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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-438.html)

Having tried out everything except for the Michelin Road 5 on my 2015 RC390, here are my recommendations:

Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 - the most fun tyre and an absolute must for the RC since it comes with a steeper curve making tipping the bike into bends or through traffic a breeze. This characteristic may not be required on the Duke however so I'd skip them.

Ceat Rad Zoom X1 - looks excellent, lasts long and steers slightly slower but provides more mid corner stability. Would not recommend these for the RC, but would highly recommend these for the Duke as I have ridden them on a 1st gen 200 and absolutely loved the stability that they gave to the Duke. These would be my top pick for the Duke since they provide more stability, last long, and even cost less making them a no brainer :thumbs up

The rest aren't really worth mentioning unless you are sticking to the Metzeller M5 Sportecs which have the best warm up time and behave quite well and predictably.

Got to ride the crotch rocket after a long 5 years. Was attending motorcycle training over the weekend. I attended beginner level training and can't say enough how useful it was. The session involved about 4 hours of theory and about 4 hours of on road training which involved counter steering technics, cornering, braking under dry and gravel conditions and most important of all, keeping your head up and looking in your mirrors which I've now discovered I don't do enough.

Anyways; coming back to the motorcycle. The instructor started the day on a GS1250 and then switched to the Duke 390 you see in this photo. After doing multiple brake tests on my Interceptor, the instructor asked me to try out the same on his Duke. I made about a dozen full bore starts. I've read that the current gen Duke 390's are not as crazy as the first lot. This bike felt just as mental as the first gen 390 that I had. Past 6000rpm, there is a sudden urgency to rocket to the redline. I had a 'oh my god' moment once again. This bike is just so fast. Braking with both brakes was impressive (Training involved several rear only brake tests, front only and then both to measure stopping distance). No drama and the bike staying steady.

The bike carried a few well done and useful modifications. The exhaust made a louder than stock noise and had a Akrapovic sticker. I later found out it was just a sticker and not the real deal. The Instructor, who also happens to be a motorcycle mechanic drilled a hole into some noise restrictor which lead the louder than usual stock exhaust. Heated grips, adjustable for reach levers from Ali Express, red led light strips for better visibility at night and white led spot lights integrated into the handguards. Almost like the lights on the wing tips of an air plane.

Another thing that I noticed was engine temperature, which did not even get to the half way mark after several spirited runs. Ambient temperature was no higher than 20 degrees and with some wind blowing, things stayed cool.

This photo also shows what India has achieved in terms of manufacturing prowess. Except for the Suzuki GN125 seen at the far end of the photo, every other motorcycle you see is Made in India. That includes the Harley Davidson Street 500. New Zealand gets their Duke's and RC's up to the 390 from India. Heck even the Jeep Compass is imported from India.

Thanks for your feedback on the Ceats.

What about the Apollos?

Cheers, Doc

The Apollos were definitely great but nothing stood out about them and they didn't seem to bring anything unique to the table. The Diablo Rosso's felt the most lively and fun of the bunch, while the Metzellers warm up stupidly quick and felt the most well rounded. For those looking for value, I felt the Ceats blew everything else out of the water. Leaving tyres like the Pilot Streets feeling lacking when compared to the Ceats and tyres like the Apollos lacking when compared to the Metzellers or Pirellis.

The Apollos were definitely very predictable and behaved quite well but lacked the ride quality and braking ability of the Pirelli and Metzeller, felt quicker than the Metzeller to turn in, but way less lively than the Pirellis. I'd only recommend the Apollos if they were being sold at a huge discount or if someone especially likes the idea of supporting an Indian manufacturer which honestly hasn't done a bad job. I just feel like they should have focused on making the tyre feel more unique or pricing them as low as the Ceats; either would have gone a long way in justifying their position in the market IMO.

In my experience these are the setups that I prefer:

Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 with pre 2017 shorter handlebars on the RC390
Metzeller Sportec M5 with post 2017 wider handlebars on the RC390
Ceat Rad Zooms on the Duke

I did not know the Apollos were pricier than the Ceats. I assumed being Indian they would be in the same ballpark. Could you tell me the price of both please, front and rear?

So two more questions I have ...

1) Are both the Ceats and Apollo's better than the stock MRF Revz (the upgraded speed uprated new design ones for the 390)?

2) Pending you info on the pricing (which along with km life is a key component of real world riding decision making) IF price were removed from the equation would you say the Apollos are better than the Ceats?

I got that impression since for the Ceats you talk mainly of the price advantage, while for the Apollo's you actually compare them to the Metzelers (which is a big thing) and Pirellis.

