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-   -   The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/138082-ktm-duke-390-ownership-experience-thread-120.html)

Mever heard of these. Would love to see a photo!

My Bullet's battery is a puny lead-acid 5Ah, while the Duke if I'm not mistaken is a maintenance free 8Ah.

Am just the oposite. Either I ride through the night, or majorly in the night. And on multi day tours, even with an early start, the major distance gets covered as the evening starts approaching and you realize you've been doddering along and so pick up the pace and then its iron butt mode through the dark to make the destination you chalked out at the start of the day or the night before. You actually cover better distance in the night, and for Bullets, the bike also runs better (any bike actually).

I believe the Tata Ace HT is called the Kutty Yanai!

I ordered it off eBay for Rs 625/- a piece. I didnt see any good deals for a single piece there. So bought it as a pair, one for my friend's c350.

Some pages before I posted an issue with appearance of oil stain on the left side of the cylinder head. Later I thought it was coolant stain, but it was indeed the oil stain itself. Replaced the cylinder head gasket from Mekhri Circle KTM today. The mechanic said it is a common issue that is occurring for 390s. Do keep an eye out for it anyways.

Had a chance to check out the power parts pimped up 390 displayed there.



690 inspired Headlamp cluster. Cost: 21,000 :Shockked:


Power parts soft seat. Cost 10k. Stopped enquiring about the price of each parts after these two.








The Powerparts tail box. The company name was 'Motorcase' or something IIRC. Clamped on the grab rail mount itself it seems.

MODS: This is not exactly a Travelogue, but a ride statistics, and posting here as the ride is a Duke 390. Please move it to an appropriate thread if deemed fit.

Guys, Just back from a small ride. Had some work at Mangalore. so decided to ride.
The ride statistics are as under.
Started from Vasco Goa yesterday (16th January) at 8:15 AM, reached Mangalore at 4:40 PM (16th January)
Total Journey time: 8 Hours 25 Minutes.
Total distance covered at per trip meter: 390 Kms
Breaks: 1st Break at HP Pump at Goa Border: 10 minutes ( adjusting the Viaterra Claw as it tended to shift ( tightened the straps)
2nd Break: Ankola Kamat Restaurant: 20 Minutes.
3rd Break: Kundapur at my cousin's home: 2 hours
Total break time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Actual ride time: 5 hours 55 minutes.
Max speed: 135 Kmph
Traffic was moderate to heavy through out. Good news is that the road between Bhatkal and Kundapur which was a nightmare just 2 months back is now patched up and it is a smooth ride till udupi. Udupi to Mangalore the roads are bad.

Return ride.
Started today (17th January)afternoon at 3:30PM
Reached home at 10:40 PM (17th January)
Total Journey time: 07 hours 10 minutes
first break at Shirali after Bhatkal and before Murdeshwar and exactly 150 Kms from Mangalore. The Ganapati temple here is our family deity. so offered prayers had light refreshments and started again.
second break at Goa border HP pump
Total Break time: 45 minutes at temple and 10 minutes at petrol pump.= 55 minutes
total ride time: 6 hours 15 minutes
distance covered: 395 Kms ( I took a slightly different route inside Mangalore city while returning)
Max speed achieved: 140 Kmph (Between Honnavar and Kumta while tackling a wannabe Valentino rossi on a Pulsar at about 7:45 PM in the night)

Petrol:
Filled her to the brim at Vasco, say 10 liters in tank
filled 2.5 Liters at Goa Border
Filled 2.5 liters at about 50 Kms before Mangalore
Filled her to the brim at Mangalore, say 10 liters in tank
filled 2.5 Liters at Goa border
Total Petrol: 27.5 Liters

and she crossed 6000 Kms mark enroute. so 2nd service already due now and that changed some plans.
Initial idea was to go from Mangalore to Kerala all the way down to Kanyakumari and ride back to via NH4.. But the 2nd service prompted me to return back. Did not want to go searching KTM service station on the way (with all their bookings and all, it would have been a wasted day or two anyway)

Some observations:
The Bike's exhaust note has definitely changed. It has become more throaty and resembles a thump.
surprisingly to me, at 140 Kmph I did not feel much wind resistance.
No Photos. Took the camera, but battery was exhausted. too lazy to get a replacement pair. anyway it is a regular route for me. Been there done that many times. so did not bother about it.
The claw slowly slides down. so got to push it back to make room for myself now and then.
There is slight pain in the neck as my AGV helmet is quite heavy. But with visor down, it insulates from sound very well.

