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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-446.html)

Thank you for such a quick response.

Yes, the motorcycle is on the stock spark plug. Most of the time, this has happened with the side stand being folded with me astride on the bike.
As with all the issues, this issue will try to play hide & seek whenever I try to reproduce it for a video :Frustrati .

Will make a visit to the service centre, for them to look into the drop switch and the fuelling circuit.

My Duke's handlebar starts to shake once the bike crosses 125kmph. Out of the 5-6 instances that I crossed the aforementioned speed, this handlebar shake happened twice or thrice. Is this normal with Dukes, or is it just my bike? Or is it because of my weight( I weigh 62-65kgs and I am of skinny build)?

This is not normal at all, the handle bar should be steady at all times at whichever speed the bike is in.

Get all the bolts holding handle bar in place checked
and torqued. Worst case scenario it could be the cone set or maybe the bearings.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty.

I have a question, im thinking of doing a valve clearence on my 390, I've heard from some people that it will ruin the engine in a year span.

Not entirely, nope! Valve clearance can be done by anyone, provided one's armed with the right tools, supreme patience and the right know how and extremely importantly setting the clearances right. The Duke uses shim type clearances, so it needs some precise measure for all the valves, a vernier caliper helps along with a good quality feeler gauge. All in, not an easy job, but not a task that's impossible to do.

If you feel apprehensive, just don't do it. Perhaps, let it be done from an SVC now, get the knack of it, on hand, apart from YouTube videos and perhaps from next time, you can go at it, full on.

Either way, good luck Dhruv, I would instigate to go further with the DIY route. :)

Cheers!
VJ

I am fuming today as i write this.

Many of you who own the V2 Duke 390 would have read about how android phones cannot connect directly via bluetooth to the bike. Pairing just isnt possible because the dashboard doesn't show the 4 digit pin. I found multiple complaints about it online and just gave up finally.

This thread below details the exact problem

https://www.ktmduke390forum.com/thre...sung-s8.41490/

Funny thing is when i got the bike in 2018, the pairing worked. I could pick up calls, change music tracks from spotify and fiddle with the volume. They gave my Duke software version updates from v39 to v42 and somewhere along the way, the bluetooth lost the capacity to connect to my android phone.

The KTM My Ride application doesnt help. It purely connects/pairs the phone to the bike but it still doesn't let me change tracks, fiddle with the volume or even allow me to pick up the incoming phone calls

Imagine my surprise then when i walk into a KTM showroom and see a 2022 Duke 390. I was idly playing around with the dashboard options and on a whim decided to connect my phone directly to the bike. Not only did it pair, it allowed me to change music tracks on spotify and also receive incoming calls.

I am planning on going back there again on Monday and maybe will make a video and upload it on Youtube. Is this the KTM way of Planned Obsolence which people have accused Apple of doing? They reportedly slowed down their phones while these guys are taking away facilities which were already present on the motorcycle.

I ride a 2017 Duke 390, I did scratch my head initially with the Bluetooth connectivity, I have a Pixel 2XL, it never paired with the bike, once in while when it connected, the display crashed with a ECU failure message. I finally accepted that KTM make's shitty software which never works.

Mean while, riding the bike in traffic was a nightmare, I came across the fuelxpro from racedynamics, decided to take the plunge after reading good reviews and since it is just maps and not the powertronics which plays around with ignition timing etc, this was safer. Got it installed a few weeks back and got to ride the bike in peak Bengaluru traffic, wow! what a huge difference it has made:Cheering:. The low end jerking is gone, motor runs cooler, I can potter around in 2nd gear by taking my hand off the throttle, a must have in my opinion. Now I am able to be in a gear higher than what I could do with the stock bike almost everywhere.

If the software doesnt work - it shouldnt work on all motorcycles. Why does it work on the 2022 Duke 390 and not on the 2017 / 2018 Duke 390? Thats what makes me angry. :mad:

Yes, the low end torque is miserable. How many kilometers have you done after the installation of the fuelxpro? I am glad to note you can potter around in 2nd gear now and also that - the low end jerking is gone. Are there any disadvantages / negatives in conjunction with the positives which you can make us aware of?

That should be due to an updated hardware inside the console.

I have done around 50 kms, the fuel consumption varies based on the map you choose, there are 10 maps, the 10th map runs the richest so obviously it guzzles fuel on the 10th map. I keep changing the map since it can be done on the run by a switch on the handlebar. I will have a better idea once I ride it atleast for another 500 kms. I have tried the 5th map so far and find it good enough. I will try the lower maps which run leaner and update here.

I also feel the throttle response has improved.

Hello people,
My 390 duke has done about 10k km and my rear tyre is almost finished. I will be changing the front and rear together since the front has developed some hairline cracks. I will change them within the next 30days. I am thinking of using metzeler again since I am happy with what it offers. I heard that michelin is good and also last longer than metz can anyone give feedback on michelin?

Thanks in advance.

If you choose Michelin, please pay extra and get the road 5, at least for the front. This particular Michelin tyre has phenomenal grip and wears just as quickly or slowly as the its cheaper cousin pilot street radial. If you want to save 5-6k, apollo H1 comes a very close second. Both of these pairs are significantly better in the wet, dry and wear slower than all metzelers I have had on the duke and earlier in the CBR 250R.

Source : Own experience on multiple pairs of Apollo Alpha h1, Michelin pilot street radial, Michelin road 5, metzeler m5 and m7. Right now I'm running Michelin road 5 on the front and Michelin PSR on the rear, I cannot wait to swap the rear for a road 5 too. It does the job okay, but there is NO comparison to road 5 in the wet on twisty roads. The apollo alpha h1 and Michelin road 5 are simply the best tyres in all conditions. Pick one or the other based on your budget and brand preference would be my suggestion.

Thanks for sharing your experience
I think I'll stick to Alpha H1, As the tyre set of 2022 is available in my local dealer. Only old stock from 2020 and 2021 of Michelin and metzeler are available in many of my local dealers.

Makes sense. I'm ending up in the same situation. I was looking for a road 5 set for my Triumph Tiger 1050 but not only is it crazy expensive, I'm also only getting old manufacturing dates. I'm leaning towards Vredestein Centauro ST instead for this reason.

Are there any good visors out there for the 2020 Duke 390? My bike used to have a Lluvia visor. The visor was good but the mounts were crappy, resulting in a lot of shattering. If I find a good option, I plan to get it right after.

So after multiple jugaad's and reading up on youtube comments, forums and Page 75 and beyond of google search pages, I found something that partially works

App: app.akexorcist.bluetoothdirect from the developer INEX

This app connects older bluetooth devices (such as the one on my 2017 Duke) to Bluetooth's on newer operating systems (such as the bluetooth on my Android 11 phone). Now I can finally, see and control music (change tracks, pause, increase or decrease volume) :Cheering:.

But there is one bug; when I get a phone call, earlier I used to see the "Contact Name" as stored in my phone. Now it shows some weird characters. I will research more into this and try and find a solution. Until then; I will have to pick up all incoming calls when I ride as I have no idea who is calling; family, friends or my good old trustworthy pal who never stops thinking about me - Bajaj Finance