Cheers, Doc

I don't remember the price break up of the Ceats but I remember us getting a deal of 7k for both tyres for my friend's Duke 200. The Apollos are meant to be slightly sportier so I'm sure the manufacturing process, the compounds used and more importantly the research and development involved in designing them would have costed more. I had tested them extensively on an RC390 and if I remember correctly they costed just about as much as H rated Pirellis and Metzelers (around 10-13k for both front and rear tyres). The Apollo's only real value is that they are the cheapest W rated tyres (W-rated Metzellers and Pirellis cost a good 5-8k more for a set) making them better value for folks with 600cc bikes when compared to other sportbike tyres in the market. However since the 390s don't reach speeds that require a W-rated tyre, It's best to stick to the H-rated Metzellers or Pirellis depending on your preference as both the Sportec M5 and the Diablo Rosso 2 do feel like they come off of more pedigreed approaches to sport bike tyres.
leagues better than the stock tyres that my friend's Duke 200 came on, not sure about the new MRFs since I haven't been riding as voraciously this year as I had been in the past, but I'd wager that the Ceats and Apollos would still be far better than them.
If you're asking about track times then yes, the Apollos would do a quicker lap than the Ceats would. However since they are very different in their target audience, I'd say this; the Ceats do a better job at being a sport touring tyre than anything else out there while the Apollos don't shine out amongst its competition.
Not just the price but they do last a whole lot longer than the Apollos, Metzellers or Pirellis. The mid-corner stability that they provide also lends a certain confidence on the Duke when riding through the city. They are also made up of a much more robust carcass so they take rough roads and abuse quite well. Lastly they look the best of the bunch since the curvature on the Ceats is quite gradual so they look fatter and I suppose this is also what helps provide the mid-corner stability that they do.

Thanks Ishaan that's brilliant feedback and greatly appreciated!

I have a brand new set of the lower H rated Metzelers on my Duke currently. Fitted just before the battery died, after which I've not replaced the battery nor ridden the bike. So this is good data to have for the next set.

To be honest, unless there is a lot of mud and slush, on the next tour I would prefer tough long wearing hard compound street tyres like the Ceats instead of the button type dual purpose tyres.

Just as an aside, as a cyclist, some of the more expensive tyres like the GP 5000 and Gatorskins are pricier than the Ceats at 4-4500 bucks per tyre. :)

Cheers, Doc

Guys Need some help.
The front suspension on my duke 390 is super hard and stiff causing me pain and discomfort in my shoulders.
About six months back i got the front seals replaced and all work was done at KTM Service center. I had asked the service guy to keep fluid level a little less but he still poured the entire bottle of fork fluid in each tube.
I have to literally press down hard on the suspension. In-fact in the morning its like rock hard and after pumping it a couple of times it makes some movement.

I would like to re do the Job and use better fork fluid. I believe it uses 450ml oil in each. I want to drop it do 430-420ml. Any recommendations on what oil is best or should i stick to the white bottle that ktm sells. What weight oil is that? is it 5W or 10W.

Help would be appreciated .

Hello,
From my experience, liquimoly makes good fork oils and they do seem to be a bit more compliant with regards to the ride quality, however i do not recommend dropping the oil levels as there are chances of the suspension bottoming out and causing issues to internal components. Mine is a 2016 model and they use 485ml of oil per stem, is what i heard from my trusted garage. Not sure about the newer gen dukes. 5w comes as stock on the Dukes and the liquimoly one of the same grade offer better ride quality over the stock oil. Get it changed from a reputed garage and you'll be good to go.

Arun.

Got it replaced at KTM itself, the bottle that KTM sells contains 450ML of fork oil . I replaced with liqui moly and used 430ml this has helped in the shocks being a little kinder to my shoulders yet feel nice and planted. I did go for the liqui moly 5w, so instead of 450 i used 430ml in each stem.

Definitely worth going for the liqui moly fork oil.

One 390 to another 390:

Picked up a 8500 kms run 2018 Duke 390 last week. The bike was fairly clean and with service records available. I have done close to 300 kms till now and my observations as a 1st generation RC390 owner are as below:

Likes:

• Power, it has all the power you will ever need on Indian roads. Once you are used to 390 engine, everything else under 5 lacs feels lame. RE650 twins might be having more power on paper but then comes the additional bulk.
• Bike is very nimble, much easy to move around as compared to RC. Navigating through traffic is a breeze. RC with it's heavy front end was difficult in stop and go traffic.
• Ride by Wire makes day/night difference in throttle response. If you are used to 1st gen 390s, you will feel the difference a lot more. Pick up is instant, the initial hesitation has disappeared.
• Quicker to reach 100 kmph as compared to RC.
• TFT is a welcome change. I was bored of orange and black. If it goes kaput, costs 20k to replace.
• Bigger fuel tank (13.5 ltr vs 9 ltr) means lot less fuel top ups. Since my rides are fairly long, it will translate to lot of gain in tank range. It is quite a capable tourer.
• Plastic quality of the bike is much better than 1st generation.
• Longer gearing means it is easy to live with in city. At 30 kmph in 4th gear, RC started throwing tantrums in such conditions.
• Although it is winters here in north now, but bike is running a lot cooler than previous generation. Fan is quite muted, temperature gauge runs almost little above half way mark.
• RC made quite a racket upon returning back from ride, there was no need to ring the door bell. This one could pass off as any other bike. Good for neighbours.
• 1st generation vibrations have disappeared, at most you call it a slight buzz now.
• Excellent braking. Bike can shed speed in a moment. Stock brakes on RC were so useless.
• Seat is much better than previous generation. Wooden feel is no more. Seating posture is slightly relaxed as compared to previous generation Duke, footpegs are little lower (I might be wrong).
• It is no secret that KTMs are depreciation disasters. It can be used to your advantage if you are looking for pre-owned bikes. KTM has jacked up prices like crazy and it hardly makes sense to go for a new bike anymore. Consider this, I got a two year old, well kept, low run 390 for a price of new Duke 125.:eek: Duke prices have gone up by more than 50% since the launch of 1st generation. I agree that bike has lot of improvements over previous generation but a new purchase has gradually lost vfm tag.