Some heart in the mouth moments:
While returning near Karwar at around 8:45 PM, there is this blind left hand curve and a Maruti omni comes from opposite (for them it is blind right hand curve), the maruti then cuts the road opposite me and goes in a mud road (on my left side) parallel to the highway. I was about 10 meters from the curve as this omni cuts across my path and to my horror I see a bus at high speed behind the Omni also following the Omni towards the mud road ( ploughing me right in the middle) apparently he thought that is the actual road ( as he just came from the blind curve and may be fixated on the Omni tail lamps) and I had to blare the horn continuously and screech the brake and in the last minute he realises his mistake and corrects himself and swerves to his left and passes me full speed about a feet on my right. Even if the driver delayed one sec more. you guys would not have the pleasure of this post. I realised how dangerous tail gating and fixating on the tail lamp of vehicle in front is and brain starts to relax. damn scary stuff. I had to stop the bike, drink some water and move on.

Anyway overall a good ride.

Total Distance: 785 Kms
Total ride time: 12 Hours 10 Minutes
Petrol used: 27.5 Liters.
Average Mileage: 28.5 Kmpl

The larger rear brake oil reservoir is a power part? How much for this? I prefer this not only for more oil capacity, you can see the level easily.

It is actually smaller than the current reservoir. Smaller in diameter and roughly the same height as the stock. The guy at showroom said the part includes only the reservoir and provides no extra performance advantages other than easy monitoring of the fluid level. As I mentioned earlier I didnt bother asking the price further after hearing the price of the first couple of items. :D

Hmm..curious on the ml it can hold. Not that we will ever run out of brake fluid.

Performance advantage, obviously not.

It is so much easier to tell what level your brake fluid is at. The existing one requires you to sit down and you still need to look hard to figure out the level.

In case you swing by again, do ask for the price. We can have a Colonel Hans Landa laugh.

It definitely looked as though it was holding lesser quantity of fluid. And yes, the current one is a pain in the bottom to check the level.

Will try to get the price in case If I go there again. Still I am pretty sure even Col. Landa's laugh will not suffice. Are these Power parts accessories coming directly from KTM? I just cant find any other reason why they are absurdly priced.

Firstly calling them power parts sounds a bit odd. They do nothing to performance of the bike. They should have called them accessories and had real power parts may be including a ECU remap where they could have made huge money.

I don't know who within the company deides which Power Parts to make and/or to bring here. I have been crying myself hoarse to them from day 1 for a bigger tank and a sump guard. No luck.

My list of power parts would be

- Exhaust,
- Throttle mods
- Quick shift gears if possible
- Windshield
- Bigger tank

Unfortunately looking get takes over riding great.

I have been hearing that they may come out with the adventure version of 390, but when is the question. It is in serious consideration though. If that happens you will get what you want, even as regular parts. It is taking time because KTM so far has not made the adventure version of 390, so they wouldn't have possibly designed the bigger tank for it as of now.

+1 on that. and a bigger tank is definitely needed. That factor really keeps bugging at the back of the mind everytime you hit the highway and before you know, you have to start searching for a refill.

Mods: This is an offtopic post. Please move it to an appropriate thread if not suitable here.

:OT
Just to add some sun and sand. A friend invited me to sail in his Twin Hull-twin sail Catamaran sailboat at Baga, Goa and there I was taking baby steps in sailing. tried my place at the helm with the tiller and then trapezing at fore and stuff like that. Sailing into the setting sun with just sound of the waves and wind in the face is an awesome experience and adrenaline pumping.

In coming days will be learning more about sailing and shall sail all alone soon.
One of the few privileges of being a Marine Surveyor at Goa :uncontrol

Third image is my sailboat today.
First and second image is for depiction only ( as I dint risk to wet my mobile or camera and there was no one else to take the snap at sea). Image courtesy: http://www.hobiecat.com/sail/hobie-16/

Went for a ride to Melkote today morning.
This makes it the longest contiguous ride I've had with the Duchess to-date.



Apart from a lady who forced an impromptu ABS test, a completely enjoyable ride this was. Coming from a Zma, the handling and the braking are the aspects I enjoyed the most.
The straight-line ability of the 390 is something you quite expect what with the 45 odd claimed horses on paper, but the engine braking and the ABS are two aspects that that catch you unawares each time you call them into service and put a wide grin on ones face :D

The one addition I'd like to share are that the stock RVMs were ditched in favor of the RTRs RVMs. They cost 350 bucks a pair and make a massive difference in FOV.
They look decent and save me from having to turn each time I'm trying to pull out and pass someone. Definitely recommended ! :thumbs up

P.S: Anyone found a solution to the buzzing emanating from the front half?
Gets pretty annoying in traffic.

Cheers !