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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-444.html)

My 390 is sitting at home since last week. It started leaking fuel from under the fuel tank where the fuel pump is mounted.
It started all of a sudden and the entire tank of fuel leaked out. I am unable to ride it to the nearest service centre which is like five kms away fearing fuel leak and the hot exhaust.
Can I keep a wet cloth under the tank and ride to repair the bike?
Anybody else faced fuel leak issue from under the tank??

Scorp, there is clearly a difference between a leak and a weep, if it's a mild weep, extremely mild then yes you can jet to your nearest SVC. I'd strongly recommend you tow it to the SVC if the leak is big enough to get it dripping over the engine and periphery, which is a potential and high fire hazard owing to the temperamental nature of the Duke's engine. You using a wet rag is definitely not advisable, as eventually water can evaporate faster due to the engine heat and the dripping fuel can mean the very rag will induce
a steady burn if it catches fire.

The pump bottom is sealed with a rubber O ring, which overtime can get hard and leaks fuel due to induced cracks, especially if the bike is parked for long time, hard luck.

My advice? Most local mechanics can help you get the tank removed, and replace the O ring, I'd strongly suggest that. All you need is to bring in a mechanic and get the job done at your home or get the tank removed by a mechanic and then take it to the KTM SC and get the faulty part replaced and then install it from your mechanic, again the variables are workable, go ahead with what works best for you.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

Thanks a tonne @vijayAnand1 .

The leak is major, like a continuous drip, I am not in the state to ride it like this as i am sure it will pose a fire hazard.
I am thinking of removing the tank myself and taking it to the service center and getting it repaired.
At the moment the bike stands idle and i am using my karizma.

Again thanks a lot .

Hi Guys,
Apologies in advance for posting this query without going through all the pages, am sure this has been discussed in details earlier on this thread, do guide me to the page if you aware of the same.
Just about recently acquired a pre worshipped duke 390 (2017) and am looking for feasible tire change apart from Mtzelers. (Mostly city and odd weekend rides)
Secondly a good source to buy accessories specifically windshield, crash protectors, phone mounts. Huge number of options out there but looking for something tried and tested by fellow duke owners.

Hey Dicky. Keeping it brief. You have Metz, Apollo, Ceat, TVS and Timsun. For better pricing, I'd suggest Ceat and Apollo, both perform equally good and Ceat is comparatively cheaper and works really well. A couple of Dukes here running on Ceat and performance is extremely laudable. I reckon this would be mostly a city dweller, then I'd suggest stick to Ceat.

Zana is the place to go, and ILLUVIA they both are quality products, from windshields to crash protection bungs. Slightly expensive, and having used Zana, I can vouch for their quality, sames goes for Illuvia on a Dominar, great kit. You can also try Moto Usher where you get even better equipment albeit it's eye wateringly expensive. But, I'd suggest you start off with Zana and Illuvia and then cast a wider net over the net which would yield you better options.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

I changed the engine oil of my 2017 Duke 390 to Motul 300V 15W50 from Motul 7100 15W50 10 months ago. It was barely ridden after that. The engine oil dropped close to 300 ml within 250 Kms of riding. Today I noticed that there is smoke from exhaust when revved hard at stand still. The bike has run only 20000 kms and was regularly serviced. I don't see any reasons for it to have a damaged bore.
Besides this, the bike runs smoothly. Engine temp, fuel efficiency, coolant level are all normal.
Have anyone else faced anything similar?
I have read somewhere that these racing oils such as 300v burns a lore more than normal oils to increase power. Is there any truth in this?

At the moment, Metzeler M5s are the best if you want a cheaper (given the current taxation issue) but similar (not as good but similar) tyre, Apollos are your best bet. If you desire quicker turn-in to aid in flickability in traffic, then TVS's protorq extreme is good (not as good as a pair of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs if you can find them). If you don't want to spend too much but at the same time don't want to feel like you're missing out, then the Ceats are excellent and what I prefer on the Duke; they last much much longer (the performance gains of the Apollo or TVS don't justify how quickly they wear out) and they look the best of the bunch due to the shallow curvature almost makes it look like a 160 section tyre on the back :D
As someone who has preferred Motul 300v (not the new V2) for my BS3 RC390 for around 45k kms now, I have a few questions:
Which model year is your bike? Is it pre BS4 or post BS4? BS3 models usually develop some or the other issue but you should definitely get it checked. When my BS3 RC390 was losing engine oil it was discovered after a lot of unnecessary diagnosing, to be a chipped clutch cover from an accident a year earlier. The only major issue I have faced is valve clearances going out of spec way too often :Frustrati That said, I have always serviced my bike every 2000kms sometimes earlier. With our dusty and clogged metro cities I find this to be the best practice. So when you say that it was regularly serviced, do you mean to say that you follow the factory service interval recommendations or have you taken a more pragmatic approach towards maintenance?

I have serviced it at every 3000-4000 km as I felt the factory recommended intervals are far-fetched.
It is a BS4 model. There are no leaks.
I have taken care of it as much as humanely possible and always made sure that all fluids are good. That's why it puzzles me why it would burn any oil at just 20000 km.
Secondly, I suspect that the glass window to check the oil level is giving wrong readings. Since there are 2 oil pumps in post BS4 390 engines, some of the oil gets retained on the left side of the engine. I have noticed during oil changes that even after draining oil through the oil drain hole and oil filter outlet, there is some oil when I open the oil strainer on the left side.