Dislikes

• 390s stutter at low rpms. This one is no different, may be slight improvement over previous model but it is still there, doesn't like crawling traffic.
• Wind Blast. You need to hold on to the bike post 100 kmph. RC made you feel so connected to the bike that holding on wasn't even a thought. A wind visor is definitely needed as addon.
• Reliability concerns. It is a KTM, you never know what might go wrong. With advanced technology comes higher cost of spare parts. Routine parts are fairly cheap to maintain, others might cost a lot. It is better to keep 20-30k sum aside for urgent repairs in something goes wrong.
• Suspension is hard, might be a problem on bad roads.

I was looking to sell off my RC and switch to a more comfortable bike. Started looking for a bike within a budget extending upto 4-5 lacs, was open to used options. Looked at lot of options:

-Duke 250 (new and used)
-Duke 390 (new and used)
-Adv 390 - Sorry but after the test ride I couldn't justify to myself paying 3.6 lacs.
-H'ness 350
-Svartpillen 250
-Used CB300r. Almost made the deal for this one.
-Used Bonnie. 2014/15/16 models.
--Used Street Twin - I was getting a clean bike but dealer was getting a bit greedy.
-Interceptor 650 - came up in discussions a lot. It's bulk and tube type tyres were main points that went against it. Also after my Thunderbird experience, wife has a hatred for RE now. Since she will be using the bike quite a bit too, it was not possible to convince her anymore. lol:

Before this purchase, finalized a deal on 2014 Duke 390 which had 15k kms on odo. Bike was very clean, well kept. Made the payment, got the bike home. However there were some issues with paperwork of seller (id proof etc) and with strict laws now in place we decided not to go ahead. This was mutually discussed before sale and gentleman agreed to take back the bike. Got the refund within a week.

Started another round of search and after some negotiations got the bike home. RC also found a buyer in the meantime. There are already lot of pics in the forum and hence decided not to bombard you all with them again. (That two smiley limit applies or else *wide grin*)

Congratulations! Very clean bike. How much did you pay for her?

The good thing about the KTM depreciation bit for KTM riders is that the wealth usually stays in the family, medieval nobility style. Each noble paying the price in blood once.

Eg. You take a hit on your 200. The 390 rider takes a hit on his 390. You buy the 390 at a slight premium above what you got for your 200.

You take a hit on your RC. The Duke guy takes a hit on his 390. You get the 390 at a steal.

The problem arises when we sell our bikes outside the family. We should stop doing that.

Every man must get hit once in life before he becomes a man.

Cheers, Doc

Whole year couldn't use my 2013 D390 bike much. Did a full service and below are the main items upgraded.
1. New gen slipper clutch
2. Front EBC breakpad
3. Radiator flush plus engine ice coolant
4. Grip puppies handlebar grips
5. Appolo alpha h1 rear tyre
Apart from that front bearing was changed, front fork seal was replaced.
I have planned long ride next week and will keep you posted on the review of above parts.

I have been to lot of places in India by bike and below are some of the pics.

Been to short ride near Bisle ghat. Did a small offroad and stayed in the hills with our own tents. Overall amazing experience.

Hi All,

I have a 2016 Duke 390.

A new battery - Exide Explore XLTZ9 was fit in July, 2018. The motorcycle has run around 7k kms since that, mostly highway runs.

2 days back, my friend took the bike to his workplace (around 25 km away). He parked it at 9 am and took out the bike at 9 pm. The motorcycle wouldn't start and showed Low Battery. The lights and horn worked fine (not feeble but strong). He tried to push start it, no luck. Then after 10 minutes of cranking it started.

He rode it for 15 mins, stopped for dinner, tried to start it again - same problem. This time after 2 minutes of cranking and Low Battery sign, it started again. He brought it home and parked it. I cranked it after and it started at the first try.

If the battery was low, my understanding is that the lights and horn will not work.

What else could be wrong? Stator coil?

Regards,
Brijesh.