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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-451.html)

Thank you. I got my bike's chain adjusted/tightened today afternoon at a local mechanic. And there is a noticeable difference in gearshifts after I got the chain adjusted.

If you cannot notice any difference in the sound or the power output then no need to fret I guess. I have done about 40k kms on my bike but it has been ridden hard on nearly every occasion so I suppose it all boils down to usage.

Ooh yes rl: I echo the sentiment and get will the valve clearance done ASAP .

Cheers !

Thanks, although I'll get it checked in my next service just as a proactive measure.

Hey Aswin, may I know which tail bag is being used in this photo ?

My chain picks up a lot of dirt after 500ish kms so I always clean it first and then lube it. Lucky that your chain stays clean even after 2000kms in our road conditions ! Here is how you adjust chain tension -

Tools required-

1. 22mm spanner
2. 14mm spanner
3. 10mm spanner

Prcoedure -

1. Set your bike up on a paddock stand if available, makes it much more convenient.

2. Loosen the wheel nut(marked by the blue arrow) a bit with the 22mm spanner.


3. Check the chain slack recommendation embossed on your chain guard and rotate your wheel to the point where the chain tension is the maximum. Keep the wheel in that position and then proceed.


4. Loosen nut no.1 a bit on both sides LHS and RHS with the 14mm spanner.


5. Tighten/slacken(as per requirement) nut no.2 with the 10mm spanner equally on both sides, checking the tension with your fingers. Check that it isn't excessively tight, is as per spec and make sure that the chain isn't making a sound(as if it is under high tension) when you rotate the wheel.


6. Finally, tighten nut no.1 on both sides.

7. Tighten the wheel nut you had loosened in step 2.

Voila you're done ! Take a test ride and check if the performance is to your satisfaction. You can watch this if my explanation isn't clear enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lX3SZ0YXPM

If the chain gets loose soon again, better to get your chain and sprocket checked and replaced.

Hope this helped. Adjusting slack is actually the first thing I learnt when I bought my bike. Wishing you many more happy kilometres with your bike :)

Thank you so much for the detailed pictorial explanation:Cheering:. I will save this post safely for my future reference. Will try to do it on my own next time.

I dont suppose so.

My first set lasted 19000 kms. Second one was changed around 13000kms, but this was primarily due to irregular maintenance. I am expecting more mileage in my current set which has done 13000kms so far.

My take is, it is very sensitive to maintenance

My 2017 Duke 390 chain needs replacement, i was using the Rolon chain, don't recall how many links it has, online i see 112 links and 114 link chains. Any idea?

112 links is for the 14/45 version of the Duke 390, right from start till now. And IIRC I think it's the same for 250 version of the Duke.

Cheers!
VJ

Hi Yash! This is the Viaterra Claw, the OG one (Bought in 2018), with no waterproofing except for a rain cover and I have had no issues with it so far other than once during very heavy rain, water had seeped through the sides and the clothes got wet :)

But I think they make a waterproof model of it now which I think should be great. I also have and use Viaterra pod extenders which easily mount on top of these in case I need more storage.

Cheers!
Aswin

Serviced the Duke recently, and it's nearing the 20K mark. Replaced the factory-spec front brake pad with the same sintered ByBre unit, costing Rs 2.6k now. Though expensive, it's alright considering the originals lasted for over 5 years and nearly 20k km.

The rest of the service was routine, except I also flushed the coolant and brake fluids. Aiming for a more full-fledged service the next time with fork oil replacement, valve clearance checks, injector and spark plug cleaning/inspection (I don't know if this is required), and wheel bearings replacement/re-greasing.

Also, went in for some cosmetic TLC for the bike at a local car detailing studio. Costed Rs 1.1k, but the end result is quite something. After the detailing, slapped on a pair of tank pads and fork seal covers from MotoTrendz. The tank pads definitely help grip the bike better with your inner thighs, especially when braking hard and leaning into a corner. Correctly aligning them, however, was a pain and I spent a few anxious moments before deciding to stick them on.









