[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Hey Ashok,

It was absolutely super meeting you after so many years buddy

Doc, the pleasure was mine for having the privilege of your company. Thanks for insisting on proper riding gear, but for which I would have had to ride to Bangalore for the same.

The Viaterra Claw bag had some concerns for me. Even though I had tightened the straps enough I would find it loose (may be due to the weight shifts in ghats). while returning I did the mistake of stowing the pair of heavy armed forces shoes at one side and the claw was imbalanced. I did not have the patience of removing and balancing the weights. so it was an uneasy feeling knowing that the bag was tilted to one side and that hangs at the back of your mind when you cruise at pretty good speeds. I stopped at the end of Kajrat ghat, then again at Satara, then between Karad and Kolhapur and many other points just to check if the bag sat proper. I would tighten the strap, balance the bag and ride on. It was ok in the end but the lesson learnt is that the claw should be properly balanced on both ends for a solid fit.

Second, the duke 390 pillion is raised and slants down towards the rider, so the claw tends to slip down towards the rider and as I rode on, I was finding that my seat is being shared partially by the claw too. so I had to forcefully push the claw back while riding. I am a small guy. so it was ok. Lesson learnt: strap it in such a way that the bag does not move laterally (sideways) or horizontally (front and back)

Seat was hard, but after some time one gets used to it. and I had little place to shift too as the claw was right on the back ( and I had the hydration unit on my back too), but overall seat is not such a big issue.

Fatigue is of 2 types ( one is physical fatigue / stress due to the body condition and then the other one is bike induced). I had the fatigue of the first kind- my physical condition as I started the ride with severe chest congestion ( me being a chronic asthmatic). but as the ride progressed, the biker's medicine stared to work ( a biker medicing is when the riding pleasure overtakes the physical stress and over time you notice that you are cured of it), so by the time I reached Pune, my chest had cleared and I was just about fine. So with a ride which was doubtful at the beginning due to the severely obstructed lung, I was breathing free at the end of the ride.
I had some strain on my palms as I tend to bend forward and push my hands on the handle, rather to grasp it firmly, but not tightly. that is again my riding position. but again nothing serious.

I am a smooth rider and a very cautious one and go the extra mile with regard to safety and taking risks on road, hence not the fastest amoung the duke riders, may be I make up the last of the herd. So my ride timings are rather sedate. 8 hours to reach either destination. take away an hour from it for lunch /fuel breaks/ photo breaks/ claw strap tightening breaks and the actual time is about 7 hours (which includes about 30-45 min city choc-o-block traffic in peak hours). so 470 Kms in 7 Hours is about 67 Kmph average speed. which is pretty sedate speed.
return was almost similar. it was 1 PM at Swargate junction IOC pump and reached home at Goa at 9 PM. again some hectic traffic at pune and Belgaum ( about 30 minutes to negotiate the evening peak hour traffic at Belgaum) and another 30+ minutes at restaurant and again it equates to about the same average speed as above.
the overall actual ride time average was around 70 Kmph.

It was a good ride. Nothing spectacular, my hydration unit came in good ( I put in water with ice cubes, a dash of a few lemons and salt and sugar ) and I was sipping lemon juice all the way. ( had to stop the bike for a sip as the pipe would not go under the helmet as a permanant fixture)

There were no extreme anxiety moments or screeching brakes. I was in like "Pehle aaap" mode, even allowed a commuter bike brother the pleasure of getting better of the duke for some distance. But had to break away as I had a longer ride to do. Katraj and the other ghat was really fantastic and made my day.

The riding gear suffocated me in the begining. It felt very hot and I was sweating profusely, then once the pune city was behind me the ventilation in the jacket became more apparent and it was a cool ride from there. and I immediately started feeling the safety of the new gear.

I did not take much photograph during the NH4 section ride as there are tons in the forum and there is not much to show except the straight smooth roads. so did away with the travelogue too.

Originally Posted by razorBlades

@ashkamath: A good long ride eh? Envy you! BTW how did you source 91 octane fuel on the highway? or the regular one is good enough?