Do the Ceats hold up good on a 390? How much are the Ceats for?

Is the Apollo as short wearing as the Metzelers were? How much are the Apollos for?

Do the Chinese Metzelers wear longer than the German ones? How do they compare to the German ones on other key parameters?

Do you rate the Apollos higher than even the Pirellis and Chinese Metzelers?

Cheers, Doc

3000-4000km is perhaps okay if you use 7100 and don't wring your bike out but on 300v I'd say stick to 2k kms and under. The high compression (sports car level) in the 390, means that oil does seep through the piston rings and gets burnt up.

Not sure exactly how long, but a friend of mine who used to own a 1st gen Duke200 did more than 16k kms on them before selling and they still seemed to have life left in them so a 60% improvement in tyre life at the minimum.

Yes if you consider how progressively the tyre allows you to lean in. If you are careful you can perhaps extract another 2k kms from the rear tyre compared to the Metz.

No idea since my first 2 sets of sportec M5s were both W rated and I used them before H rated tyres even began being available in the market. That said, I have used and enjoyed H rated Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs the most and they wore out just as quickly as the German Metzelers that my bike came on. I would say the Chinese ones have no noticeable difference on most parameters atleast on the 390 (not sure about faster bikes). They do transmit slightly less road feel under braking though.

Nope. The Apollos and the TVS protorq extremes are both good efforts but neither one stands out as being the best in anything as such. The Metzelers warm up the quickest always feeling ready for aggressive riding and feel the most progressive through lean, the Pirellis give the quickest turn-in, the carcass feels the most pliant and absorbs bumps the best mid corner. Both the Pirellis and the Metzelers feel leagues above the local tyres under hard braking. The local tyres come close but simply don't feel as good. They might perform better in the wet though (I prefer not to ride at all when it rains so have little experience in the wet).

On the Duke I feel the Metzelers are the best and if one does not want to splurge too much then the Ceats are the best

On the RC I felt the Pirellis were the best on pre 2017 models (shorter handlebars) and Metzelers best on post 2017 models. The Apollos and TVS are okay but nothing to write home about.

Quoting the highlighted part first. The main drain bolt is to the left of the motorcycle, the big 24 mm one with a long strainer. This is the bolt you're supposed to undo first use when draining the engine oil. The bottom one, that's the auxiliary drain bolt with strainer is to make sure any remnants inside the engine is removed. This auxiliary drain bolt need not necessarily be undone every time when a oil change procedure is followed, it can be opened to clean the strainer every two consecutive oil changes.

300V is purely an overkill for the Duke and the CBR. The oil has a tendency to disappear without a trail. The oil is super thin, lubricating the thinnest mm part to best. But, they weep on some, and vanish on some. Mine experience had both, vanishing and mild weeping at the valve inspection cap area. Switched back to 7100 and it's all good. Moved away from 300V and never considered it. Some swear by it, but mine was a troubled relationship.. When you know something is just about bragging rights than outright usability, 300V fits that bill perfectly well.

Good luck, and hope it helps and a Happy New Year.

Cheers!
VJ

Thanks for clarifying about the 300v disappearing. I will change it to 7100 and see if it is burning any oil. I really wish it doesn't. Beacuse I have taken care of this vehicle as much as one can humanely do. :unhappy

I have a 2017 Duke 390 and it has served me well for past 4 years. Decided to give it some love with a few upgrades/mods and change the look a bit.

Installed the following mods:

1. Windshield (Pro X Visor) - Link



2. Front number plate holder - Link

The visor installation left no place for the front number plate so an additional accessory was needed. This turned out to be much cleaner.



3. Radiator guard - Link

Better late than never. Should've got this installed on purchase.



4. Lever guard - Link



5. Seat Cowl - Link

99% of times I ride the bike alone, and this seat cowl completely changes the look of the bike. Color matches perfectly with the stock KTM colors.

6. Tank Pad - Link



7. Tail Tidy - Link

Tail tidy is another mod that greatly enhances the look. However this particular one does leave some wires exposed. I've seen other tail tidys which are cleaner and also tucked in further.

P.S. I know about the missing 0, please don't bash me about it.



8. Hazard Module by Race Dynamics - Link

This is a coupler to coupler accessory and involves no wire cutting. The hazard mechanism is controlled by stock indicator switches. Must have accessory during rains/fog and especially if you do highways a lot.



9. Pirelli Rally STR Tyres - Link

After about 20k km the stock Metz had worn out and I was looking for an upgrade. I went with these rally tyres and have to say they look totally dope. The grip is just great on normal roads. I have to admit I will rarely go off-road and went with these purely for their aesthetics.



What do you think about these mods? If you have suggestions for any other mods please chime in.

I think you're pretty much sorted on everything. The only thing I would "recommend" is a tire hugger, keeps the derriere clean.

Cheers!
VJ

Replaced the stock spark plug to NGK LKAR8AI-9 LASER IRIDIUM SPARK PLUG.
Got it from sniper-auto.com for Rs 356.
The old spark plug was prematurely fouled due to excessive idling since the bike was not ridden for an year and was only started and idled for charging the battery. The bike used to turn off after a cold start with the old plug.