of course we tend to think like buying a pair of shoes, If one were to buy only one unit, the other is rendered useless and it does not make sense at all in that way. unlike a pair of shoe, one can run his motorcycle with a single RVM or even a single Knuckle guard (though aesthetically and safety wise it is not a wise proposition). But otherwise no one stops doing so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashkamath (Post 3344654)

A friend of mine broke only the right side knuckle guard :Frustrati . It makes sense to sell them individually as rvms are sold individual. Going to the svc today to enquire regarding the same. Will update later.

My friend's bike makes a krrr metallic sound at idle and some other parts resonate further upto 4000rpm which the svc diagnosed as the coolant reservoir and the tank touching each other but had no fix for the same. No such sound was observed on another new bike.

Everyone please make sure you lock the pillion seat properly in place. My friend's seat dislodged at around 50kmph. Fortunately he sensed it and got hold of it before it came hurling towards me. This has happened twice but I. think it was my friend's mistake of not locking the seat properly.

Quote:

I broke my RHS knuckle guard (well, actually a friend did it). Forget availability of a single, it was not even available as a pair, in spares. checked with indiranagar, BTM and auto-service. Finally, found it available at mekhari circle, but those guys refused to sell it over the counter as spares. I wanted to buy 5 pair, one for my 390, one for my C5, and 3 pair for a mechanic friend. They asked my to get my bike to their service centre, i did that got just a pair of it installed on my 390. I think, i will have to remove them from the bike, go there, get a new pair fixed, come back, remove again.. till i manage to get 5 pairs. :D Let me know if i can buy 4 more pair from somewhere in Bangalore.

Changed the stock headlamp bulb to Philips Xtreme Vision. Noticed only a small bump in the lighting performance over the stock one. The beam of the Xtreme vision is more whiteish and the intensity might have increased by 10-15% for both low and high beam. But I found the low beam more pleasant for daily use now. Overall, an Ok-Ok mod

Quote:

Originally Posted by man_of_steel (Post 3345432)

Can you share the part num? Where did u get it and whats the cost?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga (Post 3345672)

Can you share the part num? Where did u get it and whats the cost?

I too have installed Xtreme vision and not so huge, but yes there is improvement over stock bulbs. Now, the beam spread is good and it lights up the road more evenly. I bought it as a pair from ebay for 1230 bucks which was shared with another duker, Gourav from Trivandrum. The bulb comes in single as well as double packs as a pair. On ebay, most sellers are selling in pairs.

Philips Xtreme vision single pieces are available in Reliance Autozone outlets and I have also seen them in Hyundai A.S.S folks.

Having used this and the Oram Night Breaker + back to back, I can say Philips is better anyday. Better spread and better throw.

Also I have noticed that the stock bulb in the duke is also an 'Osram Bilux 60/55W'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VW2010 (Post 3346012)

I say its the helmet visor and the stupid guy in anycar/bike/bus driving with high beam in front of you.

Are any superbike lights any good..say a ducati or a FZ1 or a R1??

Agreed about visors and stupid drivers. But you have to check out a standard Bullet etched glass sealed beam (either Neolite or Hella; Ambassador ones would also work) with an HID to realise what good motorcycle light is. Its daylight, across GQ width roads, and the throw is flat and far, and even SUVs dip if you flash them warningly. Trucks are on another planet so short of fitting a Hella on your handle or crashguard and tilting it upwards and to the right there's nothing much you can do about them.

The best of them is the "Kutti Yanai" from Tata. Unbelievable headlights that will blind anything in front of it.

Bullet lights are simply Ambassador lights. So there is no comparison. Secondly the bullet battery is far more potent while the KTM ones are just too weak and puny. Not sure adding another light is going to help anyway.

Riding in nights is/was/never will be my forte so lights are the last thing i worry about. Strictly follow my personal rule of no riding distance post 7Pm. Just find a place to rest, eat and sleep and hit out early morning of the next day.