Well I filled speed at my regular guy at Goa before starting. (I think speed is 93 Octane) and 89-91 RON is the normal petrol. So refilled her normal petrol at Kolhapur. while returning filled her normal petrol at IOC pump near Swargate at Pune and again speed at BPC pump at Kolhapur. I was not fastidious about the petrol as I know getting speed or premium is not always possible. again I was not fastidious about good petrol pumps and adultrated pumps. who knows the pump where I fill regularly could not be the cleanest one and the old pump on the highway could be a cleaner one. I agree some pumps have a reputation. for example I filled my bike at MAC pump at Mangalore during a previous ride and I entered Goa for a refill ( that is a distance of over 300 Kms) and I was pleasantly surprised that the pump lived upto its reputation. but that is not the case always.
So my take is just fill the regular ones, if you can get premium or speed it is good enough, but never mind. try to look at a decent pump where many local vehicles are filling fuel ( a sign of good pump). I have a mind block ( if you can call it that way) I always prefer BP pump, then IOC and least is HP. I always tend to avoid HP ( nothing particular but a mindset as I said earlier).

Originally Posted by razorBlades

Anoyone facing a notchy/soft geat shifts? Gear down seems to be too soft for me.. clutch setting to be altered perhaps? Also when I downshift, the gear shift indicator goes blank and only after a little bit of a movement, the gear locks properly and the indicator shows proper gear! anyone facing this?

No. I have not faced this soft gear shift till now. the gear shift has always been definite and clunky (2nd and 3rd gear) with a thud. If you have concerns check with the service center guy or check out some other 390 and see if your gearshift is different in feel from other 390s.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by ebonho

There are PowerParts padded seats for 10K each. Or you can get them padded at a local seat walla as well. Or get gel pad insets and have those fitted to the seats. Personally ever since I bought riding pants, my butt pain issues have reduced to very manageable levels. A butt is a butt, it will still pain once the blood flow gets restricted from prolonged pressure. But it happens way less and after a lot longer, and is not as excrutiating. But as I've said many times before, the hard seat of the KTM is in fact a boon over long distances. I find it much better than the more generous looking Bullet seat for instance. Hope this helps!

Thanks man. Will take a long TD once again before I finalize.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by Insearch

If the 690 is coming anytime soon, I would like to hold my horses a bit longer for an upgrade from the TBTS.

IIRC, as per the last official confirmation. I think the Indian manufactured 690-s will be hitting the shores only by 2015.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Insearch

When!?
Doc, please enlighten us a bit more on this (on another thread if you wish). If the 690 is coming anytime soon, I would like to hold my horses a bit longer for an upgrade from the TBTS. I missed the 390 earlier and bought the RE, because I was not clear on the launch date and my Ladakh trip would have been held to ransom. No such hurry right now.

Regards.

Everything I have heard and read in the recent past points to a 2015 launch bro.

What would make the decision really tough would be if they launch the 690 Duke and then also launch the 390 Adventure.

Seeing as I have never owned a bike that can hit a genuine 200, I know what I will finally choose (if they price it right). But equally, knowing what KTM does with Adventure bikes, the 390 will be a different sort of animal to the Dukes.

Will be a tough choice.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

Second, the duke 390 pillion is raised and slants down towards the rider, so the claw tends to slip down towards the rider and as I rode on, I was finding that my seat is being shared partially by the claw too. so I had to forcefully push the claw back while riding. I am a small guy. so it was ok. Lesson learnt: strap it in such a way that the bag does not move laterally (sideways) or horizontally (front and back)

This exact same thing (under-bum creep) happens with the center joining flap of my saddlebags too. The solution we finally dvised (explained in my Baby Duke 222 thread) was to fashion two strap-buckle loops on either side that slip around each grabrail and finally come to rest against the front part of the grabrail which is attached to the bike. From here it (the strap-buckle loop) cannot slide further, and since it is attached to the bags on each side, the bags (and the cloth piece between them) also do not slide further forward to rid up under the rider's bum. Not only do you have the share your seat, in my case since they were full sized bags (and not a modified tail bag like the Claw), the bags also start exerting pressure on the back of each leg and you find yourself regularly on the move pushing the bags back with hands or legs to get some space.

Now with these straps, once you adjust the loop's length to just exact, so that the bags end where they should and no further, you can simply slip the bags into position on the pillion seat and leave them there for the entire ride, and they will thanks to the slope of the pillion seat and the weight of the bags, not move an inch. For adde security, just in case, I also loop a strap at the front on each side around the rear most vertical member of the trellis frame, just to have something holding the bags in place tightly to prevent them from moving in towards the wheel, or moving back and slipping off the bike (neither happens normally - so this is just added precaution, since unlike the Bullet on which I also use the same bags, the Duke does not have rear mudguard stays and a backrest behind the pillion seat).

With this solution, I can literally mount and dismount fully loaded bags on and off the bike in less than a couple of minutes. Also, as I told you, each bag (each side) can cary almost as much as the entire Claw put together. Yes, even though the pillion cannot sit in spite of the seat being free (because the pillion footpegs are covered by the bags totally), you at least have space to slide back, as well as for your camelbak/haversack to rest, without being cramped or confined. The Claw does give you a great backrest though (once the Van Damme split is out of the way!)

