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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-142.html)

It's a 390 bro, got it this Feb :D

The 125 is a proper lil bike isn't it :)

Determining the kind of a bike is a whole different thing. Ripping the bike or riding sedately from day 1 depends on several factors such as the riders skill, quality of the road etc. Even a puny 50cc moped comes with manufacturers warning to ride within some mentioned limits. Does this mean that mopeds are not meant to be revved hard from day 1?
Every engines in the world require certain bit of running in, be it a KTM or an ancient steam engine. Riding at varying rpms is necessary for running in an engine and ripping in every gear is not necessary for achieving this. Here the manufacturer has set a 7500 rpm limit for the first 1000 kms, so its anyday better to avoid hard acceleration and staying within the prescribed limits as we are not the one who built the bike. KTM knows their bike better than all of us. Its a proved fact that high rpms takes its own toll on the durability of an engine. Wear and tear is directly proportional to the rpm at which an engine runs. Engines used in Motogp are the latest from the motorcycle world, but still manufacturers are unable to keep an engine alive after a couple or more races with just a thousand miles on it. In short, riding sedately have a better aftereffect than ripping hard.

agree: The 390 is not slightly but properly scary when braking at high speeds. Its because of its light weightiness, short wheelbase and lower rake and trail. The bike is made to handle impeccably but at the cost of stability. I once had to brake real hard at 110 kmph to avoid colliding with a car that took a sudden U turn without any indication and the bike fishtailed and slided sideways. It became stable only after coming to a stop:D
And the ABS on the 390 is no where near the combined ABS on the CBR250.
In the 390, the ABS regulates braking pressure intermittently which leads to intermittent locking of the wheels which is not so reliable at high speeds, though it works at slow speeds. You can even here tire screeching noise while braking real hard.
The 390 is not so stable during fast cornering. It goes into corners fantastically but proper care is needed till you exit the corner safely. Mid-corner corrections are not entertained by the bike due to its unstable nature. The Metzelers help to some extend but still the rider needs to be a bit careful. The Harleys don't like to be cornered but once in, it keeps its own line and exits the corner beautifully with little or no effort from the rider. The 390 is just the opposite.

There is something seriously confusing here. The Dukes (both the 200 and 390) are super stable. As long as you are not aggressive with the rear brake. Use it only to scrub speed and stabilize the bike, not to actually stop. I guess it could also be down to different riders and riding styles. I took to the Duke's aggressive riding geometry immediately. And it was a mountain leap handling and braking and cornering and chassis flex wise compared to the Bullets I have been riding. So no complaints for me. If anything, a little more weight at the rear could help to keep the bike hooked up and planted as you gas out of corners. That's all. Everything else is pure KTM. Manic and wonderful. Very few companies (global - forget Indian) could make bikes like this.

@DR

Oh no. There is definitely a confusion here. The KTM is the most stable maniac you can have here. Those who did track will vouch for its cornering capability any day. In fact my doubt was more on the front end being short as a design and not as an issue. As you also pointed out a little weight at the back is probably helpful.

Secondly it does not fishtail or scare you when you brake. But when you are upright and sitting close to the tank the front end feels too close to you and more upright.

Exactly opposite. The mid cornering adjustments are so easy in this bike in other words due to the beautiful metz and the nimbleness.

In fact you will unknowingly lean far more than you wanted to. TThe kathipara turn is an indicator of lean for me. In my bull i take this at 60-65. I have been pushing the KTM all the way upto 87kmph. And this turn has a bad spot bang in the middle of that curve that there are times you have to adjust. And the KTM listens. So i would say that statement above is not true with KTM.

My point is more towards making something good(best) even better at what it does and with RC390 i personally want a slightly longer front ... Ever so slightly for my choice. Its a riding style as you pointed and i will do better with that slightly stretched front end.

Its going to be exactly the opposite bro. Which will make it even sharper handling than the Duke. And the front suspension will have 2 inches lesser travel - to make the cornering that much more aggressive (of course you would lose out on riding comfort on anything but good smooth tarmac as a compromise). It will be a much more focused track bike than the Duke.

