Re: The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread First Service Report ( 980km ) -
The technician Umesh seems like a nice guy , once he got to the job after about an hour(during which bike was washed thoroughly and then I suppose allowed to cool down) , he finished it without a break . The service floor manager/incharge is a rude person , his behavior during delivery was not confidence inspiring and stayed true to character today .
Oil change - charged me 1155/- for exactly 1400ml , is the rate reasonable and it surprised me because elsewhere I have read one has to purchase the entire bottle and take home the balance .
Chain cleaned , adjusted and lubricated - charged me 144 for the OKS lubrication .
Oil filter for 65/-
Total service charge worked out to 1428.00 .
Steering was loose as per Umesh after a cursory ride , tightened it .
Got the clutch adjusted - cannot tell a difference .
Repeatedly stressed on the front brake fading issue but the floor in-charge aggressively tried to downplay the issue , Umesh quickly calmed the situation down by saying he will attend to it . However all he did was adjust the freeplay and not bleed the system as I would have preferred(and advised here by multiple persons) . The manager at this point who sold me the bike came down and we exchanged pleasantries , he said take the bike home today and if anything still feels not correct , we will do all within our means without question asked . I agreed (will carry out some braking specific tests this weekend and hold him up to his promise if I am less than satisfied ), braking so far seems better in one sense - the force now arrives with less pressure applied , nothing major but a positive change and helps while riding with gloves . The sheer force experienced initially is still missing though , hot pad fading remains to be seen .
General riding experience after service - cannot really tell a difference , snatching at low rpm has reduced slightly but that is about it . One thing I have noticed is twice the bike refused to start in neutral (held the switch for 7/8 cranks and no throttle , I never throttle but nothing. started on the 2nd or 3rd attempt ) , no biggie as such but never(I really mean it has never refused to start in neutral until now) happened until now so lets hope these are isolate incidents .
Overall ownership review (997km)-
Why I purchased the bike ?
1. Acceleration , the brutal pace with which it reaches triple digits . Don't mis-interpret this as me being speed junkie , I don't have the experience or skill for that and my usual roads don't permit anything safely above 80 either but it is fun even if for just a few seconds and fun is why I purchased the bike .
2. Control/handling - the sum total of the ergonomics(upright position specifically ) , general connection with bike and the confidence level especially down corners . Only and only one limitation but this is proving to be one that will need fixing is rear brake pedal position , I have to consciously focus to actuate rear and that is no good . A DYI a few pages back is as such something that I will get done ASAP .
3. Braking - coming from an enfield with only a rear brake , this is another world . And ABS .
4. Aesthetics - I like the way it looks . The proportion , the silhouette is striking , the stickers not so much . I wish they offered more body color options though for varieties sake .
Any other options considered ? naahhhh , when I purchased my first bike last year , it was always going to be an enfield and now due to limited options none of which attracted on paper , it was KTM or bust . I was initially lusting over the harley 750 but sense prevailed and realized no way I can comfortably afford that and will be "too much" at my age anyways .
So far over 1000km , I have not faced any major(or minor) problem with this bike . No starting issues , no over heating issues ( it was cool by the time I took delivery and temp. dropping steadily ) and no engine related malfunction . My run in involved mostly cruising around 6/7k rpm but after the initial 200kms , I often used to red line in the 2nd and 3rd gear for fun when road permitted . Never held it above 8k for more than 10-30 seconds though . Aside from the usual first service routine and adjustments here and there , front brake was the only complaint from my end .
The bike is fun , it is perfect for the short open road blitz(as short as 30km to 60/70km) I enjoy . My riding due to a lack of buddies(my year long stay in Bareilly is down to some unforseen circumstances ) and poor , really really poor roads and traffic is limited to either night time cruising around city (after 11pm which have come to an end now due to cold weather ) or blitzing around the cantonment roads which are empty , good surface and loads and loads of turn - it is almost like a track , you have sweeping 200/300mtr long shallow curves , tight turns and kilometer long stretches with only dogs and monkeys(major threats especially dogs and baby monkeys ) as the threat to look out for and this bike is a hoot to ride around that . The bike is also very forgiving - it is difficult to explain but it never loses control , doesn't pops unintentional wheelies and for a newcomer like me to the sportsbike setup , I like how I have enjoyed the bike , rode her hard when my abilities safely permitted that and not even once felt like I will tip her over or faced a potential accident situation . That is something in hindsight I really appreciate .
My stay here will come an end soon(this knowledge was decisive factor behind purchasing this bike , if I were to stay here forever , I doubt I would have) and will likely relocate back to Kolkata which offers easier access to better highways . Before leaving though , a ride to Nainital will be done early next year (weather currently and lack of experience riding on mountain are limiting factor). I have not used it for commuting or visiting to inner city areas , why do something you won't enjoy and a car is better for those mundane drives/rides. This is a bike that needs certain favorable conditions to be enjoyed . So far it has been very happy ownership if a somewhat lonely one , I wish I had a couple of friends to ride around with but even then there are hardly any places to ride to or roads worth riding on (I am not exaggerating , the roads are a mess here . Jim corbett park ? 2 lane undivided road with commercial traffic . And bad roads too . Lucknow ? even worse , sometimes just a single lane . nainital is the best bet , about 100km within UP off which 30/40km is torture but once in UK , the change is drastic and remarkable ).
Last edited by basuroy : 27th November 2014 at 20:07.
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