What I have still not figured out (or tried to seriously) is how to carry my two extra 5 liter jerry cans with me.

[VW2010]

What I have still not figured out (or tried to seriously) is how to carry my two extra 5 liter jerry cans with me.

Man...those are huge considering the space the KTM gives as an option for tourers.

Alternate is to custom build side boxes specifically for touring and mount it instead of the rear foot pegs in a custom way.

After riding the bull and the KTM alternatively for the last few weeks to me the verdict is simple. 390 is the perfect street bike for city and long distance touring. It has its own negatives but the positives out run the negatives.

I may be travelling out of the country and i still will preserve the 500 for its not just a bike for me. There is a connection. The 390 is going for sale and i am sure when i come back i will have more options and mostly the 690 .

On a comparison, people who have rode 350 and 500 know exactly whats its like on the 500. And there is no way you can convince the 500 rider to pick the 350 again as his bike. Atleast i will never pick a 350.

Now this is exactly the feeling i have with the 390. Given a chance to ride it will be the 390. All local nearby roaming withing my home area, the 500 takes over. For the rest, the 390 takes over

Greatest product of 2013 for me.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Man...those are huge considering the space the KTM gives as an option for tourers.

My bags can already take two large PET bottles of 2.25 liters each (one on each side in the dedicated long bottle pockets). That means around 4-4.5 liters extra - or approximately 120-140 kms. The tank does another 270-300 odd kms before getting the low fuel warning. (this is the 200 I am talking about, and me riding, not smooth Ashok!) So about 400 kms total. That's absolutely cut and cut for the mountains. Would like at least 5 liters buffer in the bag so to speak - if not 10. The other option is to bungee them to the pillion seat (upright) or hang them (by the handles) behind each saddlebag (with bungees or nylon rope) but there it definitely risks puncture and fuel spill/fire risk from the banging around when fully laden with fuel.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

It was a good ride. Nothing spectacular, my hydration unit came in good ( I put in water with ice cubes, a dash of a few lemons and salt and sugar ) and I was sipping lemon juice all the way. ( had to stop the bike for a sip as the pipe would not go under the helmet as a permanant fixture)

Ashok sir, I have also purchased a hydration pack from B-Twin from Decathalon. It holds 2L of hydration liquid + 7L of space for carrying extra knick knacks! I have been using it for a couple of rides and its working out seriously good. Also, with the additional 7L of space, I can easily put all necessary stuffs in it and avoid carrying my heavy back pack. And it fits snugly! I am having a completely noobish question.
How do you keep/tuck away the bite valve from dust while riding. The B-Twin has the provision only to tuck the bite valve facing the front side(I am guessing your ViaTerra is also the same) which makes it susceptible to dust and flying insects. Do you usually do anything to keep the bite valve away from dust??

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Ashok sir, I have also purchased a hydration pack from B-Twin from Decathalon. It holds 2L of hydration liquid + 7L of space for carrying extra knick knacks! I have been using it for a couple of rides and its working out seriously good. Also, with the additional 7L of space, I can easily put all necessary stuffs in it and avoid carrying my heavy back pack. And it fits snugly! I am having a completely noobish question.
How do you keep/tuck away the bite valve from dust while riding. The B-Twin has the provision only to tuck the bite valve facing the front side(I am guessing your ViaTerra is also the same) which makes it susceptible to dust and flying insects. Do you usually do anything to keep the bite valve away from dust??

Good question. Nothing worse than a first mouthful of warm water mixed with highway grit and bugs. I keep the pipe and bite valve of my Camelbak tucked away inside the front of my jacket (I keep part of the top of the zip/velcro open in the center). When I want to drink I extract it from there, and after drinking, poke it back into that opening. Also prevents the pipe from flapping around in the wind.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Good question. Nothing worse than a first mouthful of warm water mixed with highway grit and bugs. I keep the pipe and bite valve of my Camelbak tucked away inside the front of my jacket (I keep part of the top of the zip/velcro open in the center). When I want to drink I extract it from there, and after drinking, poke it back into that opening. Also prevents the pipe from flapping around in the wind.

AHA!! Thats a good solution Doc! I guess I can take the bite valve out of the elastic loop in the middle of the strap and slide it into the jacket! That was what I was looking for.. Thanks Doc!

