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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-239.html)

No before service , i had to depress my front brake to its near maximum point to actuate properly(and there was no progression , more like a stop switch) , this with a glove was proving very difficult (glove in question is a textile glove , fits well but not an armored riding glove ). After service , the pressure now arrives earlier(as was the case initially ) so it is easier to ride with gloves on which limit my finger mobility . The stopping power compared to initial days is still lacking though .

About my riding habits , I have never done a long ride before so having a buddy is safe in a way . Long drive yes but I started riding my own bike only a year back (didn't have one in college or first couple of years of job ) . It will be nice if I had even one or two willing friend (I am not one for those dozen+ group ride ) but nopes . I would have still ventured out if roads were worth the effort . I hope Kolkata it is(I am Bengali though stayed all over India ) but if not , then Delhi is likely which works too . Going by your mileage figure , you are a hardcore rider Sir :)

Start small first by going to close by places solo. Then increase your riding distance. If you have the company good else don't hesitate to ride solo. You have a reliable machine and you seem to be quite squared away wrt the limitations of yourself on the bike. Buy some quality riding gear, head out and enjoy yourself. And no sir bro.. I am nothing compared to the likes of much more seasoned riders like Doc, ashkamath, Ram sir etc. :)

If bleeding of brakes doesn't return back the bite, try getting the brake pads emeried(?) as the brakes might have been glazed due to overheating.

I am not sure if they are loctited. I have heard cases of engine mount bolts, brake/gear lever assembly bolts falling off or getting loose with time due to high vibrations. I have got these bolts torqued with Loctite blue and haven't had a problem to report.

if you ever land up in Delhi on a weekend, lemme know. I live in Noida and ride solo, my favorite on weekends (early morning rides like 8am) is:-

Noida Sector 61 (Shoprix Mall)
GIP
DND
Ashram
Nehru Place (ring road) all the way to Gurgaon Toll
take a U turn from Gurgaon Sector 30 and back to Noida the same way.

If you want it to be more longer, we can go upto Manesar toll as well :D

With thread locking fluid, I think that the fastener would normally not loosen itself until it is intentionally removed.

Only critical fasteners have thread locking fluid applied. E.g.: engine casing bolts, brake disc bolts, sprocket bolts, etc. Generally, bodywork and other bolts do not have thread locking fluid applied because they are intended for easy and frequent removal - maybe once during every service, compared to engine bolts which are normally never removed. Also, in a mass production context, thread locking solutions add costs at multiple levels and so their use is limited.

Loctite blue is a good solution but find a cooperative mechanic to do this pain-staking, time consuming job for you. Each fastener has to be removed, cleaned of grease, Loctite applied and re-fitted. If the fastener is not clean, Loctite is useless.

I think I remember seeing the mounting bolts of the rear tire hugger was loctited when I removed it.

Another query: I am planning to switch to Michellin Pilot Street for the rear. Can any of the current users please confirm if the ABS is working absolutely fine with it? Or there is any other problem you noticed with it? Planning to get it changed tomorrow itself, a quick confirmation is much appreciated. :)

I'm curious to know why the ABS would not work with a different tyre. AFAIK, the tyre dimensions and characteristics are not a factor in the control of the ABS actuator. The wheel speed is actually sensed from the slotted disc near the brake disc. Is there something I am missing here?

True that the abs takes input from the slotted disc. But that is calibrated for the 150/60 Metz, but the pilot is a 140/70 which makes a difference of 8mm in tire height. That means the outer diameter of tire is more for 140/70 and bigger the diameter, slower it turns.

I agree that road speed is calculated from angular speed and tyre diameter. The slotted disc gives the angular velocity in pulses/revolution. My understanding of the ABS controller is that it is only monitoring wheel angular velocity for a sudden drop in angular velocity, meaning suddenly locked or about to lock wheels. Maybe an expert here to clarify this topic and enlighten us.

please:

I have been trying to source 47T rear sprocket for a while now. KTM doesn't have rear sprockets for 390 and 200 sprockets are not the same.

After a lot of search online I have found that Tyga Performance have sprockets for different sizes for 390. But they are non committal in shipping to India. :deadhorse

It is not in ebay or any of the popular sites.

Some guy in KTM international forum tried to source it from Italy. But he disappeared from the thread after a few posts. Don't know if he was successful or not.

Any body who has any knowledge about this, kindly help. I can come down to Bangalore or Mumbai or can source it from anywhere in India. Please help me!!

Haha sure I will contact you and appreciate the invite .

BTW no yamuna expressway dash ? I heard the road is very unsafe these days as it is clogged by thrill seekers . Beautiful road though the surface gives a weird sense of resistance at the steering .

to be very frank and truthful, i have never driven my duke on that piece of road. It's always in the news for the wrong reasons, from accidents to daylight robberies.

DND will pass in a flash on a Duke, but Gurgaon toll, trust me bro..it's gonna be long and fun to ride there :)

It seems that the 390 is about to get a face lift.

New tail section (From the RC?).
New tank cover - I see the coolant reservoir completely open and accessible from outside in both the pictures! :eek:
No plactic engine shield and hand guards, although they both might come back on the production bikes.
Different looking radiator? Hopefully more efficient cooling!
Second pic has an aftermarket exhaust, I guess it's a powerpart.