Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Motorbikes (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/)

-   -   The KTM Duke 390 Ownership Experience Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/138082-ktm-duke-390-ownership-experience-thread-254.html)

"Seat will become hard and affect my spine" But perhaps this isn't something to laugh, but the way their training is enforced or incomplete perhaps, the guy has a point, but it's clouded by classic signs of poor "you ask - I blabber".

I hope the training these SVC chaps go through is a little more astute and even more directed and customer interaction taking its priority, wherein they can clear and explain, perhaps to the customer as to what the issue really is.

Guess I asking too much! Oh well.

Cheers!
V

I don't know if there is any actual validity to this theory but I've ridden a 390 which was probably on its hardest setting. I have to admit it was really annoying! The ride was literally bone-jarring. It may make the bike handle like a maniac but it makes the rider maniacal. I felt the reverberation of the vibrations through my entire body with high frequency vibrations in my Jaw and along the spine.

After a coolant top-up about 2000 Km ago, the coolant level on my 390 has dropped to minimum again! As usual, there are no traces of a leak outside and the engine oil color stays the same brownish and doesn't reveal much either. :Frustrati

But I have noticed a pattern with the last 2 iterations of "coolant vanish" episodes. Both have happened when the bike was extensively used in B2B traffic.

So, just hazarding a guess, can the increased heat levels during commute affect on any of the gaskets resulting in the coolant either leaking gradually or mixing with engine oil? I can't think of anything that can happen only during city commute. Your thoughts?

I ride my bike to the office and for other daily commutes in crawling traffic. I used to wait for a while before switching the engine off, till I realised that the temp doent drop at all after all the waiting. And I havent seen the coolant levels drop. So I think there must be a faulty seal or some leak in your bike.

Check your engine oil if its frothing. That is the indication of coolant leaking into engine oil

Both Mysore, as well as Kasturbha KTM SVC have told you-know-who that frothing is common in 390 and is not linked to coolant mixing with the engine oil. As you know, even his bike's coolant is mysteriously disappearing; and despite a week at the Kasturbha KTM, the issue remains unresolved.

If coolant is mixing with engine oil, then you will get a smoky exhaust, a coffee colored engine oil and of course a rise in engine oil level.
regards adrian

Frothing is common in a cold engine, extended hibernation for example, if you've parked your bike for a week, or in a colder ambient temperature, it does froth.

Not really adrian. Coolant mixing would immediately thin the oil, it wouldn't increase the oil level, it would thin the oil, and could blind the oil sight window, like a shampoo froth, only it gets worse and leaves the residue in the glass so it's harder for you to discern.

Coolant vanishing isn't to be taken light. Two things, check if your radiator has air inside the system, this could be due to less coolant and more air gap inside the cylinder causing air locks, which means effectively the coolant is lesser than normal. Bleed your radiator coolant system, fill in fresh coolant with proper bleeding.

The drill is this, check your oil sight window, after a spirited ride, not just stop and go traffic, this helps the thermostat to open to its maximum and if there is a leak you can find it that the sight window is milky, frothy and basically like a stage 4 cataract.

Look for oil discoloration, most of the times, the oil tends to look slightly on the greener side. (Don't fret if you use Motul 300V) but apart from that if you see any greenish tinge, that's your home stretch.

Frothing occurs, yes, but once the engine is warmed up, it should disappear, and also the frothing is nothing more than a small bubble layer on top of the oil upper (meniscus). Nothing more than that, if you see, shampoo-ish foam each time, and all the above mentioned, it'd be a wise idea to check your water pump rotor, oil seal.

Cheers!
V

Oil and coolant (water) are immiscible. So if you add one to the other, there will be a rise in levels.

Very sensible advice

Hey guys I want to know something.

I cranked my bike after almost a month and kept it on idle. After a few seconds a very foul smell (like some electric connection is burned) came off from the bike. The bike was kept under covers so I suspected some insect or animal was the culprit. Nothing was found. Second thought was actual burning of some electrical connection. Again nothing was there. The smell didn't come again.

Can anyone temme if they have experienced something similar? I guess it something to do with exhaust or the coolant.

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/340

Please do check the article above. There is a simple method demonstrated to find out if the oil has mixed with the coolant.
It also mentions the various culprits for the coolant loss.

I go for normal speed ( reckon that is 93RON against the normal 91RON).

I stay at Goa. I have a BP speed bunk near my place at Vasco and the other BP bunk that I trust is at Porvorim which is about 30-35 Kms from my place. So when the bunk near my place has no stock of speed, I ride to the other bunk on reserve fuel, hence many times I guess I am running on fumes.:eek:

For no specific reason I have always favored Bharat Petroleum (BP) bunks and least preferred is Hindustan petroleum (HP) bunks. that's just a personal preference bereft of any facts or figures

I rarely use normal petrol, and am only on speed. so I really cant comment on the visual / audible difference in ride performance / quality.

MY 390 with the FZ windshield. I shaved off a section of the windshield at the bottom to give it a more elegant look as well as to keep the windshield bottom clear off the headlight. 4 holes drilled inline with the existing screws on the display console was all that was needed for a neat finish.
Expenses: Rs. 150/- for the Yamaha FZ windshield and Rs. 80/- for sawing the bottom of the windshield and drilling 4 holes. Total: Rs. 230/-

With FZ windshield tested, I further intend to experiment with the ZMR windshield as I read below that it is longer and wider compared with the FZ windshield and so technically should offer better wind protection.. And finally I intend to try the Bubble windshield from China which I shall receive in a fortnight (this windshield is a direct fit that is specifically designed for KTMs).

So once I am done with these 3 windshields, I shall retain which ever offers me the best wind protection, stable at high speeds (without rattling or bending) and also aesthetically appealing.

I've attached the photos. Not sure if they're the new one or the old one, but they certainly do the job for me! :)

Is this how you take a photo barcalad. lol: Kiddin.

The drill is simple, hunker down to the right side of the motorcycle, peep to the radiator fan, if you see the fan blades, we're out. If you don't see the fan blades, and all you see are plastic, there, we've hit our sweetspot.

Cheers!
V