[aditya.bhardwaj]

Guys an update i got from the KTM D390 owners club in delhi. The tail section has been revised and the service centres might will start caling all the owners for the replacement under warranty. This has been done as the reflector was touching the hugger on potholes. Did you guys get any call till now from the service centre.

Lastly, my bike's engine head started leaking oil. It was not a major leak but was still a concern for me. The Head Gasket has been changed under warranty along with the oil filter O-ring. The issue which still remains is that the bike shuts off midway when i pull the clutch and dies completely and the engine malfunction error signal which comes on if i have taken the bike in a slushy area or wet area or if i am crawling in the B2B traffic. Till now the errors have been cleared. Lets see how it goes further on.

Regards

[sridhu]

THe hydration bag i have has a small pouch on the LHS strap on the front designed for the bite valve to be tucked into. Discovered this by mistake!

[junaid12345678]

Today Trivandrum KTM delivered the first Midnight Black 390 Duke, and I was there on the spot. The bike looks nice with the new sticker and paint job. According to the Service manager, all the reported issues were resolved in the new bike and is running smoother when compared to the last year's 390's. Unfortunately no test ride bikes were available. Let the pictures talk.











Here comes the sad part. The bike was delivered to a young rich spoiled brat, who went on to the busy street and immediately did a power wheelie with a pillion. The pillion almost got thrown away from the bike. Both never bothered to wear a helmet and were accompanied by a group of friends.
He was redlining the bike in every gear and the sound was audible for long. The same guy owns an RE and a Ninja 250.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by aditya.bhardwaj

Guys an update i got from the KTM D390 owners club in delhi. The tail section has been revised and the service centres might will start caling all the owners for the replacement under warranty. This has been done as the reflector was touching the hugger on potholes. Did you guys get any call till now from the service centre

Coincidentally I went to the workshop today and checked it out. Its not the upper tail section per se, but the undersurface bottom plate (which is facing the tyre). Apparently the old one was much stiffer, and this one is much more flexible. So the theory is that with the suspension action, the reflector part will not keep tapping on to the hugger because the entire tail plate now being more flexible, will simply slip over it. Have you guys seen the tail sections of Pulsars - how they shake and dance? This is probably going to be doing the same now. I will happily stick to the original if so.

Originally Posted by junaid12345678

Today Trivandrum KTM delivered the first Midnight Black 390 Duke, and I was there on the spot. The bike looks nice with the new sticker and paint job.

What interests me more are the all black hand guards.

went on to the busy street and immediately did a power wheelie ........ He was redlining the bike in every gear and the sound was audible for long.

Minus the fact that he was not wearing a helmet, this is the very definition of what Mototune suggests for a brand new bike, taken immediately out of the showroom on to the road for the first time.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

How do you keep/tuck away the bite valve from dust while riding. The B-Twin has the provision only to tuck the bite valve facing the front side(I am guessing your ViaTerra is also the same) which makes it susceptible to dust and flying insects. Do you usually do anything to keep the bite valve away from dust??

man_of_steel, Please call me Ashok. yup, my Viaterra Hydration pack bite valve is front facing, but then it is simple. take a used / discarded white board marker cap, use it as a cap for the bite valve. the following pics should make it clear. or as Sridhu mentioned, there will be a small pouch on the other (across) strap where you can snugly fit in the bite valve.( again I discovered it after Sridhu's post )

Originally Posted by ebonho

Ashok, how are you going to operate that cap moving 70-80 kmph on the highway?

Doc, these hydration packs are essentially designed for trekkers and not riders per-se. My helmet is extremely snug, that it presses hard against my cheek and also the design is such that I cannot pass it under the helmet, even if I pass it under the helmet, I cant bend it into my mouth. so unfortunately I need to stop the bike, lift the visor a bit, place the bite valve into my mouth, take a couple of sip and ride on.( I think I mentioned the same in my post somewhere down below). unless your helmet design specifically permits, I think it will be difficult proposition. anyway. The only advantage is that I don't need to remove my helmet and I don't need to get down from the biken (to remove a water bottle and stuff like that). So it would take a minute or two to have your drink and move on

Originally Posted by ebonho

this is the very definition of what Mototune suggests for a brand new bike, taken immediately out of the showroom on to the road for the first time.

Infact I was extremely keen to do mototuning (Moto running in)my duke. even inquired with Venkat and others. Checked Arpan (Chotu) and Navendu's messages over a decade ago in other forums. Even planned the road to blast the engine ( a clear stretch of about 10 Kms between Verna and Dabolim airport) But finally decided against it and dropped the idea at the last moment and stuck to normal running in