Lastly, as you can see from the below picture clicked at the studio, I had mounted the Maddog Delta to the indicator light bolts using an L-plate mount from Lluvia Industries (yes, the indicator bolts bore the entire load). This set-up is perfectly alright for smaller lights and those weighing less than 300gm.



The Deltas are neither of those with each light cube measuring 3.5x3x3 inches and weighing close to 600gm, with the angle adjustment holder attached. This meant that every time I jumped a speed breaker or hit some mild trails, the lights would shake just a bit too much, making me fear that they'd just snap the indicator bolts and fall. Adding to this fear was the fact these indicator bolts are of the hollow variety as the wiring runs within them.

Fed up with this anxiety, I bought the Maddog fork mount for Rs 1.6k, only to realise the Duke's tank shrouds wouldn't allow me to use them, no matter which angle I tried. Dejected, I was almost on the verge of dumping these lights altogether when I decided to try my luck with a custom mount, albeit one that used the Maddog's C-clamp mounts. Meaning, I'd be discarding the Maddog mounts' platforms/plates while using only their fork clamps.

Went to a local auto fabricator and got this made after a couple of hours of measuring and adjusting. Initially, the bracket was too tall, causing the lights to be mounted almost entirely further ahead of the Duke's headlight. After bringing it in a bit, we realised the bracket plate was too wide and brushing against the headlight shrouds (they're already scuffed up :disappointed). So, we angled it up a bit and when the result still wasn't satisfactory, made a cut in the bracket as per the shrouds while also using a couple of washers.





The final result, after painting, is not too bad considering the looks and final cost of Rs 650. I know I've compromised the lights' spread by mounting them so close together. But I really didn't want to mount them on the crash guards. So, this is something I can live with. The entire assembly, brackets+both lights, weighs close to 1.8kg. However, I can't tell a huge difference in the steering's behaviour, in terms of flickability. On the plus side, the lights sit rock solid, come jumps, rumblers, speadbreakers, potholes, and what not. Looking forward to test it some more as I hit the trails next week.

My speedometer screen turned off randomly. This is the second time that i noticed this issue.Did KTM release a software update for the 390 Duke? I remember SVC telling me about a software update. My bike is on version 1V09.

I find it funny to see these small niggles on a product which has been on sale since 2017, and received two facelifts(2020&2022). I uploaded a short clip of the same.
https://youtube.com/shorts/4pxMYcOKm8Y?feature=share
What might be the issue?

Get it replaced under warranty if it's under warranty. I got mine replaced initially multiple times and it's never bothered me. The initial batches were notorious for those as there was a software bug that was causing it.



Also, want to add on my D390, amazing bike, 5 years on and I love her a lot. I thought of upgrading many times and she stopped me everytime because of the sheer fun she gives when pottering around city or highways, good roads or bad roads. Absolutely nails everything. Even saved my life in atleast one occasion. Gonna keep her and pamper her.

Does turning the ignition on and off solve the issue? I sometimes used to get that ECU failure thing on the unit, only for it to go away after turning the key off/on.

Also, do you guys update the software from time to time? I think mine is on v37 or something, the last time I checked. Haven't updated it ever, since I bought her home used from a friend. The bike is running a custom Powertronic ECU, which is the only thing I update with new maps once a year.

Turns out my bike is still in warranty, as a quick google search says KTM offers a standard 2 year/30000km warranty on their bikes.

I have to rush to the showroom ASAP to get this checkedrl:.

The same thing happened to me once when I was 300kms away from home :coldsweat but luckily just once. There were no ASCs nearby and turning the ignition off and on a couple of times fixed it. My '18 model is on software version AV42. Everything is okay except the useless KTM My Ride now. The display doesn't show calls anymore when connected to the phone's bluetooth. This was a really handy feature but KTM seems to have stopped support and updates for this model a long time back. Many people on other forums have mailed to KTM regarding this but have failed to get any response.

Multiple times seriously ?
I echo your sentiments. Almost 5 years here and it still puts a smile on my face whenever I ride. No major issues till date and still running strong. Will consider selling this only when I upgrade to another bike. Hope all goes well !

Yes it did fix it for me. I'm running on version AV42 currently. Better to visit the ASC and ask if there are any updates for your model.