My experiences are very similar to Doc's & VW2010's. The bike is stable & recovers well & fast if unsettled.

Are you, by chance, using the rear brakes exclusively/ primarily, @junaid12345678? Either that or a good look at the bike by a competent mechanic is immediately required.

Apologies for the OT.

Hey Doc,
Are you roped in by Bajaj/KTM to test the RC390 as well? Would love to hear more about that bike.

Regards

I completely agree. And on corners I have found that the engine braking in itself is supremely capable of aiding in any line corrections which may be required. There have been times when my entry speed has been higher than what it should have been (put it down to lack of experience), and I've drifted almost to the outward edge of the lane. Simply, rolling off the throttle momentarily is enough to being you back. :)

This being my first bike, I do not have any other frame of reference, let alone Harleys - but the Duke is simply fantastic in its forgiving nature. My two cents.

@Doc

Thanks for that.

And when you look at the FZ1 and R1 it does make sense to keep it closer and not longer. A simple paint work :)

On the same line will they be also lowering the bike a little more and keep it close to the ground unlike the naked version. The RC390 is exciting.

You are doing it wrong buddy. NEVER chop off the throttle and let the engine braking take over once you have leaned over into a corner. Maintain the throttle evenly through a tight corner and power out just before hitting the apex. If you cut off the throttle, you will upset the suspension geometry and there is a very high chance that you will highside. Please, never practice it. Plan your corner entry speed carefully and in case you find you are running wide, LOOK to the inside of the corner, MAINTAIN a constant throttle and lean in more and dont worry, the bike can take it. The bike will move to the inside of the corner without any fuss.

Have to disagree on this mate. I had the CBR250 ABS for 5k Kms and the braking on that one is not even close to the Duke 200, forget the Duke 390. Your description of ABS is how *all* ABS systems work - they apply intermittent braking on detection of wheel lock. But, these pulses are in their dozens if not 100s per second and they basically outdo humans in panic braking modulation. The 390 has a lovely non-intrusive ABS system; getting the wheel to lock occasionally just indicates that you might be using the rear brake too much. The same happens on the ABS CBR too if you step on the rear brake.
Sorry to disagree again but the 390 not only enters corners beautifully but also takes mid-corner corrections extremely well. Just a couple of weeks ago I entered a long, never ending corner on a track hot only to find another rider going slow on the racing line, had to do a series of corrections to overtake him safely and get back on my line - all in the middle of the corner. Piece of cake for the 390. I rode a Ninja250 on the same track, on the same day and the 390 is as good on the corners and faster out of the apex. And that is saying a lot.
Me thinks you are using too high a gear in corners or using the rear brake. If you still find your 390 not doing your bidding, please check the front fork for oil leak.

Agree completely. The other, wilder option though, is to throttle up a bit and lean more in such a situation. :D

I should've elaborated, my mistake. My comment was in the context of rolling off the throttle vis a vis braking, which in my limited experience, made the bike go wider. I am getting the hang of planning my entry speeds and better lane positioning through the curve.

I will keep what you have said in mind. Thanks very much! :)

Got it! :thumbs up

Exactly what I meant. A slightly long wheel base and a little weight to the rear would have induced more feel and confidence to the rider, which is what I love about the bulls.

Al what speeds? Mine fishtails for a second when I brake hard above speeds of 80 kmph or more. But at lower speeds, say 60, even if I brake hard the bike comes to stop in a line without any issues. I had shown the same to the svc but according to them everything is normal. After fishtailing, the bike suddenly regains traction and becomes normal all at once and it happens only with high speed hard braking.please:

Another issue is that my front suspension is too soft now and I can't take corners with the same speed and confidence I used to have during the initial days. My bike has done 9K kms now. Its not that fun anymore:mad:

I seriously think its the tires. At 9k kms the grip is bound to be lesser than a fresh run-in tire.